________________
LXVI
Kavyanusasana
leaves little doubt that it was Dhruvasena III, 'the youngest' of his grand - uncles, all elder to Dharasena's grandfather. The long age ( 100 years ) confirms the identification.
" It is noteworthy that the Valabhi kings maintained a navy.
“Dharasena IV in the year 546 A. D. issued two copper - plates; in the earlier of the two in the same Kartikadi year ( 326 GE) he is not Chakravartin (Emperor ), while a few months after he assumed that title ( Bhandarkar's List, No. 1348, No. 1349). We should therefore conclude that his grandfather Harshavardhana died between the month of Māgha ( 5th Dark Fortnight) and Asadha (S., 10). By that title he claimed to be the heir to the Empire of Harshavardhana and something more, that is, as the Emperor of South.” (Imp. Hist. of India. p. 67)
This sudden development of the kingdom of Valabhi into an empire through inheritance explains the geographical description of the territories as well as the big titles of the successors of Dharasena IV; though we may note that the title of Chakravartin is dropped by his successors some of whom still call themselves Paramesvarat.
† We cannot say with certainty who was the king whose name began with Va or Ja, who succeeded the king the initial letter of whose name was Dha. He may be Derabhatta or bis son Dhruvasena III or Şilāditya II; or it is just possible that Dharasena might have had a son whose name began with Va or Ja and the kingdom of Valabhi might have passed to Derabhatta the son of his grandfather's brother. This is merely a surmise.
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