Political History of Northern India

SR No.: 001744
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Gulabchandra Chaudhary
Publisher: Sohanlal Jain Dharm Pracharak Samiti Amrutsar
Publication Year: 1954
Total Pages: 482
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, History, & Culture
File Size: 10 MB

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POLITICAL HISTORY OF N. INDIA FROM JAIN SOURCES
of Rāşțrauda family, most probably of the Hathundi branch of Rāştrakūtas. It also informs us that Alhana bore the ordinary title Mahārāja. Though these grants do not refer to the sovereign king Kumārapāla's name, the title Mahārāja suggests to us that Alhaņa still continued to be subservient to him.
Kelhana (1161-1192 A.D.): Ālhana was succeeded by his elder son Kelhaņa. We are informed by the second grant of Nadol described above that, before V.E. 1218, Alhana made him in charge of his reign and with his father, Kelhana, gave 12 villages to his younger brother Kirtipāla.? The Prabandha-kośa states that "the Cāhamāna king Anaka (Arnorāja) while attacking Kumārapāla Caulukya created a split between Kumārapāla and his allegiant vassals like Kelhana and others of Naddūla by offering them large sums of money.3 The Dvyāśraya-kavya also states that Kịşņa and Vijaya, the two Sāmantas of Kumārapāla, had gone to the side of Arnorāja: Krşna of this statement has been identified by scholars with the Cāhamāna Kelhaņa. These statements from our Jain works confirm the conjecture which we have already made that Kumārapāla put a check upon all the intriguing powers to the north of his territory and deprived the Cāham nas of Naddula of their sovereignty. This statement also shows that Kelhana might have advanced in age when he succeeded his father, for we know that the war with Arnorāja had been fought before V.E. 1207 (c. 1150 A.D.), and according to the above statements Kelhaņa shared in it, which would mean that Kelhana was at that time an influential hero, most probably more than 24 years old.
We have six dated Jain inscriptions of his reign. Below they are described in chronological order.
(1) Sānderāva stone inscription bearing the date V.E. 1221 (c. 1164 A.D.), was found incised on a lintel in the Sabhā-mandapa of the temple of Mahāvīra. It records that in the reign of Kelhana, the queenmother Analladevi granted one plough of land of the Mūlanāyaka (chief deity) Sri Mahāvira of Sānderaka gaccha. Others also granted so many gifts.
1 Ibid., Vs. 6 and 7. 2 Ibid., Vs. 8 and 9. 3 SJGM., V. I, p. 51.
4 Chunnilal Modi, Sanskrt Dvyāśraya Kavyamān, Madhyakālina Gujarātani Sāmājika sthiti, p. 40.
• EI, IX, p. 46-49: Jain Lekha-sangraha, I, p. 229.