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
the later prabandha literature and in Jayasimha's Kumarapala-carita an interesting story about Devalādevī. It is said that Devalādevī was married to Cāhamāna king Arņorāja. She was a devotee of the Jain monks. Once in the dice-playing he said in a joke that he was killing bald-headed monks. Probably his intention was to mock the Jain monks. This occurrence enraged Devalādevī and she asked him never to utter the word 'kill' because his brother had stopped killing totally. But this simple talk developed into a hot dispute and Devalādevī feeling insulted left the Cāhamāna kingdom. The event caused a war in which Armorāja was defeated.
This story, however, does not find place in the early and contemporary records. We know that Arnorāja had two queens, the one by name Sulocanā, who was the daughter of the king of Marudeśa and the other by name Kancanadevī the daughter of king Jayasimha Caulukya and mother of Someśvara, the father of Prthvīrāja III. The Kirti-kaumudi records that Arņorāja was defeated by Jayasimha and later on was married to his daughter. The Pythviraja-vijaya also confirms this fact. In the light of these revelations the episode about Devaladevī narrated above, seems to be a more fabrication devised by later chroniclers.
The name of the chief queen of Kumārapāla is mentioned as Bhopāladevī. His other queens were Jalhaņā, daughter of the Cāhamāna Anaka and Padmāvati.
His character: Kumārapāla was a man of strong character and morality. His daily time table as depicted in the Duyaśraya-kavya and the Kumarapala-pratibodha confirms this fact.5 He was most popular among his subjects. Both the prominent sects of the time, the Jain and the Saiva, derived encouragement from him. Like Asoka or Akbar he possessed religious tolerance and was impartial in the management of his affairs. Though he observed some of the Jain vows and promulgated some of them for the well-being of his subjects yet he did not try to come in the way of other religions. His impartiality in the matter of religion is further attested by the Jain authors through the Jain colophons which claim him as a devotee of both the religions. Among so many colophons, at least five refer to him as one who has conquered all kings by the grace of Umā or Pārvatī, i.e., Siva, and
1 KC., Canto IV. Vs. 173-174. 2 See supra p. 132. 3 JRAS., 1913, p. 2.
4 Itihās Sammelan, Nibandha-samgraha (Gujarati), 1943, Dr. Dasaratha Sarma's article on " Kumārapāla ki Bahana Devalādevi.
5 Pr. DV., Cantos I-2; GOS., XIV, pp. 422-443.