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

Page 53

THE DYNASTIES OF MADHYADESA
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identify King Ama Nāgāvaloka with Nāgabhata II. But having considered this ground inadequate for the proposed identification, we are here trying to examine the whole matter. In this attempt we should go to review the history of the time in respect of Kanauj, of Bengal and of Rāştrakūtas and Gurjaras, which may throw light upon the point in issue.
We have already known the last limit of the reign of the King Yasovarman of Kanauj from the Bappabhatti-carita which is approximately 75051 A.D. and which tallies well with the dates deduced from Rajatarangini and the Chinese Annals of Tang dynasty. After Yašovarman the throne of Kanauj was occupied by his son and successor, Ama-Nāgāvaloka, for a long period from 752 A.D. to 833 A.D. according to the Bappabhațți-carita. But within long period scholars have placed a king named Indrarāja or Indrāyudha on the throne of Kanauj in Saka year 705 of 783-84 A.D. on the basis of a passage in the Jain Harivansa and a reference made in the late Bhāgalpur grant of Narāyanapāla. Dr. R. S. Tripāthi, in his History of Kanauj, held the view that by the year 815 A.D. the throne of Kanauj was occupied by the Pratihāra King Nāgabhata II on the strength of the Buckala inscription and the undated Gwalior Prasasti of Bhoja. Thus we see three or four kings on the throne of Kanauj in this long period according to the generally accepted views of historians, while the Bappabhatti carita assigns this long period of 752-833 A.D. to the one King Ama only.
Leaving apart this knotty problem of the Kanauj history for a while, we come to the history of Bengal of that period. It is generally accepted by historians that the first three kings of the Pāla dynasty, i.e. Gopal, Dharmapāla and Devapāla, ruled within the period from circa 750 to circa 870 A.D. This assigned period mostly concords with the reign of Ama. From the Jain sources we do not know any activities of these kings except those of Dharamapāla, who, it is said, had long cherished inveterate feelings of enmity to King Ama. This would mean that he made several aggressive attempts on Kanauj and was repulsed in his efforts. One of the most glorious achievements of Dharmapala, according to the Pāla inscriptions, was the defeat of an Indrarāja of Kanauj,4 and the installation of another ruler Cakrā
1 El., XIV, p. 179, fn. 3 ; See also J DL., X, p. 46. 2 MDJG, XXXIII, Pt. II, Canto. LXVI, V. 52:
शाकेष्वन्दशतेषु सप्तसु शतं पञ्चोत्तरेषूत्तराम् ।
Grant TTTF EHBUTTTS staat er etc. 3 pp. 232-33 4 Bhagalpur copper plates of Nārāyaṇapāla, V.3, Ed. in I A., XV, pp. 305, 307.
See also Khalimpur Copper plates of Dharmapāla, V. 12, EI., IV, p. 252.