Indian Antiquary Vol 59

SR No.: 032551
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, S Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarka
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1986
Total Pages: 380
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 16 MB

Page 14

THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
(JANUARY, 1930
There now remains the affair of the Rajastya and Svayashvara ceremonies performed by king Jayachandra. Had Jayachandra performed such a grand ceremony as the Rajasya, some mention of it would have been found in the inscriptions of that monarch, or in the Ram. bhámanjari-natiki by Nayachandra-suri, of which Jayachandra himself is the hero. Fourteen oopper plates and two stone inscriptions of Jayachandra have been found, the last of which is dated V.8. 124510 (1189 A.D.). Although there are thus as many as sixteen epigraphic records belonging to him, not one of them contains any reference to his having oelebrated a Rajasúya.
The story of Prithviraja's elopement with Samyogita seems to be a creation of the fertile brain of the author of the Raso. Neither the Prithvirajavijaya-mahakdvya written in Prithviraja's time, nor the Hammira-Mahakavya compiled in the last half of the fourteenth century of the Vik. rama era, 11 makes any mention of any such event. To rely on the story under these circumstances is to tread on uncertain ground. The datesls of the events given in the Råso are alike incorrect.
The story of Mabáråval Samarsingh of Mewar being a brother-in-law of Pțithviraja and being killed in the battle with Shihabu'd-dîn, while helping his brother-in-law Prithviraja, is also an idle tale. This battle had in fact been fought in V.S. 1249, whereas MahArdval Samarsi died in V.S. 1359.13 Under these circumstances, the above statement of the Raso cannot be admitted as either true or possible.
After this, there is the mention of Prithviraja's son Rainsi, but in fact the name of Prithviraja's son was Govindarája 14 He being a child, his uncle Hariraja had ušurpod his dominion of Ajmer, whereupon Quibu'd-din, having defeated Hariraja, had protected Govindaraja.
In the end there is the mention of an invasion by Qatbu'd-dîn against Jayachandra, but, according to the Persian histories of India, this invasion is said to have been made not after Shihåbu'd-din's death, but in his lifetime, and that he himself had taken part in it. He was killed at the hands of the Gakkhars or Khakkars in V.S. 1262 (1206 A.D.). Besides, in the Persian chronicles there is no mention of Jayachandra's collusion with &nihabu'd-din.
When all these circumstances are taken into consideration, the historical value of the Prithvirdja-rdso becomes vitiated. Besides, even if we accept for a moment the whole story of the Råso as correct, yet nowhere in that work is there any mention either of Jayachandra having invited Shihabu'd-din to attack Prithviraja or of his having any other sort of connection whatsoever with the Muhammadan ruler. On the other hand, at various places in the Råso we read of Přithviraja's aggressive attacks, his elopement with the princess, his neglect of state affairs through his devotion to Samyogita, his proud and overbearing behaviour towards his brave and wise general Ch&mund Rai, whom he had sent to prison without any fault on his part and his high-handedness which gave rise to the complaints of the subjects of a state left as a legacy to him by his maternal grandfather. Along with this we also learn from the Råso that his unwise steps obliged his own generals to conspire with his enemy Sultan Shihabu'd-din. In the light of these ciroumstances readers will be able to judge for themselves how far it is just to dub king Jayachandra with the title of Vibhishana and thus malign him as a traitor,
Let us now examine the attack made on Rao Siha, grandson of Maharaj Jayachandra.15 Colonel James Tod writes:
"Here in the land of Kher amidst the sandhills of Luni (the salt river of the desert) from which the Gohils were expelled, Sihaji planted the standard of the Rathors.
Bharat-le-Prdchin Rajoamaha, part III, p. 108-110. 10 Annual report of the Arch. Survey of India (1921-22, page 120-121).
11 Further there is no trace of Somavami Mukundadeva of Kateka in the History of that period, whose daughter is mentioned as the mother of Samyogit& in the Rd so.
13 Mr. Mohan Lal Vishnu Lal Pandya had however 858 umed the dates of the Rdeo to be batrod on the Ananda Vikrama Samvat which he taken for granted on the basis of the words *** Vic According to this the Vikrama Sarvat is arrived by adding 91 to the Samvat stated in the Rdeo. Thus by adding 91 to the Savivat 1158, the date of Prithviraja's death arrived at scoording to the Raso, wo come to 1249. This dato alono can be proved to be correot by this method. But the other dates and the periods Assigned to NAhad Rao, etc., still remain quite unreliable. 13 Above, vol. LV, page II, D. L.
14 Bharat-le-Prachin Rajvansa, part I, page 263. 15 SihA was a Rathor and Jayachandra a GAhada vala. For an attempt at identifying. Gabavala with Ráthor, noe Sir Aoutosh Mookerjee Silver Jubilee Volumea, Orientalia, Pt. 2, p. 261,-D.R.B.