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CHRONOLOGY OF GUJARAT
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The com, on Ayara was finished in Gambhūta (Gâmbhu ), a place 24 miles from Pāțan and six miles from Dhiņoja. It is between Dhiņoj and Modhera.(Vide JTSS - Vol. I, pt. I, p. 68).
The colophons of the com, on Ayara differ regarding the date of composition of this com. In the beginning Gandhalasta is inentioned as a commentator of Šāstraparijnā, a portion of Ayara. Four dates are mentioned: they are : 772, 788 and 898 and Gupta Samvat 772. (See DCGCM - Vol. XVII, pt. I, p. 13 and Gupta Samvat 772 is equal to V.S. 772 +241 = 1013.-[In Alberuni's India', as quoted in JTSS - Vol. I, pt. I, p. 69-in JPI pt. I, p. 379, the date is given as Saka 784 i.e. V.S. 919 ).
Among the Mahomedan geographers, the merchant Sulaiman is the earliest writer with his Salsilātu-t-Tawārikh ( 237 A.D.=851 A.D.), wherein he describes the king of Jurz as having great riches, and had numerous camels and horses. His reference to the king of Jurz maintaining numerous forces, with an uninatched fine cavalry and numerous camels is very interesting. Rajputana is famous for its camels even now.
From a story in the Pañcatantra, it appears that there was a place called Gurjaragrāma' where camels could be purchased. The rathakāra is mentioned as having gone to a Gurjara village in search of camels. (2720 Tartu FCATÀ tal Tat: Faitar: 1 atás 4T 28). In the same Kathā, the camel is also called Trach, and it is likely that the name is given after the country called दशेरक.
An estimate of Bhoja, as a conqueror and as an administrator, is given by this Arab historian Sulaiman, who has dubbed him as 'hostile to the Arabs, and the greatest foe to the Mahomedan faith; ' but there was no country in India more safe from robbers.-( Elliot and Dowson, p. 4). He is called Baura, though the correct reading, according to Hodiwala (Studies in Indo-Muslim History, p. 25) should be Bozah, Bozoh or Bodzah, i.e. Bhoja. His empire included Kaccha and Saurāṣtra. He had appointed feudatories in different parts, viz., Guņāmbodhideva, Bāuka and Kakkuka, Harşarāja, and Bāhukadhavala, who accompanied him in his campaigns and helped him in building a vast empire.—(Baij Nath Puri, The History of the Gurjara-Pratihāras, p. 65 ).
In V. S. 909 ( 853 A.D.) there lived in Viramapura (modern Nakodā, also known as Mevānagara, 6 miles to the south from the station Bālotra) 2700 Jains families.-(Vide, JTSS- Vol. I, pt. 2, pp. 183).
At that time Harakhahand got repaired a Jaina temple situated in this city and replaced a broken image of Lord Mahāvīra. - Ibid. pp. 183-4).
In a West Indian record of 854 A.D., belonging to the reign of the Raştrakūta Amoghavarşa, the donor endowing a certain sum of money in favour of a monastery, declares that after his death the interest (Kāri) is to be fixed by competent persons.-(IA, XIII, 134).
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