________________
236
COMPREHENSIVE HISTORY OF JAINISM
The name of Muñja's minister is given as Rudråditya and this is confirmed by the evidence of epigraphy 196. His statement that Muñja was killed by Tailapadeva is fully confirmed by Western Cālukya inscriptions107. Merutunga has also given a very detailed history of Paramāra Bhoja, and he has been represented as a progresssive and cultured monarch. His patronage of several poets, including the Jain Dhanapāla, has been elaborately described. The rivalry between the great Bhoja and the Caulukya Bhima I has also been given quite elaborate treatment. Jayasimha Siddharāja, Kumārapāla and the two great Jain ministers Vastupāla and Tejahpāla have been given quite a big space in this excellent and readable work. Everything that has been said about the great Hemacandra, has been fully confirmed by other writers and also by the testimony of that celebrated Svetāmbara saint. However, the date of the destruction of Valabhi18 by the Muslims, has been incorrectly given as V.S. 375; the correct date has been given by the author of the Vividhatirthakalpa198, as V.S. 845. Merutunga also gives the interesting story of Lakshmaṇasena and his poet minister Umāpati200. And we actually know from epi. graphs and Jayadeva's Gitagovinda that Umāpati was not only a contemporary of Vijayasena, but also of his grandson Lakshmanasena 201, Merutunga has also mentioned the defeat of Paramardin by Pţthvirāja 202, which is strongly supported by the evidence of epigraphy 203. His account of the tragic defeat and death of Pșthvīrāja and Jayaccandra is also supported by Muslim historians,
This short critical assessment of the PC at least shows that it is a serious work, and not merely a story-book, as supposed by some scholars. However, like all other early Indian writers, Merutunga has also invented charming stories, in connexion with eminent historical personages, and sometimes those stories have stood in our way in understanding the work of this historian.
Another work, now called by the name Purātanapraban
