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No. 41
TWO INSCRIPTIONS OF THE TIME OF GOPALA Lakshmana and described as 'the Chandra king of kings' (Chandra-kshitidhara-pati), the nam. Chandra here indicating the Chandella family claiming descent from the Moon-god and often called Chandr-ātröya. The passage in question may, however, also suggest that, along with Chandēlla Viravarman, Göpäla also defeated king Lakshmana of the Chandra hill (Chandragiri). But, in such a case, it is difficult to identify the ruler, although Chandragiri may be the same as Chanderi in the Guna District of the former Gwalior State.1
The word sikata is a synonym of balukā and the Sikatā river is no doubt the same as the Bālukā mentioned in the Bangla inscriptions, according to which the Chandella king Viravarman of Jējābhukti or Jöjähuti was defeated by Gõpāla's forces on the bank of the said river in V.8. 1338 (current) or 1337 (expired), Chaitra sudi 7, Friday, corresponding to the 28th March 1281 A.D.' The river has been identified with the small stream of Barua which flows within a few miles from the fort of Narwar, the capital of Göpäls. Since Chandēlla Viravarman actually beseiged the Jajapēlla capital, his repulse was no doubt a memorable event to the people of the Jajapēlla kingdom. The present inscription was incised within two years after the battle. It was therefore quite fresh in the people's memory. Moreover, as will be seen below, the hero of the ealogy under study himself took part in the said battle.
Verse 11 introduces the family to which the hero of the prasasti belonged. It is stated that one Anayasimha was born in a family of physicians and was famous for his exploits in many battles. He is further described as a devotee of the god Pasupati (Siva). The next two stanzas (verses 12-13) speak of his heroic son Vijayadēva who is credited with a victory over the armies of a king named Visvala in & battle fought at Hastināpura The name Visvala is a variant of Visala. It is not impossible that Visvala mentioned in our record is the Chāhamāna emperor of the same name, otherwise called Vigraharāja IV whose known dates range between 1153 and 1164 A.D. As Vijayadēva's grandson was the hero of the presnt record of 1282 A.D., he might well have been a later contemporary of the Chāhamana king. The only Hastinapura known to us is the old capital of the Kuru country, identified with a locality on the Ganges in the present Meerut District of U.P. This place was within the dominions of the Imperial Chāhamānas of Ajmer and Delhi. It is, however, difficult to determine the circumstances that led to the battle of Hastinapura, in which Vijayadēva claims to have fought against the forces of the Chāhmāna king. It has to be noticed that we do not know who Vijayadēva's master was. The problem is easily solved if he was an officer of a ruler like the contemporary Gāhadavāla monarch Vijayachandra (c. 1255-70 A.D.) who is reported to have come into conflict with the king of Delhi.
Verses 14-15 mention Vijayadēva's son Ajayadēva and verse 16 the latter's wife Saubhāgyadēvi. Ajayadēva is stated to have fought with the Mlēchchha army. The Mléchchhas referred to were no doubt the Turkish Muhammadans who are often referred to in the epigraphs of the contemporary Indian rulers. But under whom and what circumstances Ajayadēva fought with the Musalmans can scarcely be determined without further light on the subject. It should, however, be remembered that king Chahada, great-grandfather of Gõpāla, is known to have come into conflict with the Turks. According to Minhajuddin's Tabaqāt-i-Nāsirī, in 1234 A.D., Chāhar-i-Ajar (i.e. Chāhada) is stated to have come into conflict with Nugratuddin Tayasil, general of Sultan Iltutmish of Delhi, on the banks of the river Sindh (Kalisindh) and in 1251 A.D. again with Ghiyāsuddin Balban,
1 An inscription of V. S. 1361 from Budhora in the Shivapuri District is said to mention Kirtidurga (identified with the Chanderi fort) and Paramabhaffäraka Padmarāja (Dvivedi's List, No. 173). The king mentioned in the rocord is, however, Yajvapala Ganapati (cf. below, pp. 163 ff.).
Above, Vol. XXXI, pp. 326 f. See Ray, DHNI, Vol. I. p. 635.
