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SEPTEMBER, 1897.]
THE CASTLE OF LOHARA.
227
which henceforth became the mountain fastness and place of safety for the Kaśmir rulers in the troubled times of the succeeding reigns.
$ 6. In the time of Harsha we hear of an expedition sent against Rajapuri, the modern Rajauri, which took the route vid Lohara, i.e., over the Tôś maidån Pass. When, subsequently the pretender Uchchala, the descendant of a side branch of the house of Lohara, made his first irruption into Kasmir, from Rajauri, he led his small band of followers through the territory of the Governor of Lohara. After defenting the latter's forces ut Parnotsa, he surprised the commandant of the Doâra and reached safely the rebel camp in Kramarajya, the western portion of the Valley,13 Kalhaņa's special reference to the consternation caused by the sudden appearance of the pretender is significant.13 It is clearly connected with the fact that Uchchala's invasion took place at the beginning of the month Vaisakha, i. e., in April, when the Tos maidân Pass, according to the information collected by me at Lob'rin, can be crossed only on foot and with some difficulty.
$7. After the death of King Harsha, who to his own disadvantage had neglected the advice of his ministers councelling a timely retreat to the mountains of Lohara, the rule over Kasmir and Lohara was again divided. The latter and the adjoining territories16 fell to the share of Sussala, whereas Uchchala, his elder brother, took Kaśmir. From Lohara Sussala made an attempt to oust his brother, but was defeated on the march to Srinagar near Selyapurale and forced to flee to the country of the Dards. From there he regained Lolara by difficult mountain tracks.?
When Uchchala fell the victim of a conspiracy, his brother received the news within one and a half days, and started at once for Kasmir to secure the throne. The murder of Uchchal.. took place on the sixth day of the bright half of Pausa of the Laukika year 4187. This date corresponds to the 8th December A. D. 1111. So late in the year the Tosamaidän roate must have been closed by snow. It is therefore probable that Sussala marched by one of the more western and lower passes which lead from the valley of Sadrûn to the valley of the Vitasta below Vârâhamula.19 It agrees fully with this supposition that we find subsequently Sussala encamped above Hushkapura (Ushkur) opposite Våråhamûls which would be the natural goal for an invader using one of the above routes.20 Foiled in his endeavour on this occasion Sussala retreated with difficulty to Lohara orer paths on which the snow lay deep and under continual fighting with marauding Klasas 31
$ 8. Sussala some months later succeeded in wresting Kasmír from his half-brother Salhana, and subsequently used the stronghold of Lobara for the custody of his dangerons relatives and as the hoarding place of the treasures he accumulated by an oppressive rule, When threatened in the summer of 1120 A. D. by the rebel forces of the pretender Blikshichara he sent his son and family to Lohara for safety and followed them himself in the month of Margasîrsha of that year viá Hushka para 23 In the following spring the usurper Bhikshâchara despatched a force viá Rajapuri in order to attack Sassala in his mountain fastness. These troops on their advance from the south were met by Sussala at Parņotsa and there utterly routed. During the remainder of Sassala's reign we hear of Lohara only once more when Jiyasimha is brought back to Kaśmir after three years' residence at Lohara and met by his father at Virâhamůla. 11 See vii. 939 sqq. 13 Comp. vii. 1298 sqq.
13 See vii. 1303. 14 vii, 1396, 1568, 1598.
16 See viii. 8, Lohara sambandhaih mandalontaram. 16 viii. 192 sqq. -Selyaptira is probably the present village of Bilpar in the Dants Pargana, situated on the direct route from Drang to Srinagar.
17 See viii. 207.
See viii. 379. 19 To the present day the people of Loborin, when obliged to proceed to Kaimir during the winter months, nee the routos leading over the mountains from Sadran. Of these the Hajji Per Pass (8,500) is never closed entirely The Pija Pass, though somewhat higher, is certainly still open in December. A route leading from the latter along the lower ridges down to Ushkir is actually marked on the Survey maps, and this would have been the most convenient one for Sussala's expedition.
19 See viii. 390
n1 Comp. riii. 411. Comp. viii. 519, 437, 634. 11 viii. 717, 819 899
Comp. viii. 1227 899.
