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23.2
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
DECEMBER, 1928
objection to the separate individuality of the two kings is not convincing. Even accepting his objection to be tenable, the view that is going to be presented here would accommodate his objection too.
Pandit Ojha and Dr. Majumdar have shown that the dates of Mahîpala and Vinayakapâla do not overlap. All the earlier records, at least upto 917-18, systematically refer to Mahipala, and the mention of Vinayakapála is made for the first time not earlier than 931 A.D. The last known date of Mahipala's father, Mahendra påladeva, is 908 A.D. ascer. tained from the Siyadoni inscription. Bhoja (II) must, therefore, have flourished between 908 and 914 A.D. It is noteworthy that except in the Bengal Asiatic Society's grant of Vinê. vakapala, for once and for all, Bhoja is nowhere mentioned as the son of Mahendrapala or brother of Vina yakapâla or as king of Kanauj, whereas Mahîpåla is mentioned at least in two records apart from his mention by Rajasekhara. Nor has Bhoja left us any record to his credit or any definite date of his reign. Is it likely that Bhoja (II) and Mahipala were identical, so that Mahipala Bhoja begotten on Dehanågadevi reigned between 908 and 931 A.D., the earliest known date of Vinayakapâladeva ? The identification seems to be plausible, and there is at least one reason for this identification apart from the facts noted above.
We know that Bhoja is, like Vikramaditya, a mere title only and not a name; and kings having such titles came to be more popularly known by their tities than by their names. Such was the case with Chandragupta, who came to be more known by his title of Vikramaditya. In the dynasty of the Pratih&ras, too, there was Bhoja (I) whose original name was probably Mihira, but he came to be more popularly known as Bhoja. So, it seems, was the case with Bhoja (II), the grandson of Bhoja (I) for whom it was all the more natural to assume the title of his grandfather. It seems that his original name was Mahipala, by which he has been mentioned in the recordis, but the grant of his brother Vinayako paladeva has introduced him with his title only, i.e., Bhoja. The writer of this note would, therefore, like to identify Jahipala (of date 914 and 917 A.D.) with Bhoja (II), son of Mahendrapala. And even if this identificatior. be accepted, the chronology of the later Pratihâras would not differ in any very considerable degree from what is at present known. But besides this itdentification, there are other things which, when considered, would greatly modify the existing genealogical and chronological arrangement of these kings.
We have seen that the last known date of Mahîpala Bhoja (II) alias Kşitipala is 917 A.D. 11 and the earliest known date of Vinayakapala is 931 A.D. (obtained from copper plate inscription).12 For Vinayakapala we have also another date from the stone inscription of Dhanga of the year v.s. 1011, while the illustrious Vinayakapaladeva is protecting the earth.'18 My attention to this date was drawn by Prof. D. R. Bhandarkar. The date 1011 v.s. corresponds to 953-54 A.D. It had hitherto been accepted that Vinayakapaladeva of the copperplate inscription of date 931 A.D. was identical with the king of the same name of the stone inscription of date 953-54 A.D. But this does not seem to have been really the case.
For, in the first place we are introduced by the Pratâbgarh inscription of v.s. 1003= 945-46 A.D. to Mahendrapala (II), son of Vinayakapala. Now, if Mahendrapala's father Vinayakapala had been reigning in 953-54 A.D., how can the son i.e., Mahendra påla) him. self be reigning in 945-46 A.D.? It seems, therefore, that the two Vinayakapalas are not identical and that Mahendrapala, the son of Vinayakapala had later on been succeeded by another Vinayakapala. But this second Vinayakapála was certainly not the immediate successor.
For between Vinâ yakapala of date 931 A.D. and Vinayakapala of date 953-54 A.D., there is, besides Mahendrapala (II), another king, namely Devapala of date 1005 v.s=947-48
11 Asni Inscription, op. cit. 12 B. A. S. grant of Vinûyakapala, op. cit.
13 Khajuraho Inscription, op. cit.
