Indian Antiquary Vol 62

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, S Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarka
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 119

JUNE, 1933
HISTORICAL DATA IN PADMAGUPTA'S NAVASAHASANKACARITA
107
in his narrative, Ratnavati in the Navasihasárikocarita may represent ancient Manipura which received its modern name when, in the next generation, Ratnadeva transferred his capital there from Tummana. Ratanpur is at a distance of about 45 miles from Tummâna and must have been included in the Komo Mandala ; the name of the latter has survived in the modern place name Komo, which is about 30 miles north of Ratanpur. We do not know exactly the route Sindhurdja took in marching on Ratnavati, or the place where he crossed the Narmada. If he crossed it somewhere near Måndb&ta, Ratanpur would be about 200 miles distant from the river as described in Padmagupta's poem.
It now remains to say a few words about the identification of the Vidyadhara prince, Sikhandaketu, who sent his son Sabikhanda with a large army to help Sindhuraja in his campaign. As we have seen above, Arikesarin probably owed his crown to the active help of Sindhurája. Feelings of gratitude may have induced him to send his son with military assistance. The name Sikhandaketu is evidently suggested by the other name of Arikesarin, viz., Kesideva, which occurs in the Bhandup plates of his nephew Chittarajadeva.
Sindhurâja seems to have died soon after this expedition. He was succeeded by his son Bhoja. According to Merutunga, Bhoja reigned for the long period of fifty-five years. He must, therefore, have come to the throne when quite young. It seems that Arikesarin*7 also died about this period and was succeeded not by his son (that he had one is clear from the Navasáhasánkacarita), but by his nephew, Chittardjadeva, who must have usurped the throne, knowing full well that the young prince Bhoja of Dhara would not undertake a campaign in such a distant country as Konkana to help the son of his father's friend, Arikesarin. Subsequent events proved that Chittaraja had miscalculated; for Bhoja invaded Konkana in 1019 A.D. and won a decisive victory, which he commemorated by issuing two copper-plates. This campaign of Bhoja, when he was scarcely out of his teens, has puzzled many scholars. Mr. C. V. Vaidya writes: "Why Bhoja fought with Konkaņa in his early age does not appear (he must have been about twenty at the time) and how he went so far from his kingdom remains to be solved, though the fact of the conquest oannot be denied." Dr. D. R. Bhandarkar *8 thinks that the expedition was undertaken to avenge the murder of Muñja. This reason does not, however, appear convincing, as Mufija was murdered about 995 A.D., while the expedition took place in 1019 A.D.,i.e., twenty-four years later. Even supposing that Bhoja's object was to avenge the murder of his uncle, why should he invade Konkana ? The rulers of Konkaņa do pot seem to have acknowledged the suzerainty of the later Calukyas. As stated above, their copper-plates give the genealogy, not of the later Câlukyas but of the Rastrakūtas, and express regret for their downfall. We prefer, therefore, to account for this campaign as suggested above. The Betma plates show that Bhoja ocoupied Konkana for a while, and he may have placed Arikesarin's son on the throne, but the latter seems to have been soon dethroned by the CAlukya king Jayasimha III, who conquered Konkana before 1024 A.D., evidently to place Chittaraja again on the throne. The Bhandup plates of the latter show that he was secure on the throne in 1026 A.D.
Inscriptional evidence has thus corroborated in all important details the account of Sindhuraja's expedition in Chattisgade as given in Padmagupta's Navasáhasári kacarita.
46 It may be noted that some records of the Paramaras were issued after bathing in the Narmada at this holy place. To the east of Mândhâtâ lay the country of Codi, which Sindhuraja does not seem to have entered on this occasion.
17 His Thana plates are dated in Saka 939, i.o., 1017 A.D 1 1.A., XLI, p. 201.