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Historical and Cultural Background
Rajputana. Dhruva next turned his attention against Dharmapala and defeated him somewhere between the Ganga and the Yamuna. Dhruva's expedition of Northern India, however, brought him no substantial gain, and he shortly retreated to the Deccan laden with a rich booty. In this encounter the Pratihāras suffered the most, for Dharmapala, in spite of his successive defeats, soon occupied Kanauj and held an assembly there to instal his nominee Cakräyudha, who was readily accepted by a host of rulers, 106
Dhruva, on his return from the north Indian campaign, abdicted the throne in favour of his son Govinda III (circa 793-814 A. D.) and appointed his youngest son Indra as the viceroy of Gujarat and Malwa, 107
Vatsaraja was succeeded by his son Nagabhata II, who forcibly seized the hill-forts of Anartta (north Gujarat), Malwa, etc. His campaign to Malwa and Anartta probably brought him into conflict with Rastrakuṭa Indra, the governor of Läta, as the latter claims a victory over the Gurjara king. On the other hand, Vahukadhavala, Nagabhata's Calukya feudatory of south Kathiawar, is said to have defeated the Karnātas (Rāṣṭrakūṭas). It appears that no party achieved a decisive victory. Nagabhața then made the Saindhava chiefs, ruling in western Kathiawar, and the rulers of Andhra, Kalinga and Vidarbha succumb to him. He next attacked Kanauj and occupied it by defeating Cakrayudha and his suzerain Dharmapala. In this campaign he was assisted by three of his feudatory chiefs, viz. Kakka of the Jodhpur Pratihara family, Calukya Vähukadhavala of southern Kathiawar and Guhilot Sankaragana of Dhod (near Udaipur). With these achievements Nagabhața reached the acme of his power, but he could not enjoy the fruit of his victory, as the Rāṣṭrakūtas once again appeared in the north and shattered his dreams of founding an empire. The Räṣṭrakūta king Govinda III indeed claims that he destroyed the fame of Nagabhata, overran his kingdom and proceeded upto the Himalayas. As a result of this victory Cakrayudha and Dharmapala also surrendered to him on their own accord. If we follow the order of events cited above, the defeat of Nagabhata by Govinda followed his stormy career
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of conquest, 108 but the evidences are so complicated that they can also be arranged to show that the discomfiture of Nagabhața preceded his brilliant career and he emerged out victorious in this triangular contest.109 No doubt, Nagabhata's imperial ambitions were curbed, his power was not wholly destroyed and he continued to hold his sway over the greater part of Rajputana and Kathiawar.110 As regards Govinda's expedition of Northern India, it was merely of the digvijaya type, nevertheless Malwa and parts of Anartta were included in the Raṣṭrakūta empire and Karkka, who succeeded his father Indra in the viceroyalty of south Gujarat, was made a doorbolt to protect Malwa against the Gurjaras,111
Nagabhata II was succeeded by his son Ramabhadra. During his short reign period of two-three The years the Pratihāra power only declined. situation was, however, overcome when Ramabhadra's son Bhoja (circa 836-885 A. D.) ascended
the throne.
In the Deccan Govinda III was succeeded by his young son Amoghavarșa I (circa 814-880 A.D.) whom Karkka, the viceroy of south Gujarat, acted as a regent.112 But after Karkka the relations between the two houses deteriorated; resultantly, there started a protracted war between the Räṣṭrakūta branch of Gujarat and emperor Amoghavarsa.119 This long-drawn war, however, came to an end and the Räṣṭrakutas joined their hands in order to stop the southern advance of Pratihāra Bhoja,114 who had overrun south Rajputana and the tracts round Ujjayini upto the Narmada and annexed them to the Kanauj empire.115 But Bhoja's progress was checked single-handed by Dhruva II of Lața some time before 867 A. D. 116 Bhoja, however, did not lose heart and again launched an expedition to the south; the Raṣṭrakūta king, who at this time was Krsna II (circa 878-914 A. D.), the son and successor of Amoghavarsa I, was defeated and probably he had to retreat to the south of the Narmada.117 The Rāṣṭrakūṭa records, on the other hand, reveal that Kṛṣṇa II defeated the Gurjara king at Ujjain with the assistance of Kṛṣṇaraja, who was the last ruling chief of the Gujarat branch of the Räṣṭrakūtas.118 It appears that these wars were inconclusive and profit
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