________________
8
Jaina Temples of Western India
ed neither party. Bhoja also held his sway over the whole of Kathiawar.119
Bhoja was succeeded by his son Mahendrapala I (circa 886-910 A. D.) during whose reign the Pratihāra power reached its zenith. He not only ably maintained the vast empire left by his father, but also extended it eastward to Paharpur in north Bengal.120 His rule in Saurashtra is evidently known from the records of his feudatory chiefs, Calukya Balavarman and his son Avanivarman II, who were ruling round Junagadh.121
Mahendrapala I was succeeded by his son Bhoja II who ruled for a very short time and was probably dethroned by his brother Mahipala I (circa 912-940).122 At the very beginning of Mahipala's reign the Răstrakūtas once more invaded Northern India, the effects of which seem to have been for the time disastrous, for the Cambay plates of Govinda IV reveal that Indra III (circa 914-916 A. D.), the son and successor of Kṛṣṇa II, attacked Ujjayini, crossed the Yamuna and captured Kanauj.128 In his north Indian campaign Indra was probably accompanied by his feudatory chief Narasimha, who is depicted in the Kanarese work Pampabharata to have "plucked from Gurjara king's arms the Goddess of victory, whom, though desirous of keeping, he had held too loosely. Mahipala fled as if struck by thunderbolt, staying neither to eat nor to rest, nor to pick himself up, while Närasimha pursuing, bathed his horses at the junction of the Ganges and established his fame."124 The Pratihāras were no doubt defeated, but the Rastrakūtas could not take full advantage of their victory because of the confusion in which they were involved after the premature death of Indra.125 This gave Mahipala an opportunity to consolidate his power. He conquered all the territories upto the Narmada, including Ujjayini and Dhārā. Kathiawar also formed a part of his empire, as his feudatory chief Capa Dharanivaräha was ruling at Wadhwan in 914 A. D. 126 Lāța, however, was still under the sway of the Räṣṭrakūtas. 127 But towards the close of Mahipala's reign the Rastra kūtas under Kṛṣṇa III (circa 939-968 A. D.) again appeared in the north and deprived the Pratihāras of all hopes of holding Kälinjara and Citrakuta. 128 It is also suggested that this incident happened in the time of Vinayakapāla, 19
Jain Education International
After Mahipala the Pratihara power began to decline, and consequently several states, which were acknowledging the supremacy of the Pratihāras, became independent. The foremost among these was the one founded by Caulukya Malaraja at Anahilapäṭaka,180
Kṛṣṇa III was succeeded by his younger brother
Khottiga from whose reign the Rästrakūta power also began to crack. He had to fight with the Paramāras of Malwa, who ruled as feudatories under Indra III and Kṛṣṇa III but refused to avow allegiance to him.181 In the battle which was fought on the banks of the Narmada Khoṭṭiga was defeated by Paramāra Siyaka II (circa 945-972 A. D.) and the territory upto the Narmada or Tapti was annexed to the Paramara dominion. 132 Siyaka II also extended his kingdom to the west upto the Sabarmati beyond which lay the kingdom of Caulukya Malaraja, for he made the chief of Kheṭakamandala (Kaira) his ally and defeated Calukya Avanivarman Yogaraja II of Saurashtra, 189 The Paramāra sway in south Gujarat was, however, short-lived, for the Western Calukya King Tailapa II, who had overthrown his Rāṣṭakūta overlord Karkka II (the son and successor of Khoṭṭiga) in 973 A. D. and established his rule in the Deccan, invaded Lata, vanquished it, and appointed his general Barappa as the governor of this territory 134 Later Barappa became engaged in hostilities with Caulukya Mülaraja of Aṇahilapäṭaka.
Fairly a large number of temples of the Pratihāra age have been found in Central India and Rajasthan.135 Among these the Jaina temples located at Osia, Deogadh and Gyaraspur are well. known, but no Jaina temple of the Pratihāra period has been noticed in Gujarat, although Brahmanical temples have been found at Sutrapädä, Wadhwan, Than, etc. The absence of Jaina temples does not mean that they were not built, for the Prabhavakacarita reveals that Nagavaloka (Nagabhata II) built a shrine of Mahavira at Anahillapura (Aṇahilapäṭaka).136 The same work also refers to a shrine of Mahavira existing at Modhera,13
The Raṣṭraküṭas also were great patron of art and letters. Besides Brahmanical caves they excavated Jaina caves at Ellora, but a Răşṭrakūta Jaina monument is not known from our region, although
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
