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Jaina Temples of Western India
Mularāja II (circa 1175-1178 A. D.), whose mother queen Naikidevi, the daughter of the Kadamba king Paramardin of Goa, acted as a regent. The most important event of his reign was the sanguinary defeat he inflicted upon the Muslim army led by Muizz-ud-din Ghūri of Ghazni. Another event of his reign was the uprising in Malwa. It seems that while he was engaged with the Muslims, Paramāra Vindhyavarman tried to regain the long lost kingdom of Malwa, but he was unsuccessful in his attempt and Malwa remained a part of the Caulukya kingdom.212 So far no Jaina temple of the reign of Mularāja has come to light.
Mūlarāja met a premature death and was succeeded by his minor younger brother Bhima II (circa 1178-1241 A. D.). At the time of latter's accession the extent of the Caulukya kingdom was practically the same as left by Kumarapala. But soon he had to deal with his provincial governors, who, taking advantage of his young age, tried to parcel out the kingdom among themselves. At this predicament the Vaghela chief Arnorāja, who had already served as a Samanta under Kumarapala, came to the rescue of the throne and saved the kingdom probably at the cost of his life. Bhima then entrusted the charge of administration to Arņoraja's son Lavaṇaprasada, who, with the assistance of his son Viradhavala and the two brother ministers, Vastupala and Tejapala, ably maintained the Caulukya kingdom. One of the earliest invaders was the Hoysala Ballala II of Darasuram, who is credited with a victory over the Gurjaras (Caulukyas) and the Mälavas (Paramaras). But still more formidable was the attack by Yadava Bhillama in which the Caulukyas probably suffered a reverse at the invader's hands. The Cahamana king Prthviraja III also attacked Gujarat, but the hostility finally ended in an alliance contracted some time before 1187 A. D. In 1193-94 A. D. Qutb-ud-din subdued Mairs and occupied Ajmer. In 1195 A. D. Bhima sent a contingent to help the Mairs against the Muslims and the Caulukya army pursued the Muslims upto Ajmer. In 1196-97 A. D. Qutb-ud-din made fresh incursions into Gujarat and sacked Anahilapäṭaka, but shortly he withdrew from Gujarat. Soon after the Muslim raid Paramāra Subhatavarman, the
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son of Vindhyavarman, attacked Gujarat and occu pied Lata, but was ultimately driven out by Lavanaprasada. Some time before 1210 A. D Arjunavarman, the son of Subhatavarman, defeated one Jayasimha or Jayantasimha, who for some time had usurped the throne of Anahilapāṭaka. The Paramāra sway over Lața was precarious, and at last it passed into the hands of Cahamana Simha, Simha's nephew Sankha inflicted a disastrous defeat on the Yadavas, but later he was defeated and imprisoned by Yadava Simhana, who after some time released him, probably when Sankha accepted his sovereignty. About 1231 A. D. Simhana aided by Sankha invaded Gujarat, and when Lavanaprasada and his son Viradhavala moved to resist the Yadavas, the Caulukya feudatories of Marwad rebelled. Under these circumstances Lavaṇaprasā da concluded a treaty with Simhana, and accompa nied by Viradhavala he proceeded to Marwad and subdued the rebellions. When the Caulukya army was engaged in Marwad, Sankha attacked Cambay but was defeated by Vastupala, who had been left in charge of that city. Sankha then induced Simhana to invade Gujarat again. This time the situation was more grave than before, for the Marwad chiefs again revolted, the Paramāra king Devapala was ready to attack, and a Muslim raid was apprehended. But a set of spies succeeded in creating a breach between Sankha and Simhana after which Sankha surrendered to Viradhavala. The kings of Marwad also submitted. The Muslim invasion probably conducted by Iltutmish was repulsed. About 1237 A. D. Simhana sent another contingent to invade Gujarat, but the Yadava army was defeated and its commander Räma killed by Viradhavala's son Visaladeva. During this period Pithadeva of Pärä attacked Kutch and occupied Bhadreshwar, but after demolishing the rampart of the city he withdrew. The merchant Jagaḍū thereupon went to Lavanaprasada, who dispatched a contingent against Pithadeva. With this help Jagadu defeated Pithadeva, who shortly afterwards died. Ghughula, the ruler of Godhra, is said to have rebelled against Viradhavala, but he was defeated and taken prisoner by Tejapala. As the last known date of Bhima II is V. S. 1296 (1239 A. D.), he must have ruled at least upto this date.2
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