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POLITICAL HISTORY OF N. INDIA FROM JAIN SOURCES
The Harasola plates give him an earliest date as V.E. 1005 or 949 A.D. and describe him as Mahamandalika, which means he was a feudatory chief of the Rästrakūtas. His date, supplied by Paiyalacchi, is as V.E. 1029, the year when the poet Dhanapåla composed his work for his sister Sundari and when Mänyakheta was sacked and looted by the Malava king. All this shows that he reigned for about twenty-five years.
Vakpati Muñja: The earliest known date of Siyaka's successor Väkpati II from his inscription is V.E. 1031 (c. 975 A.D.). There is a long and interesting story regarding Muñja in the Prabandha-cintamani, which is as follows:
"Long ago in the very country of Mälava a king named Simhabhata of the race of Paramära, as he was roaming about on his royal circuit, saw in the midst of a thicket of reeds a certain male child of exceeding beauty that had been just born. He took it up as lovingly as if it were his own son and made it over to his queen. The child was named Muñja with reference to his origin. After that, a son was born to the king named Sindhala." It is further narrated that having been attracted by the good qualities of Muñja, Simhabhata did not lessen his love towards him and decided to bestow his kingdom on him. Accordingly Muñja was enthroned and he conquered the earth by his valour. Then he entrusted the rein of kingdom to his minister named Rudräditya and enjoyed for a long time. pleasure. His step-brother, Sindhala, once disobeyed the orders of Muñja; accordingly he banished him; Sindhala came to Gujarata. There he contacted with a ghost and with his help he in a peculiar way acquired a district from king Muñja which brought him much revenue. But again he showed his haughtiness, for which he had his eyes put out by Muñja and was confined to a wooden cage. He begot a son named Bhoja. Bhoja studied all the sciences of Statecraft. When king Muñja learnt from the horoscope of Bhoja that he would inherit the kingdom depriving his son he ordered secretly to execute Bhoja. But Bhoja managed to escape from the gallows of his executioners and subsequently sent a stanza to the king through the executioners, upon reading which the king regretted much. There
1 See supra p. 85.
2 See supra p. 85.
3
IA., VI, pp. 48-53.
4 PC., Tr. Tawney, p. 30.
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