Some Historical Jaina Kings and Heros

Author(s): Kamtaprasad Jain
Publisher: Jain Mitra Mandal

Page 66

- THE RATTAS AND THEIR GENERALS. .
The Rattas of Saundatti were great feudatory lords of the Imperial Rashtrakutas. They were called "Mahamandaleshvaras" and ruled over the greater part of the modem Dharwar and Belgaum districts in the Bombay Presidency, from 850 till 1250 A. D. Almost one and all of the rulers of this princely house followed the religion of Jinas. They were brave rulers and ever sided with their monarchs in their military compaigns,
· Merad is the first known King of the Rattas, whose son Prithvi Ram was a feudatory lord under Krshnaraja ll. He was a brave soldier and was seen always on the right hand of his master on the battlefield. His regard for Jainism was great. He followed the instructions of his religious preceptor Indrakirti and built a beautiful Jina temple in his capital Saundatli
Shantivarma, Kalasena, Kannakair, Kartavírya, Kalasena II, Laksamideva and Kartavirya-Mallika: rjuna succeeded in turn to the throne of the Rattas. They were all believers of the Jina Dharma and tried to fulfill the aim of life as taught by the Great Hero Mahavira. They knew full well that the aim of life is not simply to fight out the worldly
1. Sewell, Arch: Survey of South India. Vol. II. p. 234. 2. Altekar, The Rashtraktitas:, p. 273 . .