The Rashtrakutas and their Times c10.s1.19

c10.s1.19

The Vallabha opponent of the Gujrat branch was an obviously powerful ruler and he could not have been a mere feudatory. We have, therefore, to identify him with Amoghavarsha I himself³⁴. Pṛthvīvallabha³⁵ and Lakshmīvallabha³⁶ are known to have been his epithets, and these may have contracted into simple vallabha. The Begumra record of Dhurva II³⁷ and Gujrat plates³⁸ of Dantivarman further make it quite clear that Dhruva I, Akālavarsha, and Dhruva II were fighting against one and the same enemy, a fact which supports the identity of Vallabha with Amoghavarsha, since he was a contemporary of all these kings. From the Konnur record³⁹ we further know that Amoghavarsha was twice deserted by his feudatories in the latter half of his reign and could not retain his hold upon the throne without the help of his zealous general Baṅkeya. It would, therefore, appear that the friendly relations between Amoghavarsha and his Gujrat cousins came to an end soon after 835 A.D.; either Amoghavarsha was ungrateful or Dhruva I became too overbearing, puffed up by the consciousness that it was his father who had restored Amoghavarsha to the throne.⁴⁰