The Rashtrakutas and their Times c11.s1.14

c11.s1.14

The defeat of the Paramāra chief Upendrarāja was only a preparatory step to the contemplated invasion of northern India. After the death of Mahendrapāla in 908 A.D., there were troubles of succession at Kanauj; his son Bhoja II could retain the throne only for about two years. His younger brother Mahīpāla wanted to oust him. The Chedi ruler Kokkala had espoused his cause⁴³ and was for a time successful; but Mahīpāla soon managed to get the throne, probably with the assistance of some feudatories. The dissensions in the Imperial family must have divided the feudatories also into two camps, rendering the task of an outside invader the reverse of difficult. The time of the invasion of Indra III was thus very opportune; he had not to break any formidable confederacy as Govinda III had to do, when he attacked Nāgabhaṭa, nor had he to cross swords with two powerful claimants for the supremacy in Northern India, as Dhruva and Govinda III had to do. The achievements of Indra III were, however, more dramatic than those of his predecessors.