The Rashtrakutas and their Times c9.s3.13

c9.s3.13

Stambha was governing Gangawadi during his father's life-time, and it is therefore very likely that the centre of campaign against him must have been south Karnatak. Govinda's expedition against the Ganga ruler must have been undertaken immediately thereafter. Seeing a war of succession impending, Muttarasa, the Ganga ruler, (c. 765 - c. 805 A.D.) assumed imperial titles soon after his release from the Rāṣṭrakūṭa captivity; (37) he may have very probably joined the side of Stambha, who may have promised to restore his kingdom to him when he would become the Emperor. We can, therefore, well understand why the Radhanpur plates call him haughty, (37) and the Sanjan plates ungrateful. (38) Govinda defeated him easily, for the Radhanpur plates observe that a mere frown was sufficient for the purpose. The defeated ruler was again imprisoned in c. 798 A.D., and Gangawadi was again annexed to the Rāṣṭrakūṭa empire. Stambha was reappointed to the Ganga viceroyalty which he continued to rule down to 802 A.D. at least.³⁹ Later on he was succeeded by Chākirāja, sometime before the issue of the Kadba plates in 814 A.D. Grown wiser by the fate of Ganga ruler, Charuponnera of Nolambawadi recognised the suzerainty of Govinda.⁴⁰