The Dynasties of the Kanarese Districts of the Bombay Presidency from the Earliest Historical Times to the Musalman Conquest c8.s13.69

c8.s13.69

about A. D. 951); and Ibn Hauḳal (between A. D. 943 and 968).¹ The general purport of these accounts is, that the princes of India did not recognise the supremacy of any one sovereign,—each being his own master; still, the Balharâ,—whose appellation is explained as meaning “king of kings,” and as being, not a proper name, but a dynastic title, similar to the Khosru of the Persians,—was recognised as the greatest king in India, and homage was paid to him by all the other princes. Both the Balharâ kings, and their subjects, are described as extremely partial to Musalmâns; and Ibn Haukal and Al Istakhrî say that Musalmân governors of cities were employed by them. The same two writers appear to describe the Balharâ kingdom as extending from Kambâya to Saimûr; as, however, these two cities were on the confines of Sind, the statement must be intended to give only a northern limit and extent. Sulaimân, on the other hand, says that the kingdom commenced on the sea-side, at the Konkan country; but he does not tell us how far across India it extended. The country is called ‘Kamkar;’ but the origin of this appellation is not apparent.² The capital is called Mâlkheḍ, which represents the real name fairly closely; and Al Mas’ûdî specifies it as eighty Sindi *parasangs* from the sea: here, however, there must be some mistake; for, the given distance denotes six hundred and forty miles, which, on the latitude of Mâlkheḍ, carries us more than quite across India; and Mâlkheḍ is as near as possible only two hundred and ninety miles almost due east of Ratnâgiri. According to Al Mas’ûdî, the language of the kingdom was called ‘Kîriya,’ and took its name from a place named ‘Kîra:’ Dr. Bühler, however, has pointed out that, with a very slight change of the diacritical points, we may read ‘Kanara,’ *i.e.* ‘Kannaḍa;’ and the vernacular of the country round Mâlkheḍ was, of course, Kanarese.