The Dynasties of the Kanarese Districts of the Bombay Presidency from the Earliest Historical Times to the Musalman Conquest c8.s14.2

c8.s14.2

Of the overthrow of the Râshtrakûtas by Taila II., we have a variety of records. The Nilgund inscription of his own time, dated in A.D. 982, claims that, by acquiring the royal fortunes of the Râshtrakûtas, he brought the whole earth under the single umbrella of sole sovereignty. The Bhadâna grant of the Silâhâra prince Aparâjita, of A. D. 997, also belonging to his own time, says that Kakkala was overthrown by him "as a light is extinguished by a fierce wind, and of the once flourishing Ratta rule there remained only the memory."¹ The Khârêpâtan grant of the Silâhâra prince Ratnarâja, of A.D. 1008, belonging to the time of his successor Irivabedanga-Satyâsraya, states that he conquered Kakkala in war, and so became king. The Kauthêm grant of Vikramâditya V., of A. D. 1009, tells us that he "easily cut asunder, "in the field of battle, the two pillars of victory in war of Karkara, con"nected with the sovereignty of the family of the Râshtrakûtas, which "verily resembled the two feet of the evil deity Kali stretched out with "vigour in the act of striding, and which were like shoots, formidable, "of compact substance, and having enmity against spiritual preceptors "for their young sprouts, of the creeper, now at length cut down after "the lapse of a long time, of the fortunes of the Râshtrakûta family."² And the time of the event is fixed by a verse in some somewhat later records, which informs us that he plucked up and destroyed the Rattas, killed the valiant Munja, took the head of Panchala in battle, and possessed himself of the regal dignity of the Châlukyas, and then reigned for twenty-four years, beginning with the year Srimukha.³ As we have already seen, the Srimukha samvatsara was Saka-Samvat 896 current, = A.D. 973-74. And the success of Taila II. is probably to be placed soon after the end of June, A. D. 973, which is the latest of the known dates for Kakka II. The way to success was doubtless paved for him by the victory of Siyaka-Harsha of Mâlwa over Khottiga, the predecessor of Kakka II., and by the plundering of Mâlkhêd itself which appears to have been effected either by the same king or by his successor Munja.⁴