History of the Khaljis, A.D. 1290–1320 c22.7

c22.7

The coin is interesting in so far that it is the only evidence which alludes to ‘Alāūddīn’s connection with Nepal. In the contemporary Persian chronicles there is no mention of the sultan’s conquest of that country. Contemporary Hindu accounts, however, allude to the conquest of Nepal by Harasimha Deva of Karnatakula dynasty, the Hindu Raja of Mithila in the time of ‘Alāūddīn Khaljī. Mithila, comprising of about the north and north-west of present Bihar, was not affected by the Muhammadan invaders of the 12th and 13th centuries, who marched into Bengal via south Bihar leaving the territory north of the Ganga undisturbed. Harasimha Deva, the king contemporary of ‘Alāūddīn, had a fairly long reign, and under him had served able ministers like Devaditya, his son Vīrēshvar Thakur and his grandson Chandrēshvar Thakur. Chandrēshvar was an erudite scholar and wrote many treatises in Sanskrit. His main works are *Kritya Ratnākar*, *Dāna Ratnākar*, *Vivād Ratnākar*, *Sudh Ratnākar*, *Grahast Ratnākar*, and *Pūja Ratnākar*. In *Kritya*, *Dāna* and *Vivād Ratnākars* Chandrēshvar claims to have conquered Nepal for his king Harasimha. In *Vivād Ratnākar* he describes² how after his great victory he performed the ceremony of Tula Puruśa or religious gift of gold of the donor’s weight to Brahmans etc. in Saka 1236 (A.D. 1314).