The Dynastic History of Northern India (Early Mediaeval Period) v1.c12.116

v1.c12.116

According to al-Bīrūnī the next king was Kamalū, presumably the same ruler, who is referred to in the *Jawāmi‘ ul-Hikāyāt* of Muḥammad ‘Aufī (*c.* 1212. A.D.) as Kamalū Rāy of Hindustan, the contemporary and opponent of the Ṣaffārid ruler ‘Amr ibn Layth (*c.* 879-900 A.D.).³ This synchronism helps us also to identify him with Toramāṇa, Lalliya’s son, who according to Kalhaṇa was given the dominions of the rebellious *Śāhi* (Sāmand) and upon whom was conferred the new name *Kamaluka* by the minister of the Utpala king Gopālavarman (*c.* A.D. 902-04).⁴ This invalidates Elliot’s suggestion that Kamalū’s reign commenced in 890 A.D.⁵ Both Kalhaṇa and the Muhammadan writers are silent about the relationship of Toramāṇa-Kamalū with his predecessor. Mr. E. Thomas proposed to identify this prince with the *Khvadavayaka* or *Khedavayaka* of the coins from the similarity of the metal and style of latter’s coinage with the other issues of the *Śāhis*. His attempt to justify his thesis by “mutations, blots, or intermixture of letters” was rightly rejected by Elliot as too fantastic.⁶