The Dynastic History of Northern India (Early Mediaeval Period) v1.c12.121

v1.c12.121

The next ruler, according to al-Bīrūnī, was Bhīm, no doubt the same ruler who is mentioned by Kalhaṇa as the maternal grandfather of Diddā, the queen of the Kashmirian king Kṣemagupta (*c.* 950-58 A.D.).¹ Diddā was the daughter of king Simharāja, the lord of Lohara (modern valley of Lohᵃrin or *Loran* immediately to the south of Pīr Pantsal range, in the hill State of Punch)² and other strongholds, who had apparently married a daughter of Bhīma *Sāhi* of Udabhāṇḍapura. The influence and power enjoyed by the *Sāhis* in Kashmir during this period is illustrated by the fact that already during Kṣemagupta's lifetime Bhīma built a richly endowed temple of Viṣṇu called Bhīmakeśava in the adoptive country of his grand-daughter the remains of which have been traced by Stein in a Muhammadan Zirāt at Bumᵃzu³ near Mārtaṇḍa. Certain silver coins with the legend *Śrī-Bhīmadeva*, which are mainly found in Kābulistān, have been referred by numismatists to this ruler.⁴ From the facts detailed above it is certain that the birth of Bhīma cannot be pushed back beyond 920 A.D.⁵ He was certainly ruling in 950-58, but we do not know when he was succeeded by the next ruler, Jaypāl, who is well-known from Muslim chronicles as the opponent of the Yamīnī kings of Ghazni. Kalhaṇa is silent about this ruler, though he mentions the defeat of an otherwise unknown *Sāhi* prince named Thakkana in the reign of Abhimanyu (958-72 A.D.) the son of Diddā. Yaśodhara the Commander-in-chief, we are told, 'out of spite' rapidly invaded his country 'which is difficult of access on account of its streams and mountains' and capturing the *Sāhi* prince 'by force' compelled him to 'pay tribute and homage.'⁶ The fact that Thakkana does not occur in the list of al-Bīrūnī lends some strength to the suspicion that his list contains the names of only important rulers and is by no means to be taken as successive.¹ That Jayapāla is not the son of Bhīma appears to be indicated by Firishta, who gives Ishtpāl² (Iṣṭapāla?) as the name of Jayapāla's father; but we need not agree with Elliot that the "introduction of the term 'Pāl'" should indicate a change of dynasty. The same phenomenon appears in the history of the Gurjara-Pratīhāras of Kanauj, though there was no dynastic change.³