The Dynastic History of Northern India (Early Mediaeval Period) v1.c13.148

v1.c13.148

The disgrace to the country due to the king's financial embarrassments was at last removed by Sūryamatī, who redeemed the royal debts by her own savings. From this time onwards the queen took the "king's business in hand," and he "did what he was bid to do." As the behaviour of the royal couple to each other was irreproachable, the arrangement worked well. Sūryamatī secured the services of a number of honest and competent ministers. Kṣema, a barber, organised the *Pādāgra* office,² and filled the empty treasury "by the impost of *dvādaśabhāga*, and other means." Keśava, a Brahman from Trigarta, became a successful minister, and yet—a thing unique in Kashmiri history—still remained poor. Haladhara, the son of a Vaiśya temple watchman, gradually rose in Sūryamatī's service till he obtained the Prime-ministership (*Sarvādhikārikā*). He wisely abolished the 'royal privilege of marking gold,' which enabled the officials to estimate the private means of individuals and which in its turn offered unique opportunities for the confiscation of private property by rapacious kings. He executed some of the ‘detested horse-trainers who robbed property and women,’ and by his liberality and steps for appeasing the sufferings of the people became popularly known as ‘the abolisher of imposts.’¹ Saved from his financial distress by the wise internal government of his queen, king Ananta now turned his attention to foreign conquest. Bilhaṇa in his *Vikramāṅkadevacarita* tells us that Ananta’s supremacy was acknowledged by Campā, Dārvābhisāra, Trigarta, and Bhartula.² This is borne out by Kalhaṇa, who ascribes to this ruler ‘victories over various kings.’ He first invaded Campā, and after ‘uprooting king Sāla placed a new ruler on the throne.’ The suggestion of Kielhorn that Sāla is to be identified with king Sālavāhanadeva mentioned in a Chamba copper-plate, and that of Vogel, that the prince raised to the throne was the latter’s son Somavarman, have been generally accepted.³ Encouraged by this success, Ananta appears to have made a number of rash inroads into foreign territories. In one such expedition in Vallāpura, situated in the lower hills to the east of Jammu, his troops ‘became worn out’ and were with difficulty extricated by Haladhara. In a similar attack on Uraśā, ‘the enemy blocked the routes’ and his retreat was only made possible when his Commander-in-chief ‘cleared the roads.’⁴ But while the king was trying to re-assert the suzerainty of Kashmir over the surrounding hill states, trouble was brewing nearer at home. The Dāmaras of Kramarājya rose in rebellion and killed the *Dvārapati* Rājeśvara, while the trusted Haladhara ‘became an object of slander on account of his continual attendance upon the queen.’ Things became still worse when, goaded continually by his wife, and against the advice of his trusted ministers, he abdicated his throne in favour of his son Kalaśa in 1063 A.D.¹ The inordinate fondness of Sūryamatī for this unworthy son, who rumour held to be the child of a petty official substituted on the death of the queen's own child, was, as we shall see, a source of infinite sufferings to the king and the country. For the time being however Haladhara by his diplomatic skill succeeded in inducing Ananta to resume his royal power. Kalaśa was kept under strict supervision, serving in state functions "like an assistant, acting as if he were his father's Purohita." While in the harem, the jealous Sūryamatī "made the queens of her son constantly do the work of slave-girls, until they did not refuse to do even the smearing of the house-floor with cow-dung, etc."² About this time the cousin of Ananta, the Lohara prince Kṣitirāja, being disgusted with his rebellious son Bhuvanarāja, bestowed his kingdom upon Utkarṣa the second son of Kalaśa. Another good fortune for Kashmir at this time, was the conquest of 'Rājpurī and other regions' whose chiefs were forced to pay tribute by the brave Commander-in-chief Jindurāja.³