The Dynastic History of Northern India (Early Mediaeval Period) v1.c13.234

v1.c13.234

Bhikṣācāra then entered Śrīnagara in triumph. Janakasiṁha the City Prefect, gave him his niece, while the Commander-in-chief Tilaka welcomed him with his daughter. But the inexperienced king blundered at every step in the task of government. The royal power gradually passed into the hands of Bimba, the *Sarvādhikārin*. Low parasites soon surrounded him. As Kalhaṇa puts it: 'With a simple-minded king, with negligent ministers and bold Dāmaras (*dasyu*) the reign was doomed from its very beginning.' In addition to this the king soon developed a taste for 'new women' and 'rich dishes.' The wives of the highest officials of the State carried on intrigues with the king 'like mares with a stallion.' Things became still worse when the two leading Ḍāmaras Pṛthvīhara and Mallakoṣṭha, ‘made the palace shake by their furious quarrels.’ When things were in such a critical condition, the king ‘in his madness’ sent Bimba with an army by way of Rājapurī to attack Sussala at Lohara. Accompanied by Somapāla, the king of Rājapurī, and a force of Turuṣkas under Sallāra Vismaya, possibly a Muslim chief from the Lower Punjab hills, Bimba marched against Sussala. The Turuṣkas in this invasion were certain of success. Kalhaṇa records the interesting information that “every single horseman among them said boastfully, showing a rope, ‘with this I shall bind and drag along Sussala.’ ” But the battle that followed on the banks of the Vitolā near Parṇotsa resulted in complete victory for the Lohara prince (1121 A.D.). Many of the Turuṣkas ‘went into the snares of death after dropping from fright the ropes they had bought to bind him.’ With the remnants of the Muslim army Somapāla retreated to his own territories, while Bimba and the Kashmirians shamelessly deserted to Sussala’s side.¹ While things were taking this unfavourable turn for him, Bhikṣācāra passed his days in the capital in the embraces of Bimba’s wife. Soon after this victory Sussala received messengers from Mallakoṣṭha and Janakasiṁha urging him to make fresh efforts to regain his kingdom. Even ordinary people ‘began to extol the (same) Sussala, who had been reviled before as subject to such greed, cruelty, and other vices.’ The corrupt Brahman corporations held fasts and arrogantly cried: “without the Long-beard (Sussala) we cannot get on.” In the midst of these developments, Sussala marched out of Lohara in 1121 A.D., and took possession of Śrīnagara, after an absence of 6 months and 12 days. Bhikṣācāra with Pṛthīhara fled to Rājapurī, and again grew powerful with the assistance of Somapāla.²