The Dynastic History of Northern India (Early Mediaeval Period) v1.c13.277

v1.c13.277

It is difficult to trace the events that followed. Most probably the last ruler left no sons to succeed him, and there appears to have followed a period of complete anarchy. Out of this chaos arose the figures of Saṁgrāmacandra, the lord of Lahara, and Siṁhadeva, who is described by Abu'l-Faẓl as ‘chief of Labdar of Dakṣiṇapārā.’² The latter declared himself king; but so long as Saṁgrāmacandra lived, his power was restricted to the valley of the Ledarī (mod. Lidār), which flows into the Vitastā between Anantanāg and Vijabrör.³ After the death of his rival he succeeded to the kingdom, now much reduced in size. Jonarāja mentions a number of pious foundations of this prince, and on the whole the first part of his reign appears to have been comparatively successful. But gradually through association with ‘bad men’ he ‘became devoid of his belief in God’ and an intrigue with the beautiful daughter of his nurse resulted in the loss of his life and throne, in *c.* 1301 A.D. He reigned for 14 years 5 months and 27 days. The next king was his brother Sūhadeva. This prince with the assistance of Kāmasūha, one of the murderers of his brother, succeeded in establishing his authority in the whole of Kashmir. Jonarāja tells us that ‘like a second Arjuna, the king established his authority on the borders of Pañcagahvara’ (mod. Panjgabbar, situated on the east of Rājapurī in the valley of the Upper Ans river).⁵ He owed his success probably to the bravery of Śāhamera (شاه میر, *i.e.*, Shāh Mīr), a Muslim adventurer of Rājput origin who with his relatives migrated to Kashmir and entered the king’s service in *c.* 1313