The Dynastic History of Northern India (Early Mediaeval Period) v1.c13.53

Language: English

v1.c13.53.1

Avantivarman died as a devout Vaiṣṇava in the *Laukika era* 3959 (A.D. 883) at the *Tripureśa* hill (mod. Triphar).³ Soon after his death a civil war began amongst the proud and numerous descendants of Utpala, who all "aspired each and all to the throne." The *Pratīhāra* Ratnavardhana secured by his exertions the kingdom for Śaṅkaravarman, the son of Avantivarman. But the *amātya* Karṇapa raised his cousin Sukhavarman to the status of *yuvarāja*.⁴ The result was a civil war, "during which the kingdom was at every moment as if placed in a swing." Śaṅkaravarman defeated his rival with difficulty, and after fighting many battles with Samaravarman and other rivals, at last secured his position.¹ After consolidating his power at home, he is reported to have undertaken a series of expeditions to recover the foreign possessions which were lost during the weak rule of the later Kārkoṭas. In spite of the beneficial measures during the reign of Avantivarman, Kalhaṇa admits that Kashmir during the period 'had become reduced in population and wealth.' The expeditions of the king which Kalhaṇa describes with so much poetic flourish, and in one of which the king met his death, leaves us in no doubt that the boundaries of the kingdom were again restricted to the Vitastā basin, east of Varāhamūla.

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With a large army whose advance guard alone, according to the exaggerated estimate of Kalhaṇa, consisted of "9 lakhs of foot-soldiers, 300 elephants, and 1 lakh of horsemen" the king marched forth from the *dvāra* and following the Pīr Pantsāl route,² invaded Dārbābhisāra. At the approach of the Kashmirian army, its king Naravāhana took refuge in the mountain gorges.³ Śaṅkaravarman then captured and imprisoned a prince named Harigaṇa, and gradually reached the outskirts of the Punjab plain, "wholly bent on the conquest of Gūrjara." Pṛthvīcandra, the king of Trigarta (Kangra), who had previously given his son Bhavanacandra as a hostage, is reported at this stage to have come towards Śaṅkaravarman to do homage, but fearing capture, "fled far away, failing in resolve." Kalhaṇa's description does not show that Trigarta was actually conquered, and Stein is probably right in assuming that no "material success was achieved by him in the hills east of the Ravi." But he appears to have met with better success in his struggle with the *Gūrjarādhipa*, Alakhāna. I have already described elsewhere the possibility of some sort of an alliance between the *Adhirāja* Bhoja, Alakhāna, and the *Śāhi* Lalliya.¹ Though Śaṅkaravarman claims to have curbed the sovereign power of Bhoja and " uprooted in battle the fortune of Alakhāna, he seems to have gained no substantial success.

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His only conquest probably was the *Ṭakka-deśa*, the region between the upper waters of the Chenab and the Ravi.² This land Alakhāna is said to have humbly given up, " preserving his own country, as (if he had saved) his own body (at the sacrifice) of a finger." The Gūrjara lord was no doubt saved from a more serious defeat by the support of Lalliya *Śāhi*, against whom however Śaṅkaravarman does not appear to have gained any success. The only other expedition of this king was towards the Indus through the Bārāmūla defile, and was undertaken to avenge the death of his *dvārādhipa*³ at Vīrānaka, in the Vitastā valley, below the gate of Bārāmūla. Kalhaṇa informs us that after destroying Vīrānaka the king conquered numerous territories on the banks of the Sindhu (Indus) and received the homage of their terror-stricken kings. As he was marching back through Uraśā from this expedition he was fatally wounded in the neck, by a " swift-flying arrow " discharged by a *Śvapāka*, in the course of a conflict with the inhabitants. While the arrow was being pulled out he died, in the Laukika era 3977 (A.D. 902).⁴ In describing the subsequent march of the army towards Kashmir, Kalhaṇa tells us that it reached " Bolyāsaka in their own territory " after 6 days' march.⁵ This shows that in spite of the energetic efforts of Śaṅkaravarman he could not extend the boundaries of his state beyond the limits of the sub-montane regions adjoining Kashmir on the west and south.

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From Kalhaṇa's silence about the king's operations in the north and east, it must be assumed that he made no efforts to recover the possessions of the Kārkoṭas in these directions.