The Dynastic History of Northern India (Early Mediaeval Period) v1.c13.86

v1.c13.86

The next 18 years of Kashmir history (918-36 A. D.) are entirely dominated by the *Tantrins*, who made and unmade kings. In A.D. 921 Pārtha was overthrown by his father Paṅgu, whom the *Tantrins* supported and installed as king. But he died in 923, after having placed on the throne his young son Cakravarman. Pārtha with the assistance of the *Tantrins* tried to recover his throne, and fought a battle with the *Ekāṅgas*, without decisive results. In the meantime the child-king was protected under the guardianship of his mother Bappaṭadevī, and then for 10 years under that of his grand-mother Kṣillikā. In 933 A.D., however, the *Tantrins* overthrew him and appointed as king Śūravarman (I), the son of Paṅgu by Mṛgāvatī. The uncles and ministers of this king, who was of good character, caused his overthrow "by not paying what was due to the *Tantrins*." He was deposed in 934 A. D., and the guards made the 'liberal Pārtha once more king.' But in 935 Cakravarman, who offered them 'great riches' was again crowned. But he soon fled being unable to meet the bills of the *Tantrins*. His 'deceitful minister Saṁbhuvardhana, whom he had placed in charge of the *Gṛhakṛtya* office then got himself installed in the same year, by "promises of yet greater bribes."' But in 936 A. D. Cakravarman with the assistance of the Ḍāmara Saṁgrāma raised a large army, and inflicted a terrible defeat upon the *Tantrins* outside Padmapura (mod. Pāmpar, 74°59′ long. 34°1′ lat.). This victory, in which Cakravarman appears to have displayed considerable personal bravery and which caused the death of five to six thousand *Tantrins*, broke the backbone of this military corporation.¹ But as the battle was won 'with the assistance of numberless Ḍāmaras,' it introduced, as we shall see further on, another element of danger in the body politic from this landed aristocracy.² Cakravarman after he had killed Saṁbhuvardhana and cleared the kingdom of his enemies, soon fell under 'the power of parasites and committed acts which were cruel and devoid of judgment.' One of these cost him his life and throne. The king, enamoured by the singing and dancing of two beautiful *Ḍomba* girls named Haṁsī and Nāgalatā, took them to his seraglio. Haṁsī was raised by the love-blinded king to the rank of chief queen, and enjoyed the royal privilege of being fanned with chowries. This alliance appears to have raised the status of the *Ḍombas* in the State. But the flagrant violation of caste-rules, the shock caused by their free entrance into places of worship, the galling subservience of the proud Ḍāmaras to the pleasure of this low-caste people, and the king's treacherous conduct towards the Ḍāmaras, at last produced an inevitable reaction. A body of these barons, suddenly surprised him at night in the Ḍomba-queen’s quarters, and “killed him in the embrace of the crying *Svapākī*, while his body rested on her swelling breasts.”¹ This event occurred in 937 A.D. The ‘foolish ministers’ then installed ‘the wicked son of Pārtha’ called Unmattāvanti, who is described by Kalhaṇa as “worse than wicked.” “His chief ministers were those who could make music with their noses, shoulders, etc., and who would bang their skulls with knocks and blows.” We can form an adequate estimate of these ministers by the conduct of Parvagupta, “who danced in the royal assembly with his loin cloth taken off.” The following are some of the instances of this king’s revolting sports. Kalhaṇa tells us that: