The Dynastic History of Northern India (Early Mediaeval Period) v1.c14.107

v1.c14.107

This son is probably to be identified with Narendradeva, who under the titles of *Rājādhirāja-Parameśvara* appears as king in a MS. of the *Pañcarakṣā* dated in the year 261 (1141 A. D.)¹ of the same king, which thus appears to be anterior by five years to the last known date of Mānadeva. If the relationship between the two were that of a father and son, it is not impossible that, like the Kashmirian king Ananta, Mānadeva may have resumed the royal power for some time after his abdication.² According to the chroniclers, the next king, Ānandadeva, was a son of Sīhadeva. Wright’s chronicle gives the name of Narendradeva as Narasiṁha and it is not impossible that Sīhadeva may be the same as Narasiṁha.³ For Ānandadeva’s reign Bendall has given us 6 dates from MSS. which range from 275 to 286 (A. D. 1154-5 to 1166).⁴ Tradition assigns to this prince a reign of 20 years. He was succeeded by Rudradeva, to whom is assigned a reign of 8 years and 1 month. This prince is said to have passed his life in pious practices and philosophic studies after confiding the government to the care of his son. It is not surprising therefore that his reign has not left for us any dated literary or epigraphic evidence.⁵ The next ruler appears to have been Amṛtadeva (or Mitradeva), who, according to the chronicle of Bendall, was another son of Sīhadeva (Narendrasiṁha = Narendradeva ?). A MS. of the *Daśakarmapaddhati*, copied in his reign, bears the date 296 (A. D. 1176).⁶ He is said to have reigned for 3 years 11 months. Next follows the reign of a king named Ratnadeva, who is not mentioned in any of the Vaṁśāvalīs of Nepal. Bendall recovered his name from the tracings of a MS. in the Katmandu library which bears the date 303 (A. D. 1183) in his reign.¹ Next follows the shadowy figure of Someśvaradeva, who is said to have been a son of Mahendra (Indradeva ?). Tradition assigns him a reign of 4 years 3 months, but it has not handed down to us any dated records of his time. Lévi has already drawn attention to the abnormal character of the name of this prince, which is unique in Nepalese history, and appears in the Valley at a time when a prince of the Cālukya dynasty of Kalyāṇī bearing the same name was claiming suzerainty over the Valley.² After Someśvara follow the names of three princes named Guṇakāmadeva (II), Lakṣmīkāmadeva (II), and Vijayakāmadeva, whose reigns have fortunately left for us some dated records. A MS. of *Jayākhyasaṁhitā* (also called *Jñānalakṣmī*) preserved in the Durbar Library of Nepal is dated in 307 (1187 A. D.) in the reign of Guṇakāma.³ Bendall's chronicle assigns him a reign of only 3 months. His successor Lakṣmīkāma, who is entirely omitted in the traditional lists, is attested by a MS. of his reign dated in 313 (A. D. 1193).⁴ The reign of the next ruler, Vijayakāma, to whom is assigned by the Vaṁśāvalīs a reign of 17 years, is recorded by two MSS. dated in 316 (A. D. 1196) and 317 (A. D. 1197).⁵