The Dynastic History of Northern India (Early Mediaeval Period) v1.c14.174

v1.c14.174

During the period that immediately preceded Jayarājadeva the royal power was usurped for a short time by a Karṇāṭaka prince of Simraon, named Jagatsiṁha who married Nāyakadevī and had a daughter by her named Rājalladevī.³ In the Katmandu inscription dated in (N.)S. 533 (1412 A.D.) of *Mahārājā-dhirāja* Jayajyotirmalladeva, his descent is traced from Sthitimalladeva, king of the *Nepāla-khaṇḍa* and belonging to the *Sūryavaṁśa*. This Sthitimalla is described in the epigraph as ‘*Rājalladevyāḥ pati*.’ Lévi has rightly suggested the identification of the Rājalladevī of Bendall's Chronicle with that of the epigraph. He has further identified Sthitimalla with Jaya-Sthitmalladeva who appears in an inscription and colophons of MSS. as king of Nepal from 1380 to 1394 A.D. His initial date, 1380, is so close to the last date of Jayārjunamalla (1376 A.D.) so far discovered, that it is very likely that he was the immediate successor of the latter. If the identifications of Lévi are accepted, Jaya-Sthitimalla was the grandson-in-law of the Malla prince Jayarudra (1320-26 A.D.) through his daughter Nāyakadevī and son-in-law of Jagatsimha, a prince of the Karṇāṭaka line of Harisimha. Thus in his person he combined the two royal families, which claimed sovereignty over the Nepal valley for about 300 years (*c.* 1097-1376 A.D.). This latter fact is supported by the combined testimony of all the Nepalese chronicles. But in their attempt to represent Jaya-Sthitimalla as the legitimate successor of the two lines they invent a fictitious genealogy for him. Thus in the Vaṃśāvalī of Wright and Bhagwanlal one Jaya-Bhadramalla is represented as his ancestor, who married the daughter of Śyāmasiṃha the last descendant of Harisiṃha in Nepal. As Śyāmasiṃha had no male issue, Jaya-Bhadramalla succeeded his father-in-law, and his son Nāgamalla thus combined in his person the two lines. According to this chronology Jaya-Sthitimalla is the sixth descendant of Jaya-Bhadramalla in the direct line, being the seventh king after Śyāmasiṃha.¹ But we have already shown from Chinese annals that the two immediate predecessors of Śyāmasiṃha ruled in Nepal from 1387-1418. Jaya-Sthitimalla thus appears almost a contemporary of these later Karṇāṭaka princes, and they cannot be separated by such long periods as is suggested by the tradition of Nepal. It seems likely that Jaya-Sthitimalla captured the throne of the Mallas from Jayārjunamalla by a successful coup sometime after February, 1376, and then, as husband of Rājalladevī, claimed to be the legitimate representative of the Mallas and the Sūryavaṃśī Karṇāṭakas.² His pretensions were the more readily accepted as he appears to have wielded a powerful sword. His reign ends the long period of feudal anarchy and ushers in a new epoch of peace and good government in Nepal: His authority appears to have been established practically over the whole Valley and his descendants henceforth in regular succession ruled over the three capitals of Nepal.