The Dynastic History of Northern India (Early Mediaeval Period) v1.c15.29.1

v1.c15.29.1

The history of Kāmarūpa after 648 A. D. is rather uncertain. We have no records, either literary or epigraphic, from the kings who immediately succeeded Bhāskaravarman. But fortunately for us there are references to these princes in the inscriptions of later kings of the Brahmaputra valley. Thus the Tezpur plates of *Māhārājādhirāja* Vanamāla, for whose father Harjara we have the date G. E. 510 (A. D. 829), refers to a line of princes beginning with Śālastambha, and ending in *Śrī-Hariṣa* (*Śālastambha-pramukhaiḥ Śrī-Hariṣānta-mahīpālaiḥ...*) who are placed between the descendants of Bhagadatta and Vajradatta and Prālambha, the grandfather of Vanamāla.¹ A stray plate of Harjara, recently discovered appears to mention three princes, viz., Kumāra, Vajradeva, and Harṣavarman of the dynasty of Śālastambha.² In the Nowgong copper-plate grant of Balavarman Śālastambha and the princes Pālaka and Vijaya belonging to his line are placed between the names of Vajradatta and Harjara.³ In the Bargaon copper-plate grant of Ratnapāla we are told that after the descendants of Vajradatta had ruled over Prāgjyotiṣa for some time there appeared a great *Mlecchādhinātha* in the person of Śālastambha. In succession to him there were chiefs 'altogether twice ten in number,' who were well known as Vigrahastambha and the rest. As the last of them, Tyāgasiṁha went to heaven without leaving any heir, his subjects chose Brahmapāla, the father of Ratnapāla.⁴ Now on palaeographic grounds the late Dr.