The Dynastic History of Northern India (Early Mediaeval Period) v1.c16.442

v1.c16.442

grant informs us that the *Gauḍeśvara* in his youth took his pleasure with the females of Kaliṅga. The verse (no. 11) which makes this statement, seems to contain also a reference to the defeat of a *Kāśi-rāja*. Line 32 of the same grant tells us that he conquered Kāmarūpa. The Edilpur and Madanpara grants of his sons Keśavasena and Viśvarūpasena refer to his erection of pillars of victory "on the southern sea, where exists (the images of) *Musaladhara* (Balarāma) and Gadāpāṇi (Jagannātha, *i.e.* Purī), and also in Viśveśvarakṣetra at the confluence of the Asi, the Varuṇā, andt he Gaṅgā (*i.e.* Benares), and also at the Triveṇī (*i.e.* Allahabad)." The hostility with Kaliṅga, as we have seen, was inherited from the reign of his grandfather; and as it is said that he undertook the expedition in his youth the incident referred to may have happened during the reign of his father or grandfather.¹ The prince of Kāmarūpa at this time was probably Vallabhadeva whose Assam plates are dated in *Śaka* 1107 (A.D. 1184 or 1185).² If the statement that he advanced in his conquering campaigns as far as Allahabad be correct he carried out the policy which opened with his grandfather's victories in Mithilā and his naval campaign in the *pāścātya-cakra*. His father too is reputed to have conquered Mithilā. Thus it is not at all unlikely that he may have raided the regions further west. But unfortunately the records referred to above do not mention the name of the princes defeated by Lakṣmaṇasena. Who could be his rivals for the possession of these western districts? We have seen how Madanapāla was gradually ousted from Bengal by the Senas. His power probably lingered around Patna and Monghyr till about 1150 A.D. Who succeeded him is not known. But a Gaya inscription shows that one Govindapāla was reigning there in *c.* 1160 A D. This stone inscription dated in V. S. 1232, consists of 14 lines and was found in the temple of Gadādhara at Gaya.¹ It was recorded in the 14th year after the end of his reign (*gata-rājye caturdaśa-saṁvatsare*), so he must have ceased to reign about 1161-62 A. D. Though at present nothing is known about his relationship to Madanapāla, yet the nearness of their dates and the find-spots of their records suggest that one succeeded the other in Bihar. If this was the case, it is possible that if he was not uprooted, Govindapāla at least came into conflict with the advancing Sena armies along the Ganges towards the west. Another power which may have also come into conflict with the Pālas was that of the Gāhaḍavālas. The Maner plates of Govindacandra records that in V.S. 1183 (A. D. 1124) he granted land in the neighbourhood of Patna, while the Lar plates of the same king show that he was in residence at Mudgagiri in V. S. 1202 (A. D. 1146).² The Tārācaṇḍi rock-inscription proves that Vijayacandra, of the same dynasty, was in possession of portions of Shahabad in V. S. 1225 (A. D. 1169), while the Bodh-gaya inscription of Jayaccandra tells us that the Gāhaḍavālas were in Gaya district in *c.* 1180 A. D.³ It seems therefore that the Gāhaḍavālas gradually advanced into Magadha during the period 1124-1180 A. D. The moribund Pāla power was thus crushed out of existence, being attacked on both its flanks. Therefore it seems likely that the chief rivals of the Senas in the West were these Gāhaḍavālas.⁴ Jayaccandra (*c.* 1170-1193 A.D.) of the latter line was the contemporary of Lakṣmaṇasena (*c.* 1185-1206 A.D.).