The Dynastic History of Northern India (Early Mediaeval Period) v1.c19.s1.4

v1.c19.s1.4

The earliest reference to a Rāṣṭrakūṭa family at Kanauj is contained in the Surat grant of Trilocanapāla dated in 1151 A.D., which after mentioning the miraculous birth of Caulukya goes on to say that the latter married a princess of the Rāṣṭrakūṭas of Kanyākubja.² Dr. Hoernle saw ‘no historical value’ in this statement, and tried to interpret the verse in a different way.³ But the existence of Rāṣṭrakūṭas in the vicinity of Kanauj is proved beyond all doubt by the *Budaun stone-inscription of Lakhaṇapāla*.⁴ This record was found in August 1887 in the ruins of the south gate of the old fort of Budaun,⁵ the chief town of the district of the same name in U.P. It contains 23 lines, written in Devanāgarī characters of about the 12th or 13th century A.D. It probably contained a date in line 23, but unfortunately the editor could not read it. The genealogical portion tells us that the town of Vodāmayūtā,⁶ the ornament of the land of Pañcāla, was protected by princes born in the Rāṣṭrakūṭa family (*kula*). The inscription then gives the following list of these :