The Dynastic History of Northern India (Early Mediaeval Period) v1.c19.s2.t3: (c) The Rāṣṭrakūṭas of Pathari
The Dynastic History of Northern India (Early Mediaeval Period) v1.c19.s2.t3
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(c) The Rāṣṭrakūṭas of Pathari
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The existence of this family is also known from a single inscription, the *Pathari stone pillar-inscription of Parabala*. This is incised on the northern face of a tall monolith with a bell-shaped capital, in Pathari (long. 78° 15′, lat. 23° 56′), the chief town of the State of the same name in the Bhopal Agency, C.I. It contains 36 lines. The characters resemble those of the Gwalior *praśasti* of Bhoja (V.S. 933). It opens with *Oṁ namaḥ* and four verses invoking the god Viṣṇu under the names of Murāri, Kṛṣṇa, and Hari, and then gives the genealogy of a line of kings as follows :
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The proper object of the inscription is to record that this last king founded a temple of Śauri (Viṣṇu), before which he erected the *Garuḍa-dhvaja* pillar on which it was engraved. The first part of the inscription (lines 1-31) ends here. The second part (lines 32-38), which appears to have been added as post-script, then seems to record the installation of an image of Viṣṇu.¹ The date, (V) *Saṁvat* 917 (A.D. 861), comes at the end of the first part (line 31).²
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¹ The inscription is damaged here.
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² Edited by Kielhorn, *EI*, Vol. IX, pp. 248-56.
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This inscription supplies some facts of considerable historical importance. Kielhorn had already pointed out that the unknown elder brother of Jejja, who is reported to have conquered Lāṭa after defeating the Karṇātas, must be placed in the period 757-812 A.D., during which we know little about Lāṭa.¹ It thus appears likely that he may have conquered portions of Gujarat by defeating the armies of the Rāṣṭrakūṭas of the Deccan (*Karṇāṭas*) after the death of Kakkarāja, the local Rāṣṭrakūṭa ruler, in 757 A.D. The Nāgāvaloka defeated by Karkarāja has also been identified by Kielhorn with the Gurjara-Pratīhāra Nāgabhaṭa II (*c.* 815-33 A.D.).² The enmity between these Rāṣṭrakūṭas and the rising power of the Gurjara-Pratīhāras appears to have brought them into friendly alliance with the Pālas of Bengal and Bihar. This is shown by the probable identification of the Parabala of our inscription with the Rāṣṭrakūṭa Parabala of the Pāla records.³ The marriage of Raṇṇādevī, the daughter of Parabala, with Dharmapāla (*c.* 769-815 A.D.) must be accepted as the outward symbol of the close alliance between these two enemies of the Gurjara power. Another interesting fact is the mention of the *Pāli-dhvaja* banner in connection with the victories of Karkarāja and Parabala. The possession of this flag was claimed by both the Calukyas of Vātāpi⁴ and the Rāṣṭrakūṭas of Malkheḍ.⁵
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¹ *Ibid*, p. 252; also *EI*, Vol. VII, Appendix II, p. 4. The period falls between *Mahārājādhirāja* Kakkarāja II (A.D. 757) and Indrarāja, the brother of the Rāṣṭrakūṭa Govinda III (*c.* 794-814 A.D.), for whose sons we have dates from 811 to 827 A.D.
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² *EI*, Vol. IX, p. 251.
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³ See *supra*, Dynastic History of Bengal and Bihar, p. 288 ; also *EI*, Vol. IX, p. 251.
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⁴ *BG*, Vol. I, Part II, pp. 189, 388, and 368.
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⁵ *Ibid*, pp. 387 and 402.