The Dynastic History of Northern India (Early Mediaeval Period) v1.c19.s3.t1: (a) The Rāṣṭrakūṭas of Hastikuṇḍi
The Dynastic History of Northern India (Early Mediaeval Period) v1.c19.s3.t1
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(a) The Rāṣṭrakūṭas of Hastikuṇḍi
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The existence of this family was revealed by the discovery of the so-called *Bijapur stone-inscription of Dhavala.* According to ‘local report’ the stone was originally fixed in the wall of a solitary Jaina temple situated about 2 miles from the village of Bijapur in the Bali (Godwar) district of the state of Jodhpur.¹ The inscription consists of 32 lines, and contains two separate records. The first one extends from lines 1 to 22, the second from lines 23 to 32. The second record ‘opens with the praise of the Jaina religion.’ It then gives the following genealogy of a line of princes:—
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¹ The inscription according to another report was discovered by Captain Burt “in the interior of a gateway leading to Mandir, distant one *kos* from Beejapoor, on the route from Odeypore to Sirohi near Mt. Ābū;” *JASB*, Vol. X, p. 821.
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Harivarman
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Vidagdharāja........*Śrī-Rāṣṭrakūṭa-kula-kānana-kalpa-vṛkṣa.*
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Mammaṭa
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The inscription then records that Vidhagndharāja built a *Caitya-gṛha* at Hastikuṇḍi² for his *guru* Balabhadra. The former prince in (V) Saṁvat 973 granted certain donations, ⅔rds of the proceeds of which were to go to the Jina (*Arhat*) and ⅓rd to the guru as *Vidyā-dāna*. These grants were renewed by Mammaṭa in V. S. 996. The closing verse expresses a wish that the endowments may be enjoyed by the progeny of Keśavadāsa Sūri as long as mountains, etc., last. The inscription was engraved by the *Sūtradhāra* Satayogeśvara.
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² Mod. Hathundi, close to the village of Bijapur, 10 miles to the south of Bāli, the headquarters of a district of the same name in Jodhpur; *IGI*, Vol. VI, p. 247.
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The *first record* opens with two verses in praise of the Jinas or Tīrthaṅkaras. Then follows the genealogy of the same line of princes as above :—
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``` Harivarman = Ruci
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Vidagdha . . . . . induced to build a temple of Jina in the
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| town of Hastikuṇḍi by his preceptor Vāsudeva.
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Mammaṭa
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Dhavala . . . . . gave shelter to the armies of a king (name
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| lost) and of the lord of the Gurjaras, when
| Muñjarāja had destroyed Āghāṭa,¹ the pride of
| Medapāṭa ² (V. 10);......afforded protection to
| Mahendra against Durlabharāja (V. 11); gave
| support to Dharaṇīvarāha (V. 12); and abdicated
| in favour of his son Bālaprasāda (V. 19).
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¹ Mod. Ahad, near the Udaipur station. The Guhilot clan Ahadīyā derives its name from this place.
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² Mod. Mewar.
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Bālaprasāda ```
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The next 6 verses (22-27) are devoted to the praise of Hastikuṇḍi, the capital of Bālaprasāda. Next is mentioned the *Sūri* Śāntibhadra, the pupil of Vāsudeva. Then follows the information that the *goṣṭhī* of Hastikuṇḍi renovated the temple of the first Tīrthaṅkara (Ṛṣabhanātha), which was first built by Vidagdharāja. After its renovation Śāntibhadra in (V) *Saṁvat* 1053 (A.D. 997) installed the image of the Tīrthaṅkara. The inscription was composed by Sūryācārya.³
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³ First noticed by Kielhorn, *JASB*, 1893, Vol. LXII, Part I, pp. 309-14. Then edited by Pandit Ramkaran, *EI*, Vol. X, pp. 17-24.
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The inscription supplies some interesting information in connection with the achievements of Dhavala. Muñjarāja has been correctly identified with the Paramāra Vākpati-Muñja (*c.* 974-95 A.D.).⁴ The lord of the Gurjaras mentioned here was most probably the Caulukya Mūlarāja I of Gujrat (*c.* 961-96 A.D.),⁵ while the prince whose name is lost was possibly a Guhila of Medapāṭa. Durlabharāja was identified by Kielhorn with the brother of the Cāhamāna Vigraharāja of the Harṣa inscription dated in V.S. 1030.¹ The same scholar rightly identified Mahendra with the Naddūla Cāhamāna of the same name.² Pandit Ramkaran has suggested the possibility of the identification of Dharaṇīvarāha with the Paramāra king of that name, who is said to have been the ruler of Nav-kot in Marwar.³
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⁴ *JASB*, 1893, Vol. LXII, Part I, p. 311.
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⁵ *Ibid.*
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¹ *Ibid.*
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² *EI*, Vol. IX, p. 71; also pp. 64 and 67.
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³ *EI*, Vol. X, p. 19 and fn. 1.
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The proposed identifications, if accepted, would show the comparative importance of this Rāṣṭrakūṭa family. Their importance was probably in some measure due to the fact that their principality was situated in the region where the frontiers of the Caulukya, the Cāhamāna, and the Paramāra kingdoms met. As incessant struggles went on between these powers, the Rāṣṭrakūṭas could always count on the assistance of one when threatened by another of the three.⁴
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⁴ Annalla-devī, the wife of the Cāhamāna Alhaṇa of Naddūla (A.D. 1152-61), who traced her descent to the *Rāṣṭrauḍa-vaṁśa* may have belonged to this Hathundi branch. See *EI*, Vol. XI, p. 71, fn. 2.