The Dynastic History of Northern India (Early Mediaeval Period) v2.c30.s3.36.1

v2.c30.s3.36.1

pursued them across the ‘unfathomable Yamunā’ and ‘completely uprooted’ their imperial city. In this unceasing struggle both the Northern and the Deccani powers realised the strategic importance of Gujarat and Malwa. These two areas, together with portions of Rajputana, had been the chief strongholds of the Gurjara-Pratīhāra power from the 6th and 7th centuries A.D. The three principalities of Mandor, Broach and Ujjayinī had withstood the vicissitudes of war and peace for a long time, till at last the rulers of the last seized the imperial crown of Northern India. But this success and the subsequent transference of their capital to Kanauj did not make the Gurjara-Pratīhāras forgetful of the importance of Gujarat and Malwa. The Haddala grants of Mahīpāla and the Partabgarh inscription of Mahendrapāla II seem to show that they tried to maintain their hold over the provinces till about the first half of the 10th century.¹ I have tried to demonstrate elsewhere,² that the Deccani powers from the time of the Sātavāhanas onwards always realised the strategic importance of Gujarat. As soon as Dantidurga (A.D. 754) overthrew the Cālukyas of Badami, he seems to have invaded Southern and Central Gujarat and established Kakkarāja (747 A.D.), possibly his paternal cousin’s son, in the Surat region as his feudatory.