The Dynastic History of Northern India (Early Mediaeval Period) v2.c30.s4.23

v2.c30.s4.23

Vākpatirāja was succeeded by his son Vairisiṁha II. Padmagupta has only vague praise for this prince; but the Udaipur *praśasti* tells us that people called him by another name, Vajraṭasvāmin and that by him ‘famous Dhārā was indicated when he slew the crowd of his enemies with the sharp edge (*dhārā*) of his sword.’¹ Bühler understood by the last passage that smiting the foe with the edge (*dhārā*) of his sword the king indicated that Dhārā belonged to him.² This passage evidently shows that Dhārā and portions of Mālava continued to be in his possession for some time. The enemies whom he claims to have slain to prove his claim to Dhārā appear to have been the Gurjara-Pratīhāras of Kanauj, who, it may be presumed, had somewhat recovered from the blow inflicted by Indra III. Since we have referred the three predecessors of this prince to the period *c.* 840-920, we can approximately assign Vairisiṁha to *c.* 920-45 A. D. This makes him a contemporary of the Pratīhāra Mahendrapāla whose Partabgarh inscription is dated in 945-46 A. D.³ As this record shows that the Pratīharas had recovered possession of Mandu, Ujjain, and the region round Partabgarh and Mandasor⁴ we are led to conclude that Vairisiṁha in the latter part of his reign was driven out of Mālwa into Gujarat by the pressure of the Gurjara-Pratīhāras of Kanauj.