The Dynastic History of Northern India (Early Mediaeval Period) v2.c30.s5.11

v2.c30.s5.11

It is evident from this list that Pūrṇapāla traced his descent to one Utpalarāja. It is not improbable that this prince is identical with Vākpati II (*c.* 975-90 A.D.) of the Malwa branch, who had the additional name of Utpalarāja.¹ If this identification is accepted, we must suppose that Vākpati conquered the Abu country in the course of his campaigns against the Cāhamānas of Nadol and the Caulukyas of Anahilavad.² Āraṇyarāja, the son of Vākpati-Utpala, was therefore in all probability established as the first feudatory of his father in the Arbuda-*maṇḍala*. Āraṇyarāja was succeeded by his son Vāsudeva³ *alias* Abdhuta-Kṛṣṇarāja I. This Kṛṣṇarāja may be identical with the hero Kānhadadeva, whose name occurs as that of one of the Abu Paramāras in the Mt. Abu Vimala temple-inscription⁴ dated in V.S. 1378 (A.D. 1322). But it is more likely that the person meant in the Abu inscription was the prince Kṛṣṇarāja from whom Vākpati II traces his descent in his grants.⁵ The next name on the list is that of Mahīpāla, who was possibly his son, though it is difficult to be certain on the point on account of some damage to the inscription.⁶ Rai Bahadur Ojha and Dr. Bhandarkar place the name of Dharaṇīvarāha between Kṛṣṇarāja and Mahīpāla, and accept him as the son of the former and father of the latter.⁷ It is likely that Mahīpāla had another name, Devarāja.⁸ An unpublished grant of Mahīpāla is reported to bear the date V.S. 1059 (*c.* 1002 A.D.).⁹ Mahīpāla was succeeded by Dhandhuka. This prince is probably to be identified with the Abu Paramāra of that name mentioned in the Vimala temple-inscription referred to above. We are told in this record that Dhandhu-rāja, lord of the town of Candrāvatī, was born in the family of Paramāra Kāṇhaḍadeva. This Dhandhu, ‘averse from rendering homage to the (Caulukya) king Bhīma I (*c.* 1022-64 A.D.) and to escape from that king’s anger, took refuge with king Bhoja, the lord of Dhārā’¹ (*c.* 1010-55 A.D.). As the inscription after this statement abruptly introduces the Prāgvāṭa Vimala, the *Daṇḍapati* of Bhīma I at Arbuda, and refers to his building of a temple of Ṛṣabha (Yugādi-bhartṛ, Yugādi-jina, Ādi-nātha) on the top of the mountain in V.S. 1088 (*c.* 1031 A.D.)² it seems almost certain that Vimala became the Caulukya governor of this region after ousting the Paramāra Dhandhu, who was probably the feudatory of Bhoja. But the *Vasantgaḍ stone-inscription of Pūrṇapāla* shows that the Paramāras were not permanently ousted from the Abu region. This record was found in a tank at Vasantgaḍh, apparently situated to the east of Mt. Abu, in the Sirohi State of Rajputana. It contains 23 lines of writing, of which about 15 *akṣaras* have been lost at the commencement of lines 1-9. The inscription opens with two verses in which ‘the author pays homage to Maheśvara, Prācetasa (Vālmīki), and Vāṇī (the goddess of eloquence.)’ The 3rd verse invokes Hari (Viṣṇu). Then follows the genealogy of Pūrṇapāla, as shown above.³ Then we are told that Pūrṇapāla’s sister Lāhiṇī was married to one Vigraharāja. The genealogy of this person is given as follows:—