The Dynastic History of Northern India (Early Mediaeval Period) v2.c31.195

v2.c31.195

Maḥmūd's invasion had no permanent effect on the history of Gujarat.³ The Mundaka and Radhanpur grants show that Bhīma was in safe possession of his capital Anhilvada. He had at least 3 queens, *viz.*, Udayamatī, Cakulādevi,⁴ and another. By the first he had a son named Karṇa, while the second, who was probably of low origin, was the the mother of Kṣemarāja.⁵ He had another son named Mūlarāja. Of these Karṇa appears to have been the youngest. According to the *Prabandha-cintāmaṇi* Mūlarāja died in the lifetime of his father and the latter built a ‘temple called Tripuruṣaprāsāda, for the welfare of the prince.’¹ According to the *Dvyāśraya*, the throne was then offered to Kṣemarāja. But the latter refused to accept it, and induced his father to crown Karṇa. After Bhīma’s death, Kṣemarāja retired to Muṇḍīkeśvara, near the village of Dahīsthala (or Dadhisthala), on the banks of the Sarasvatī, to perform penances. This village of Dahīsthala was granted ‘to *Kumāra* Devaprasāda that he might attend upon his father Kṣemarāja in his penances there.’² It is extremely doubtful whether Karṇa’s succession to the throne was really effected in this peaceful way. The sudden death of Mūlarāja, and the strange tendency of the young prince Kṣemarāja for penances may have been due to more forcible reasons. According to the *Prabandha-cintāmaṇi* the coronation of Karṇa took place in V.S. 1120 (*c.* 1064 A.D.) in the month of Caitra, and he ruled till the year 1150 V.S. (*c.* 1094 A.D.) covering a period of 29 years 8 months and 21 days.³ The *Therāvalī* of Merutuṅga assigns him 30 years, from V.S. 1120 to 1150.⁴ Abu’l-Faz̤l and ‘Alī Muḥammad Khān assign to him a reign of 31 years.⁵ As there is an approximate agreement amongst all these authorities, we may accept the detailed statement of Merutuṅga and place Karṇa in the period *c.* 1164-94 A.D. His long reign of 30 years appears to have been comparatively uneventful. The only inscription so far discovered for it is his *Sunak grant*. This was discovered at Sunak, ‘a village 15 miles east-south-east from Pattan, N. Gujarat, and about 5 miles west of Uñjha railway station.’ It contains 23 lines, incised on two plates. The inscription opens with the date V.S. 1148 (A.D. 1091), and records that *M.-Trailokyamalla-Karṇadeva* from Aṇahilapāṭaka, after worshipping (Śiva), the lord of Bhavānī on the occasion of a lunar eclipse, granted four ploughs of land requiring 12 *pāilām*¹ of seed corn in Laghu-Ḍābhī,² situated in ‘a division of 126 villages the chief of which was Ānandapura.’³ From the income of this grant a tank which the Rasovika (?) *Ṭhakkura* Mahādeva caused to be constructed in the village of Sūnaka⁴ was to be maintained. The grant was written by *Akṣapaṭalika* Kekkaka, son of the *Kāyastha* Vaṭeśvara. The *Dūtaka* was *Mahāsandhivigrahika* Cāhila.⁵