The Dynastic History of Northern India (Early Mediaeval Period) v2.c31.449

v2.c31.449

If Fleet is right in his suggestion that the date V. S. 1231 of the second inscription is a mistake for V. S. 1232 the two records show that Ajayapāla reigned at least for 3 years (V. S. 1229-32). Merutuṅga's *Therāvalī* tells us that he reigned for 3 years and two months, from V.S. 1229, *Pauṣa*, to 1232, *Phālguna*.¹ The *Prabandha-cintāmaṇi* of the same author states that he ‘ruled for 3 years beginning from V.S. 1230.’² As the *A'īn-i-Akbarī*³ and the *Mirāt-i-Aḥmadī* also assign him 3 years, we may conclude that his reign period did not exceed that limit by any appreciable margin. The Jain chroniclers do not record any achievements of this reign. The author of the *Sukṛta-saṃkīrtana* however notes that the king of Sapādalakṣa sent Ajayapāla a silver pavilion ‘as a feudatory’s gift.’⁴ This seems to be confirmed by the Kadi grant of Bhīma II (V.S. 1263), which gives Ajayapāla the epithet *Karadīkṛta-Sapādalakṣa-Kṣamāpāla*.⁵ If there is any truth in this statement, this Cāhamāna ruler must be identified with Someśvara, for whom we have dates ranging from *c.* 1170 to 1177 A.D.⁶ There is some evidence to show that Ajayapāla was engaged in war with the rising Guhilas of Rajputana. From an Abu inscription dated in V.S. 1287 we learn that the Abu Paramāra Prahlādana defended the illustrious Gurjara king when his power had been broken on the battle-field by Sāmantasiṃha.⁷ Lüders suggested the identification of the latter prince with the Guhila Sāmanta-siṃha, whose name is mentioned in two inscriptions of Mt. Abu. He referred him to *c.* 1200 A.D.⁸ But two inscriptions of the Guhila prince, recently discovered, are dated in V.S. 1228 (*c.* 1171 A.D.) and 1236 (*c.* 1179 A.D.).⁹ These make him a contemporary of Ajayapāla; and as the two immediate successors of Ajayapāla were minors when they ascended the throne, the conflict may have taken place during his reign.¹