History of Kanauj to the Moslem Conquest c11.148

c11.148

At this point we may be called upon to explain how he could commence an era, when his master was alive in *Saṃvat* 39. It would appear that Śivadeva was only the nominal ruler, whereas the real power was vested in Amśuvarman, who is referred to in inscription No. 5 of Śivadeva as one "who has destroyed the power of all (my) enemies by his heroic majesty" ........ and "whose brilliant fame, gained by the trouble of properly protecting the subjects, pervades the universe."¹ Besides, inscriptions Nos. 6 to 8 of Amśuvarman do not mention any superior lord; and as he himself assumed sovereign powers (for example, appointing Udayadeva as his chief executive officer) we may infer that he had become powerful and independent even during his master's lifetime. That he called himself "*Mahāsāmanta*" was probably due to habit or out of respect for his old lord alive in *Saṃvat* 39. We may recall in this connection the case of Puṣyamitra, who calls himself "*Senāpati*" even becoming king² or of Rudradāman mentioned as a mere "*Mahākṣatrapa*" after the assumption of sovereign status.³ The subordinate titles are dropped in Amśuvarman's inscription of the year 45,¹ and in that of Jiṣṇugupta of *Saṃvat* 48, in which he is referred to as “Bhaṭṭāraka Mahārājādhirāja Śri Amśuvarmapādaḥ.”² There is thus nothing to militate against the view propounded above that the inscriptions are dated in an independent era.