History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v1.c14.s1.41

v1.c14.s1.41

Sugandhā widowed queen carried on government during the minority of his son Gopālavarman. He died a minor and so too his brother Sankata. The dowager queen now herself ruled with the help of soldiers called Tantris who held somewhat the same position at Śrinagar as the Janizaries did at Constantinople or the Prætorian Guards at Rome or the Turks at Baghdad or the Marāthas at Delhi. A ten year old prince of a collateral branch was placed on the throne. The exactions of the Tantris were unparalleled. In 93 there was a terrible famine (3993 - 3075 = 918 A. D.) and the Hundikā or tribute of the Tantris had to be made up by the ministers by selling young people. "Thus" observes the poet, "the people protected by prosperous kings like Tujjina and Chandrāpida were led to destruction by these demons of ministers." The Tantris now raised another scion of the family name Chakravarman and the government went from bad to worse owing to the corruption of ministers and the oppression of the Tantris. Chakravarman, however, proved a capable king. In order to get rid of the Tantris he once sought the help of one Sangrāma Dāmara. The Dāmaras were a warlike aboriginal people inhabiting the country and cultivating the land. The Dāmara said that if Chakravarman could assert himself the Tantris were of no account. Accordingly Chakravarman rose against the Tantris, and with the help of the Dāmaras killed or drove them away.