History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v1.c14.s1.5

v1.c14.s1.5

We, however, obtain some information of the Brahmin dynasty which supplanted the Kshatriya dynasty of Hiuen Tsang from Alberuni, information which being near his time is more reliable. The supplanting of an effete declining dynanty by a Brahmin minister is an ordinary event in Indian history (we have the example of Chacha of Sind and others), and the taking of Kabul by Yakub Saffavi about A. D. 878 must have assisted this event as stated above. Alberuni mentions six kings as noted in the margin, and their dates may be taken approximately as in the margin, at the average rate of 20 years for each king. Now we have the mention of three of these kings in Kashmir history with definite dates. These practically tally with their probable dates here given. First going backwards Saṅgrāmarāja assisted Trilochanapāla in his last struggle with Mahmud. This Saṅgrāma died in 1828. Secondly, Bhīmapāla's grand-daughter the notorious Diddā was married to Kshemagupta and Bhīma himself erected a temple in Kashmir to commemorate his name. Kshemagupta died in 958 A. D. Bhīma can certainly be his contemporary. Thirdly and lastly, Śaṅkaravarman is said to have conquered Lalliya Shahi king. This Śaṅkaravarman came to the throne of Kashmir in 885 A. D. and died in 902. His conquest of Lalliya was about the beginning of his reign. From the above Lalliya may be taken to have seized the kingdom of Kabul in 880 A. D. Śaṅkaravarman very soon after this must have uprooted him. The verses in the Taraṅgiṇī are here somewhat obscure and I take them differently from Stein's Trans. (V. 15-5). It seems to me that Lalliya took refuge with Ālakhāna king of the Gurjaras of the Panjab. And Kashmir retained possession of Kabul for some time. It was restored after Śaṅkaravarman's death by Prabhākaradeva minister of Śaṅkara's widow, Sugandhā, to Toramāṇa son of Lalliya. This happened after Lalliya's death which equally with that of Śaṅkara took place about 902 A.D. Alberuni gives the second king as Sāmanta. Now this word Sāmanta indicates that he was more a subordinate than independent king and as we have shown elsewhere Kabul remained subordinate to Kashmir for some time. The Kabul Aryans however in ancient as in modern times were greatly addicted to independence, for even the Arab historians say that "the people loved their own king and recognised none who was not crowned in Kabul." The people therefore rebelled after Śaṅkaravarman's death during his son's minority and the minister Prabhākaradeva went and conquered them but like the English in later Kabul history thought it prudent to give the kingdom back to Toramāṇa son of Lalliya. From the Rājatarangiṇī ślokas it appears that this king was given another name Kamaluka (see the verse already quoted). Thus we have every corroboration of Alberuni from Kalhaṇa and the first three Brahmin kings were 1 Lalliya 2 Sāmanta (some relative of Lalliya) and 3 Kamaluka (originally called Toramāṇa). Coins of all the three have also been found as shown in the body of the look.