History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v1.c14.s4.2

v1.c14.s4.2

But we have followed Kalhaṇa's dates and not these in our summary of Kashmir history given here. For the dates of Kalhaṇa are supported by the Chacha-nāma wherein the conquests of Lalitāditya are dated before the Mahomedan conquest of Sind in 712 A. D. as we have stated here. We may, therefore, accept Kalhaṇa supported by the foreign Arabs as against the Chinese who were always impressed by their own greatness. They even represent Lalitāditya to be a subordinate king of the Chinese emperors which is absurd. The difficulties pointed out above are not insuperable. Durlabhaka was the name of the first king's son and successor and the Chinese dates 636 to 649 may refer to his reign. Chandrāpīda and Muktāpīda may have been moved 25 years later by Chinese historians to suit their history; and lastly Ratnākara may have written his poem Haravijaya in his youth under Bṛhaspati alias Chippata Jayāpīda in 813 A.D. and yet may have been a court-poet of Avantivarman in 855. This instance of an active life of 50 years is not at all strange nor is a life of 80 or 90 years in Kashmir an absurdity. Ratnākara may be 30 years old in 813 and 70 or 80 years old in 855-60 under Avantivarman.