History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v1.c14.s5.17

v1.c14.s5.17

Now European Scholars impelled by a strange bias have tried latterly to show that the Valabhi kings belonged to the Gujar race and were therefore foreigners who are alleged to have come with the Huns in about 500 A. D. and founded this kingdon on the ruins of the Gupta empire. But there are no grounds whatever for this strange opinion. The Valabhi grants usually begin with the words* quoted below which show that Valabhi kings were descended from one Batārka of the Maitraka family. Now what is meant by the word Maitraka? Western scholars seem to say that Mitra is the sun and therefore is equivalent of Mihira and therefore Maitrakas were Mihirás !!! A strange theory indeed. The simple explanation is that Maitraka was the name of the family like Maukhari, Chalukya etc. and that it must be left untranslated, and no conjectures should be hazarded about its meaning. But if any are to be made, why not say that Maitraka means Mitra-born or solar? It would be best, however, to leave these scholars to their biassed opinions and to explain our theory. The Valabhi kings were certainly known to be the best Kshatriyas in Harsha's time i. e. about 620 A. D. Hiuen Tsang calls him straightly so while he distinctly declares that Harsha was a Vaiśya. That he was of the best family of Kshatriyas may be believed in from the fact that Harsha gave him his only daughter in marriage. We have already seen that Kshatriyas in those days married Vaiśya girls especially if they were daughters of kings. It must have been an ambition with Vaiśya kings to give their daughters to the best Kshatriya princes in marriage. We have seen how Rājyaśrī, Harsha's sister, was for this reason given to Grahavarman Maukari of Kanauj. We have already quoted Bāṇa's words in this connection‡ "Wise men look for noble descent only in the bride-groom among his other qualifications." We may, therefore, well believe that Harsha gave his daughter to Dhruvasena because in his days (in the 7th century) Valabhi kings were looked upon as best Kshatriyas. It seems also perfectly certain that kingly families in the days of Harsha sought to assign themselves to the ancient solar or lunar races