History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v2.c29.15

v2.c29.15

The several inscriptions yet known relating to this line, however, are very difficult to reconcile one with another, regarding the names of the successors of Bappā step by step and the matter is further complicated by the finding of a fresh copy of the Ātapurā inscription which was before Tod also. In this new copy certain names appear which are not in Tod’s copy and the number of kings down to Samarasinha the reputed contemporary of Prithvīrāja with whom our history will end about the beginning of the 13th century A. D. is about 30 which gives approximately ((1200-740)/30 = 460/30) 15 years per reign, not an improbable figure. If we, however, take the number of kings as given by the new copy of the Ātapurā inscription we have from Bappā (or Guhila) to Śaktikumāra whose inscription of V. S. 1034 or A. D. 977 has been found, 20 kings excluding Bappā and this gives ((977-763)/20 = 214/20) 11 years which is rather improbable. But looking to the fact that during the period with which our second volume is concerned, the Mewad kings were constantly fighting with the Mahomedans who harassed them from their base in Sind, we need not wonder at this shortness of the average reign. For example, we find four kings mentioned from 1008 to 1034 V. E. or a period of 26 years only viz., Allaṭa, Naravāhana, Śalivāhana and Śaktikumāra. Or it may be possible that this Ātapurā inscription brings together contemporaneous kings of different branches of the Guhila tree, as was done by Tod himself, for we are already told that this family had many branches (vide the Chitoregad inscription*). We are, therefore, not yet certain about the successors of Bappā during the second sub-period of Mediæval Hindu Indian history, (The two kings Śila and Aparājita whose inscriptions of the 7th century A. D. have been found must be considered to be Bappā’s ancestors and if these names recur in the Ātapurā new copy they are descendants having the same names). But we will give here the most important of these kings, mainly following the Chitoregad and Achaleśvara inscriptions for details.