History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v2.c29.s1.67

v2.c29.s1.67

990 A.D. He is mentioned as overlord by a subordinate chief Mathanadeva in the Rajaur inscription (Ep. Ind. III p. 266). We have already commented on the word Gurjara Pratihāra occurring in this inscriptuion as the clan to which Mathanadeva belonged. The empire of Kanauj declined still more in the time of Vijayapāla. Gujarat (modern) was now independent under Mūlarāja Solankhi. The Paramāra kingdom of Malwa was also fully independent as we shall show elsewhere, Munja its greatest king being contemporary of Vijiayapāla. The kingdom of Jajhoti with the Chandellas was also powerful and independent and had apparently taken possession of the Gwalior territory, the actual feudatory there being Vajradāmana a Kachhawāha chief (A.D. 977, also mentioned in an inscription dated 1083 A.D. Ind. Ant. XV p. 35). Very little information is available about the reign of this king. Possibly he may have been present at the battle which was fought by Jaipāla of the Panjab against Sabaktegin in 990 A.D. The confederacy of kings called by Jaipāl included Kanauj. Vijayapāl was succeeded by Rājyapāla who is assigned a reign by Smith from 990 to 1020 A.D. As the fall of the empire of Kanauj took place during his reign owing to the conquest and occupation of Kanauj by Mahmud of Ghazni, we shall have to come to him again in our third volume.