History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v3.c33.s4.32

v3.c33.s4.32

Though thus the account of Rājyapāla being killed is true, it seems to us that Nizamuddin is wrong in placing this event before the expedition of Mahmud against Rai Jaipal (Rājyapāla) and the battle of the Rahib described above and in misstating that the eight men who crossed the deep stream of the Rahib crossed the Jumna where further Puru Jaipal opposed Mahmud. Again, Nizamuddin states that the eight men advanced on Bari which is mentioned by no other writer (Elliot II p. 464). The advance and capture of Bāri must be correct as we know from Al-Beruni that Rājyapāla had made it his residence. It must have been after the battle on the Rahib that Rājyapāla must have submitted and consented to the payment of a tribute. It was after this that Rājyapāla must have been attacked by the Hindu confederacy led by the Chandella king and Mahmud on hearing of this must have thought it necessary to chastise both the Chandella and the Gwalior kings. Lastly Nizamuddin twice leads Mahmud against the Chandella king once after the capture of Bari and again in what Elliot calls the fifteenth expedition viz. that against Gwalior and Kalanjar on the authority of the same author. Utbi does not mention that Mahmud went against Chandrarai after the battle of the Rahib, for at that time Rājyapāla had not yet been killed. It seems probable that Chandrarai was only once attacked and not twice.