History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v3.c34.s6.33.3

v3.c34.s6.33.3

This may be an absurdity like the other absurdities recorded by the Tabakat; but it is at least historically correct to say that Lakshmaṇasena was born in 1119 A. D. after the death of his father. And it is natural that he should have dated the era founded by him from his birth which was also the date of his coming to the throne. But a doubt arises when one takes into consideration the fact that Lakshmaṇasena makes a grant in the 7th year of his reign in which he calls himself Parama Vaiṣṇava (J. R. A. S. Bengal XLIV part. 1 p. 7). It may easily be supposed that as he reigned from birth, he might make a grant when a child of seven through his regent. But it cannot be explained how he could then be a Parama Vaiṣṇava as his father and grandfather appear to be Śaivas. The whole question must, we fear, remain unsolved owing to the absence of any Vikrama or Śaka date in the grants of almost all the Sena kings, as indeed of the Pāla kings, and the grants only give regnal year figures for the donor kings. The chronology of these kings can, therefore, be given only conjecturally in a double set and we give two series of dates as proposed by Sir V. Smith and by Mr. R. D. Bannerji. Some also have suggested that there were two Lakshmaṇasenas. But following the Mahomedan tradition we will take it that there was only one Lakshmaṇasena and that he died in 1199 A. D. when he was 80 years old.