History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v3.c34.s8.4

v3.c34.s8.4

Tailapa ruled for 24 years from 973 to 997. A. D. His wars with Munja have been related in Volume II and he is said to have finally killed Munja ignominiously. We have already expressed a doubt about this story of Gujarat story-tellers; and Munja probably died on the battle-field. But the Yevur inscription and the Miraj plates refer, in our view, to the imprisoning of a great poet-king. As the Miraj record is dated 1024 A. D. and is very near the event, it may be believed that Munja was mprisoned after being made captive in war, though we may still disbelieve his being kept in a cage or made to beg from door to door and finally beheaded. This is too cruel for any Indian king and there is no hint of this in this record. (We understand the verses here differently from the way in which they are taken in the translation in I. A. XIII p. 17). When it is further stated that he conquered a king of Huṇas and kings of Marwad, Chedi and Utkala, it is probably an exaggeration. But there is nothing improbable in it if we remember that Tailapa was now the master of the whole power of the Rāshṭrakūṭas who in their palmy days had carried their arms as far north as Kanauj. There is not the least doubt that his general Bhārapa held Lāṭa and opposed and fought with Mūlarāja Solankhi who about the same time founded the northern Chālukya kingly power at Patan.