History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v3.c34.s8.8

v3.c34.s8.8

Jayasinha is believed to have died about 1040 and he was succeeded by his son Someśvara who was certainly a far greater monarch than any of his predecessors. His power is thus described in the Yevur grant. "The king of Malwa is anxious to find out a Mandala (territory) for refuge. The king of the Cholas betakes himself to the forest of palm trees on the seacoast. The king of Kānyakubja hides himself in a valley of the mountain (Himalaya) his mind being restless from fear of Someśvara's power." The king of Malwa may be Bhoja himself as his successor was assisted by Someśvara and the Kānyakubja king must be the effete representative of the Pratihāras vanquished by Mahmud while the Chola king may be Rājendra himself. We have got a graphic account of these events in the Vikramānkadevacharita of Bilhana, court-poet of his son Vikramāditya, which may be treated almost as a contemporary record though poetical. Therein Someśvara is represented as defeating Bhoja and occupying Dhārā, Bhoja wandering to find a place for refuge. He is also shown to have defeated Karṇa of Chedi and even killed him in battle (Vik. I verse 102-03). But this does not seem to be true. He may have extended his conquering expedition into the north as far as Kanauj and the Kanauj Pratihāra king, as in the days of Mahmud, may have fled from his capital and taken refuge in the Himalayas. Though the Yevur plate does not refer to the death of the Chola king it is said that in the battle of Koppam fought with Rājendra Chola in 1030 A. D. the latter was killed. The Yevur plate should have referred to this event but it merely states that the Chola king fled to the sea-coast. As this record was made in the days of Vikramānka, it seems strange that it does not refer to the important battle at Koppam on the Tungabhadrā wherein Rājendra was killed.