History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v3.c35.s18.1

v3.c35.s18.1

We have already given in Vol. I a short account of the Chambā state which comes before us proceeding south-east from Kashmir. It was subordinate generally to Kashmir. This kingly line was founded about 620 A. D. by Ādivarman of the solar race (Vol. I p. 378), as Cunningham calculated. But later information from inscriptions on stone and copper read by Dr. Vogel and published in Archaeological Survey Report, New Imp. Series Vol. XXXVI part I (1911) and summarised by Dr. Hutchinson in J. Panjab H. S. Vol. II (pp. 75-80) shows that the state was founded by one Meruvarman of the solar race from Kalāpa town in the Gangetic valley about 700 A. D. The territory of the state gradually extended in the Rāvi valley the capital being Brahmapura or Brahmor. One of his descendants Sāhilavarman (a household name in the state) founded the present capital Champā. His son Yugākaravarman recorded two copper-plate grants which are the oldest yet found. There are no dates given in Champā records except regnal years before A. D. 1330 when first the Śāstra or Kaliyuga era or the Vikrama era figure is given and these are recorded in Gupta characters generally and later on in Śāradā and next Nāgari characters. On palæographic grounds these two records may be placed in the 10th century A. D. From Rājatarangiṇī we know that Ananta (1028-1039) invaded Champā and conquered Sālavarman. Āsaṭavarman visited Kashmir in the days of Kalaśa in 1087 A. D. his sister Bappikā being Kalaśa's queen. Their son was the unfortunate Harsha and Āsaṭa assisted him and his son Bhoja and Āsaṭa's son Jāsata assisted without avail Bhikshāchāra son of Bhoja in 1103 A. D. Jāsata's successor Udayavarman, however, assisted Sussala in 1121 A. D. as Sussala had married two Chambā princesses. The civil war in Kashmir probably made Chambā independent (p. 79).