History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v3.c35.s21: 7 Vallāpur (Balor) or Basohli

v3.c35.s21.1

This was another hill state subordinate to Kashmir the Raja of which was among those who attended on king Kalaśa in 1089 A. D. as stated above. The history of this family down to the present day is given by Hutchinson and Vogel in J. Panjab H. S. Vol. II. (pp. 77-98) and we give the following few facts from this interesting article relating to our period. The family claimed to be descended from the Pāndavas and they believe that they came from Allahabad to Almora from there to Hardwar and from there into the hills via Suket. This tradition may be accepted as descendants of the Pāndavas last ruled at Kauśāmbi and their greatest king in historic times was Udayana well-known from the Kathāsaritsāgara who with his minister Yaugandharāyaṇa ruled in Kauśāmbi. The Rajas are therefore Chhandrabansi; their gotra has not been ascertained; though the main branch is now extinct, there are many collateral descendants known as Baloria Rajputs. The kingdom was founded by one Bhogapāla long before 900 A. D. and the ancient capital was Vallāpura or Balor. The names of the kings usually end in pāla. Trailokyapāla ruled in the first half of the 11th century and his son was Tunga and grandson Kalaśa. This king is mentioned in the Rājatarangiṇī as visiting Kashmir to attend on Kalaśa the Kashmir king, Padmaka and his son Ānanda are other names of Vallāpur kings mentioned in the Tarangiṇī but they are not found in the Vamśāvali of Baloria kings. They assisted Bikshāchāra, grandson of Harsha, to regain the throne of Kashmir seized by Uchchala and Sussala, being his relatives. But they failed and eventually went over to the latter. Jayasinha is said to have deposed another king of Balor; but apparently the later kings became independent. Their names down to 1200 A. D. need not be given as we know nothing about them beyond their names.