History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v3.c41.s9.4

v3.c41.s9.4

It may be noted that the kings of Northern India were tolerant and there are no instances of Śaiva kings persecuting Vaishṇavas and Hindu kings persecuting Buddhists or Jains or vice-versa. Indeed they were so tolerant that they also extended their liberality to the opposite faith. Thus Govindachandra a Parama Śaiva made a grant of 6 villages to two Buddhist saints for the maintenance of Bhikshus in a Vihāra in Jetavana (E. I. XI p. 22). On the other hand, we find the Buddhist king Madanapāla granting a village to a Brahmin for reading the Mahābhārata to his queen who appears to have been a Hindu. Indeed it may be remarked that in Northern India Saivites married Vaishṇava ladies and Buddhists married Hindu ladies. One of the queens of Govindachandra, a Parama Maheśvara, was a Buddhist princess. Jains and Hindus also intermarried and intermarry even now in Northern India. The Gāhadavāla kings from their inscriptions appear to have been very tolerant; for in the religious ceremony performed by them at the time of making gifts of land they, though Maheśvaras, worshipped both Śiva and Vishṇu while other kings are described as worshipping either Śiva or Vishṇu only.