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The Indian Analyst
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North Indian Inscriptions |
INSCRIPTIONS OF THE CHANDELLAS OF JEJAKABHUKTI ruler Kīrtivarman, who was born in it, and adds that he was an Agastya in swallowing the ocean who was Karṇa and also Brahmā in creating the kingdom anew. We have seen above how Kīrtivarman succeeded in subduing the Kalachuri King Karṇa or Lakshmīkarṇa, who was then bent on wiping out the Chandēlla kingdom, and after vanquishing him, stabilized the kingdom on firm grounds.1 Kīrtivarman’s son was Sallakshaṇavarman, “whose sword took away the fortune of the Mālavas and the Chēdis” (v. 4). This king is presumed to have occupied the Chandēlla throne from about 1100 to 1110 A.C. ;2 and his contemporary on the throne of Mālwā should be taken to be only Naravarman who was incessantly busy with the overwhelming Chaulukyas of Gujarāt. We have seen that during the time of Kīrtivarman the Chandēllas were well settled in the Bētwā region ;3 and from there Sallakshaṇavarman may have carried on a sweeping raid on some of the adjoining provinces which then formed the Paramāra territories. As for his success against the Chēdis, his contemporary on the Kalachuri throne was Yaśaḥkarṇa (1073-1125 A.C.), who had suffered a defeat at the hands of Naravarman’s elder brother Lakshmadēva (circa 1086-1904 A.C.), as attested to by the Nagpur Museum stone inscription of Naravarman himself.4 We have, no evidence, however, to conclude that the success of Sallakshaṇavarman against both these powers was more than a sweeping raid which did not result in any territorial gain.
The praśasti proceed to state that Sallakshaṇavarman was succeeded by Jayavarman (v. 4), and he by Pŗithvīvarman who resembled Pŗithu the well-known legendary king, who was, again succeeded by Madanavarman, who was constantly wrankling in the minds of his enemies (v. 5). Madanavarman’s successor was Paramardin (v. 6), and the latter king was succeeded by Trailōkyavarman (v. 7). The relationship that each of these kings bore to his predecessor is not explicitly stated in the present inscription, but it is known from the other records of the house. Trailōkyavarman is again mentioned here as Vishṇu who lifted up the earth immersed in the ocean formed by the streams of the Turushkas ; and this is a reference to his temporarily recovering the Chandēlla kingdom from the Muslim invaders who had captured the fort of Kālañjara, as we have already seen above.5 Trailōkyavarman’s son and successor was Vīravarman who is conventionally eulogised in vv. 8-9. Here ends the first part of the inscription, giving the account of the members of the royal house. The second part which begins with v. 10, describes the descent of Vīravarman’s chief queen Kalyāṇadēvī. The first personage spoken of here was Chādala who belonged to the race of Dadhīchi and who was a Kshatriya (bhuja-janma), and his son was Śrīpāla (v. 10). The latter’s son was Mahēśvara who was revered even by crown-princes (v. 11). This person married Vēsaladēvī, the daughter of Gōvindarāja, and from this union was born Kalyāṇadēvī, who was the chief queen of Vīravarman (vv. 12-13). None of these names can be identified for want of evidence. The next three stanzas are devoted to eulogizing Kalyāṇadēvī in a conventional way. Reverting to the main purpose of the inscription, here we are told in the usual way, that perceiving the fickleness of life, fortune and charms of youth and also that the creeper of good fame alone grows, Kalyāṇadēvī made this never-failing well (where the inscribed was found), and made the other provisions as seen above.6 There is only one place-name mentioned here, viz., Nandīpura, which, as suggested by Kielhorn, may have been identical with Ajayagaḍh itself. But this name of the place is not found in any of the inscriptions of the house whereas Ajayagaḍh is often mentioned as Jayapura in them.7 ________________ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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