Page:Kalhana's Rajatarangini Vol 1.djvu/137

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Sec. v.]
THE FIBST LOHARA DYNASTY.
109

been intriguing in the latter's reign, made a brave attempt to oust Ananta, but was killed after reaching the capital[1]

During the early part of Ananta's reign (.v.D. 1028-1063) princes of the STihi family like Eudrapfila and Diddaprila, who had found a safe refuge in Ka.'^mlr, exercised great power in the land. Kalliaiia illustrates the position of these royal refugees by indicating the great subsidies paid to them." Rudrapiila had manied a daughter of Inducandra, ' lord of Jiilariidhara ', who is in all probability identical with the ludracaudra named in the genealogical liat of the Katuch Rjijiis of Kangra. Subsequently King Ananta was induced to marry SQryamati, a younger daughter of Inducandra.^ ^

A dangerous ilmg of Damaras under the leadership of the rebel commander- in-chief Tribhuvana wag successfully defeated after a bloody contest in which Ananta chsplayed gre,at personal bravery." Similarly the king, with the help of Rudrapala S'iilii, siicneeded in repelling an invasion of the Dard ruler Acalamangala and certain Mleeelia cliiefs allied with him.*' This victory is alluded to also by the poet Bilhana, Ananta's contemporary. He designates the ' Mlecchas,' who in all probability v/sro Muhanimadan tribesmen from the Indus Valley, rightly enough as ' S'akas.' >^

"When the S'alii princes had died, Ananta came more and more under the influence of his able queen Suryamati, also known by the name Subhata. Her piety found visible expi ession in numerous endowments and sacred buildings. Prominent among these was the shrine of Sadasiva, into the neighbourhood of which, on tlie left river-bank, the royal couple subsequently transferred their residence." The worthy example set by the queen, however, did not prevent Ananta from indulging in great extravagance, which again caused him to become heavily involved in debt With foreign traders. Of one of the latter, who for a time held the royal diadem and throne in pawn, Kalhana tells us incidentally the interesting fact that he acted also as the Kasmir agent to King Bhoja of Malava, so well known for his patronage of literature.-" The anecdote related by Kalhana of King Bhoja's special regard for the Kasmirian sacred spring of Kapatesvara, the water of which had to be supplied to him regularly in distant Malava, is probably based on historical fact. It shows that, notwithstanding the political isolation of Kasmir and the Muhammadan conquest of the regions to the south, regular intercourse and trade with the Hindu kingdoms of India proper must have continued. We find the same conclusion indicated also by other incidental references in the last two books -*

Prom these financial troubles the king was freed only when Queen Sūryamatī assumed full charge of the royal affairs. Haladhara, a servant of humble origin, who by her favour rose to be prime minister, proved a strong administrator, and secured for a time prosperity and peace for the land.[2] Ananta's expeditions abroad. King Ananta seems to have attempted to utilize these favourable conditions in order to assert Kaśmir

Ananta
(A.D. 1082-83) Predominance of Queen Suryumnti.


  • r14 vii. 144 sqq.
  • r15 See note vii. 155 sqq.
  • r16 vii. 154 sqq.

&r17 vii. 167 sqq.

  • r18 See Vikram. xviii. 34.
  • r19 Regarding the position of the royal

palace after this transfer, compare note vii. 186-187.

  • r20 See vii. 190-193 and note.
  • r21 Compare the references to pilgrimage tours abroad, vii. 485, 897, 1007 sq., vii. 1600, 1626, 2214 ; also Mafikha's mention of foreign ambassadors at the Kasmir court, beIov§ 114.
  1. ↑ vii, 139 sqq,
  2. ↑ vii. 908 sqq.
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