Product Code Database
Rājataraṅgiṇī (Sanskrit: Devanagari, IAST: rājataraṅgiṇī,
| Contemporary of Yudhishthira, a relative of Magadha's ruler Jarasandha (Jarasindhu) (I.59). He was killed by Balarama, the elder brother of Krishna. |
| Killed in a battle by Krishna. |
| Wife of Damodara. She was pregnant at the time of her husband's death, and Krishna helped her ascend the throne. |
| Son of Yashovati and Damodara. Ruled as a minor over Kashmir, during the Kurukshetra War. Killed by Parikshit. |
| A manuscript titled Ratnakar Purana supposedly contained these names, and was translated into Persian by the orders of the later Muslim ruler Zain-ul-Abidin. The purported original manuscript as well as its translation are now lost. A Muslim historian named Hassan is said to have obtained a copy of the translation, and the later Muslim historians provided a fabricated list of 35 names ending in -Khan.Some sources claim that after Gonanda II was killed, Parikshit handed over Kashmir to his second son Harnadeva. This gave rise to the Pandava of Kashmir. Harnadeva lost a succession war against Janamejaya, and so he remained the King of Kashmir. The last ruler was Bhagavanta, who was defeated by Lava in 1752 BCE. |
| A descendant of Gonanda I, who belonged to the Naga Dynasty and defeated King Bhagavanta of the Pandava Dynasty of Kashmir in 1752 BCE. He laid the foundation of Kashmira Naga Dynasty, a sub-division of the Gonanda Dynasty (I). He established a city named Lolora (Lolab) in Kashmir. According to the Rajatarangini, there were 84 lakh stone-walled houses in it. |
| Son of Lava |
| Son of Kushyendra |
| Son of Khagendra. Surendra was the first Buddhist king of Kashmir who established the Buddhist culture of Saman culture in Kashmir. |
| Belonged to a different family from Lava's dynasty (I.95) |
| Known for constructing a canal named Suvarnamani |
| Unsuccessfully invaded Persia |
| Died childless |
| Great-grandson of Shakuni and son of Shachinara's first cousin. Built a great city called Srinagara (near but not same as the modern-day Srinagar). In his days, the mlechchhas (foreigners) overran the country, and he took sannyasa. According to Kalhana's account, this Ashoka would have ruled in the 2nd millennium BCE, and was a member of the dynasty founded by Godhara. Kalhana also states that this king had adopted the doctrine of Jina, constructed and Shiva temples, and appeased Bhutesha (Shiva) to obtain his son Jalauka. Despite the discrepancies, multiple scholars identify Kalhana's Ashoka with the Maurya Empire emperor Ashoka, who adopted Buddhism. Although "Jina" is a term generally associated with Jainism, some ancient sources use it to refer to the Gautama Buddha. |
| A staunch Shaivite, who constructed several Shiva temples. He rid the country from the mlechchhas (foreigners, possibly Greco-Bactrians). |
| Devout Shaivite. Built a new city called Damodarasuda, and a dam called Guddasetu. |
| Buddhist kings of Turashka origin (according to Kalhana). The third king is identified with Kanishka of the Kushan Empire. |
| A Shaivite during whose reigns Buddhists also flourished. Because of the rising Buddhist influence, people stopped following the Shaivite Nāga rites prescribed in the holy text Nilamata Purana. This angered the Nāgas, who heavily persecuted the Buddhists. To avoid this disorder, the king retired. A Brahmin named Chandradeva restored Shaivite rites by worshipping Shiva. |
| Gonanda III founded a new dynasty. (I.191) He belonged to Rama's lineage, and restored the Nāga rites |
| A Shivalinga attributed to Ravana could still be seen at the time of Kalhana. |
| His queen eloped with a Buddhist monk, so he destroyed the Buddhist monasteries and gave their land to the Brahmins. He tried to abduct a Nāga woman, who was the wife of a Brahmin. Because of this, the Nāga chief burnt down the king's city, and the king died in the fire. |
| Siddha, the son of Nara, was saved from Nāga's fury, because he was away from the capital at the time. He was a religious king, and followed a near-ascetic lifestyle. |
| Son of Siddha |
| Son of Utpalaksha |
| Son of Hiranyaksha |
| Son of Hiranyakula. During his reign, the Mlechchhas (possibly Huna people) overran Kashmir. |
| According to historical evidence, Mihirakula's predecessor was Toramana. Kalhana mentions a king called Toramana, but places him much later, in Book 3. According to Kalhana, Mihirakula was a cruel ruler who ordered killings of a large number of people, including children, women and elders. He invaded the Sinhala Kingdom, and replaced their king with a cruel man. As he passed through Chola kingdom, Karnata and other kingdoms on his way back to Kashmir, the rulers of these kingdoms fled their capitals and returned only after he had gone away. On his return to Kashmir, he ordered killings of 100 elephants, who had been startled by the cries of a fallen elephant. Once, Mihirakula dreamt that a particular stone could be moved only by a chaste woman. He put this to test: the women who were unable to move the stone were killed, along with their husbands, sons and brothers. He was supported by some immoral Brahmins. In his old age, the king committed self-immolation. |
| A virtuous king, he was seduced and killed by a woman named Vatta, along with several of his sons and grandsons. |
| The only surviving child of Vaka |
| "Originator of the science of love" |
| Son of Vasunanda |
| Son of Nara II |
| Son of Aksha. Gave lands to Brahmins. Expelled several irreligious Brahmins who used to eat garlic (non-Sattvic diet); in their place, he brought others from foreign countries. |
| Son of Gopaditya |
| Son of Gokarna |
| Called "the blind" because of his small eyes. In later years of his reign, he started patronizing unwise persons, and the wise courtiers deserted him. He was deposed by rebellious ministers, and granted asylum by a neighboring king. His descendant Meghavahana later restored the dynasty's rule. |
| Pratapaditya was a relative of a distant king named Vikrmaditya (II.6). This Vikramaditya is not same as the Vikramaditya of Ujjain, who is mentioned later as a patron of Matrigupta. |
| Son of Pratapaditya |
| Shared the administration with his queen. The couple sheltered their citizens in the royal palace during a severe famine resulting from heavy frost. After his death, the queen committed sati. The couple died childless. |
| From a different dynasty than Tungjina. |
| Son of Vijaya: his "long arms reached to his knees". His flatters instigated him against his minister Sandhimati. The minister was persecuted, and ultimately imprisoned because of rumors that he would succeed the king. Sandhimati remained in prison for 10 years. In his old age, the childless king ordered killing of Sandhimati to prevent any chance of him becoming a king. He died after hearing about the false news of Sandhimati's death. |
| Sandhimati was selected by the citizens as the new ruler. He ascended the throne reluctantly, at the request of his guru Ishana. He was a devout Shaivite, and his reign was marked by peace. He filled his court with (sages), and spent his time in forest retreats. Therefore, his ministers replaced him with Meghavahana, a descendant of Yudhishthira I. He willingly gave up the throne. |
| . Circa 7th century CE, Kashmir.]] Meghavahana was the son of Yudhisthira I's great-grandson, who had been granted asylum by Gopaditya, the king of Gandhara. Meghavahana had been selected the husband of a Vaishnavite princess at a Swayamvara in another kingdom. The ministers of Kashmir brought him to Kashmir after Sandhimati proved to be an unwilling king. Meghavahana banned animal slaughter and compensated those who earned their living through hunting. He patrnozed Brahmins, and set up a monastery. His queens built Buddhist and monasteries. He subdued kings in regions as far as Sinhala Kingdom, forcing them to abandon animal slaughter. |
| Son of Meghavahana |
| Son of Shreshtasena, assisted by his brother and co-regent Toramana. The king imprisoned Toramana, when the latter stuck royal coins in his own name. Toramana's son Pravarasena, who had been brought up in secrecy by his mother Anjana, freed him. Hiranya died childless. Several coins of a king named Toramana have been found in the Kashmir region. This king is identified by some with Huna ruler Toramana, although his successor Mihirakula is placed much earlier by Kalhana. |
| According to Kalhana, the emperor Vikramditya (alias Harsha) of Ujjayini defeated the Shakas, and made his friend and poet Matrigupta the ruler of Kashmir. After Vikramaditya's death, Matrigupta abdicated the throne in favour of Pravarasena. According to D. C. Sircar, Kalhana has confused the legendary Vikramaditya of Ujjain with the Vardhana Emperor Harsha (c. 606–47 CE). The latter is identified with Shiladitya mentioned in Xuanzang's account. However, according to M. A. Stein, Kalhana's Vikramaditya is another Shiladitya mentioned in Xuanzang's account: a king of Malwa around 580 CE. |
| ". Circa 6th-early 7th century CE, Kashmir.]] Historical evidence suggests that a king named Pravarasena ruled Kashmir in the 6th century CE. According to Kalhana, Pravarasena subdued many other kings, in lands as far as Saurashtra. He restored the rule of Vikramaditya's son Pratapshila (alias Shiladitya), who had been expelled from Ujjain by his enemies. Pratapshila agreed to be a vassal of Pravarasena after initial resistance. He founded a city called Pravarapura, which is identified by later historians as the modern city of Srinagar on the basis topographical details. |
| Son of Pravarasena |
| Son of Yudhishthira II and Padmavati |
| Younger brother of Narendraditya. His queen Ranarambha was an avatar of Bhramaravasini. The Chola dynasty king Ratisena had found her among the waves, during an ocean worship ritual. |
| Son of Ranaditya |
| Younger brother of Vikramaditya. He subdued several enemies. An astrologer prophesied that his son-in-law would succeed him as the king. To avoid this outcome, the king married his daughter Anangalekha to Durlabhavardhana, a handsome but non-royal man from Ashvaghama Kayastha caste. |
| Born to Nāga Karkota (a deity), Durlabhavardhana was Baladitya's officer in charge of fodder. Baladitya married his daughter Anangalekha to him. As the royal son-in-law, he became known as a just and wise man, and was given the title "Prajnaditya" by the king. His wife Anangalekha became involved in an extra-marital affair with the minister Kharga. Despite catching them sleeping together, Durlabhavardhana forgave Khankha, and won over his loyalty. After Baladitya's death, Khankha crowned him the new king. |
| Son of Durlabhavardhana and Anangalekha. He was adopted as a son by his maternal grandfather, and assumed the title Pratapaditya after the title of the grandfather's dynasty. |
| Son of Durlabhaka and Shrinarendraprabha. |
| Younger brother of Chandrapida. |
| Younger brother of Chandrapida and Tarapida. According to the historical evidence, Lalitaditya Muktapida ruled during the 8th century. Kalhana states that Lalitaditya Muktapida conquered the tribes of the north and after defeating the Kambojas, he immediately faced the Tokharistan. The Tusharas did not give a fight but fled to the mountain ranges leaving their horses in the battle field. Then Lalitaditiya meets the Bhauttas in Baltistan in western Tibet north of Kashmir, then the Daradas in Karakoram/Himalaya, the Valukambudhi and then he subdues Strirajya, the Uttarakuru/Western China and the Assam respectively (IV.165–175). According to some historians, Kalhana has highly exaggerated the military conquests of Muktapida. |
| Son of Lalitaditya and Kamaladevi. His short reign was marked by a succession struggle with his half-brother Vajraditya II. He abdicated the throne, and a became a hermit to seek peace. |
| Son of Lalitaditya and Chakramardika. He was a cruel and immoral person, who introduced the evil habits of mlechchhas to Kashmir. |
| Son of Vajraditya II and Mangjarika. Deposed by his half-brother Sangramapida. |
| Son of Vajraditya II and Massa. Deposed his half-brother to become the king, but died after a week. |
| Youngest son of Vajradjtya II. He erected a monument at Prayaga, which existed at Kalhana's time. His wife Kalyanadevi was the daughter of Jayanta, the king Pundravardhana in Gauda Kingdom. Jayapida subdued five kings of Gauda, and made them vassals of his father-in-law. On his way back to Kashmir, he also defeated the king of Kanyakubja. While Jayapida was in Gauda, his brother-in-law usurped the throne in Kashmir. After three years of ruling Kashmir, Jajja was killed by Shrideva, a supporter of Jayapida. Jayapida became the king once again, and patronized scholars. He waged wars against Bhimasena of the East and Aramuri of Nepala. In both instances, he was first imprisoned by the enemy king, but managed to escape and defeated the enemy. During the last years of his reign, he imposed excessive taxes on advice of Kayasthas, and treated his subjects cruelly. He died because of a curse by a Brahmin. |
| Son of Jayapida and Durgi. He devoted his time to sensual pleasures, and neglected royal duties. |
| Son of Jayapida and Kalyana. |
| Son of Lalitapida and his concubine Jayadevi. The actual power was in hands of Jayadevi's brothers Padma, Utpalaka, Kalyana, Mamma and Dharmma. |
| Son of Lalitapida and Jayadevi, made the king by his maternal uncle Utpalaka. Dethroned by Utpalaka's rival Mamma and the latter's son Yashovarman. |
| Son of Sangramapida II. Made king by Mamma and Yashovarman. |
| Son of Ajitapida. Made king by Sukhavarman, the son of Utpala. Deposed by the minister Shura. |
| Son of Sukhavarman. Made king by the minister Shura. Established the city of Awantipora |
| According to Kalhana, this king "did not speak the language of the gods but used vulgar speech fit for drunkards, showed that he was descended from a family of spirit-distillers" (Stein's translation). This refers to the fact that the power had passed to the brothers of a queen, who was born in a family of spirit-distillers. |
| Son of Shankaravarman; ruled with help of his mother Sugandha; Murdered |
| Brother of Gopalavarman, died soon after ascending the throne |
| Became queen after the death of all male heirs. Deposed by Tantrin soldiers, who had earlier served as the royal bodyguards. Waged a war against the Tantrins with help of their rivals (known as Ekanga), but was defeated and killed. |
| 10-year-old child of Nirjitavarman; placed on throne by the Tantrins |
| Half-brother of Avantivarman. |
| Purchased the throne from the Tantrins |
| Purchased the throne from the Tantrins |
| Purchased the throne from the Tantrins |
| Purchased the throne from the Tantrins |
| Purchased the throne from the Tantrins |
| Defeated the Tantrins with help of Damara feudal lords. An unpopular king, he was killed. |
| Son of Partha. Murdered his father, and starved his half-brothers to death. |
| Son of Unmattavanti |
| of Rashid al-Din]] Elected by a council of Brahmins |
| Murdered by the divira (clerk or writer) Parvagupta, who had become a regent-minister |
| Strong but unpopular ruler |
| Son of Parvagupta and husband of Didda (a member of the Lohara dynasty). Didda and/or her relatives ran the administration. |
| Ruled with his mother Didda as regent, aided by the minister Naravahana. Died young. |
| Didda's grandson, deposed by her |
| Didda's grandson, deposed by her |
| Didda's grandson, deposed by her |
| Wife of Kshemagupta
After a young son of Yashaskara, Pravaragupta, a Divira (clerk), became king. His son Kshemagupta married Didda, daughter of Simharaja of Lohara. After ruling indirectly and directly, Didda (980–1003 CE) placed Samgrāmarāja, son of her brother on the throne, starting the Lohara dynasty. |
| Nephew of Didda. Ascended the throne after her death, beginning Lohara dynasty's rule over Kashmir. |
| Abdicated the throne in favour of his son, but retained power through his minister Haladhara |
| Rebelled against his parents, leading to the suicide of his father Ananta, followed by sati-suicide by his mother. His son Harsha revolted against him, and was imprisoned. |
| Second son of Kalasha. His half-brother Vijaymalla rebelled against him, and got Harsha released from prison. Utkarsha was imprisoned and committed suicide |
| In his early years, he was a sagacious king, and a patron of art and literature. The later years of his reign were marked by unsuccessful military campaigns, resulting in excessive taxation and plundering of temples. Revolts by his generals Uchchala and Sussala (of Lohara family) ended his reign. His son Bhoja was killed, and Harsha himself was killed by Uchchala's men while hiding in a village. |
| Made his brother Sussala the ruler of Lohara. Murdered by Radda. |
| Usurped the throne, claiming to be a descendant of Yashaskara |
| Uchchala's step-brother; became the king after Radda's death. The real power lay in the hands of a noble named Gargachandra. Salhana was deposed and imprisoned. |
| Uchchala's brother; ascended throne with Gargachandra's support |
| Harsha's grandson, who had escaped Uchchala's revolt. Brought up by Naravarman, the king of Malwa. Deposed Sussala. |
| Within 6 months of Bhikshachara's ascension, Sussala recovered his capital, leading to a civil war |
| Sussala's son. In the early years of his reign, the actual power was held by Sussala. Kalhana's account closes in the 22nd year of his reign. |
Kalhana's account starts to align with other historical evidence only by Book 4, which gives an account of the Karkota dynasty. But even this account is not fully reliable from a historical point of view. For example, Kalhana has highly exaggerated the military conquests of Lalitaditya Muktapida.
Horace Hayman Wilson partially translated the work, and wrote an essay based on it, titled The Hindu History of Kashmir (published in Asiatic Researches Volume 15). Subsequent English translations of Kalhana's Rajatarangini include:
Translations in other languages include:
A television series based on Rajatarangini named Meeras began in 1986 in Doordarshan, Srinagar.
|
|
