for students of BA I Sem BHU

1. BA I sem
Karkota dynasty: Kashmir
By
Prachi Virag Sontakke

2. Introduction
• Early medieval history of Kashmir
commences in c.7th cent CE.
• Signified by arrival of Karkota dynasty.
• A line of capable and energetic kings
who according to Kalhana ruled
Kashmir for 254 years.
• Strategic location- contact with
Central Asia, Tibet & China.

3. Sources
• Kalhana’s Rajatarangini.
• Chinese court records.
• Accounts of Xuan-Zang
• Chachnama.
• Coins.
• Architectural remains.

4. Origin
• Kalhan: Before Karkota dynasty, Kashmir was under Gonarditya dynasty.
• Last king of this dynasty was Baladitya who did not have any male heir.
• He married his daughter with his officer in charge of fodder
Durlabhvardhan.
• After death of Baladitya, Durlabhvardhan ascended the Kashmir throne
and started the line of Karkota dynasty kings.
• Rajatarangini: Related to Naga kula.
• Xuan-Xang: Kings of this dynasty were protected by Dragons.
• Legend: Protected by Naga Karkota mentioned in Mahabharata.
• Probably to hide an obscure origin, myth was created.

5. Durlabhvardhan (c.627-663CE)
• First king of this dynasty.
• Xuan-Zang visited Kashmir during his reign.
• Extended sway of his empire by imperialistic conquests.
• Chinese sources: He controlled the route from China to Kabul.
• Xuan-Zang: Taxila, Hazara, Singhpur, Poonch & Rajapur under
Durlabhvardhan.
• Ruled over Kashmir proper & northern and north western Punjab.
• Kalhana: Harsha obtained by force a valuable relic viz. a tooth of Buddha
from Kashmir.
• Xuang-Zang: There was decline in Buddhism in Kashmir during this time.

6. Durlabhak (c.663-713CE)
• As a grandson of Baladitya, took the name Pratapaditya.
• Said to have ruled for 50 years.
• Many coins of him have been recovered.
• Called Shripratapa on coins.
• Established a city named Pratapapur.
• Built the temple of Tribhuvana Svami.
• Established a Matha called Nona Matha for Brahmins
• Kalhana: Stories of his merit, justice & solicitude for the welfare of his
people.
• Three sons- Chandrapidha Vajraditya, Tarapidha Udyaditya, Lalitaditya
Muktapidha.

7. Chandrapida (c.713-721CE)
• Succeeded his father necessarily at an advanced age .
• Reigned for 8 years and 8 months only.
• Chinese sources: Sent a messenger to Chinese court in 713 CE seeking his
help against Arab & Tibetan threat.
• Like his father a just & good ruler.
• But his ambitious brother Tarapida had him killed.
• Perhaps Chandrapida died of some sudden illness and people attributed
it to the incantations of his brother Tarapida.

8. Tarapidha (c. 713-724/25CE)
• Ruled but for a short time only viz. 4 years and one month
• Could not wash the stain of fratricide.
• Inglorious rule: Cruel and tyrannical ruler.
• Fell prey to his own instrument and some one of his oppressed subjects
had him also killed.

9. Lalitaditya Muktapida (c.724/5-760 CE)
• One of the most illustrious kings of Kashmir.
• Kalhan: Eager for conquests & passed his life chiefly on expeditions.
• Made extensive conquests.
• He had at his back the resources of a large kingdom well-governed for 100
years besides his own valor and engrossing ambition.
• H.C.Raichaudhary: Accession in 695/699 CE.
• Cunnighnam + Stein + Buhler: 727 CE.
• R.C.Majumdar: 724 CE.

10. Conquest of Kannauj
• Conflicting political aspirations of Yashovarman & Lalitaditya: fall out
• Ensuing severe & prolonged struggle between the two: A temporary truce.
• Rajatarangini: When treaty was drawn, minister of Lalitaditya refused to ratify it on the
grounds that in it name of Yashovarman preceded that of Lalitadiya.
• Negotiations broke off: Hostilities renewed.
• Disastrous for Yashovarman.
• In One verse Kalhana says that Yasovarman was totally uprooted.
• In following verse he says that Yasovarman himself turned a court poet of Lalitaditya.
• Not clear if he was slain or was allowed to retain his throne as subservient of Kashmir king.

11. Imperialistic conquests: Eastern India
• Kalhana: He compelled the Gauda king to give him his whole elephant force.
• Defeated king of Kalinga (Odisa).
• Conquered Pragjyotisha (Assam).
• From which king?
• Stein: The absence of the mention of names of kings of these countries may perhaps
be looked upon as suspicious and imaginary.
• Kalhana: He had the Gauda king killed during his visit to Kashmir in spite of his
promise not to harm his life given on oath of his favorite god Parihas (Keshava).

12. Imperialistic conquests: Deccan & South India.
• Kalhana: A Ratta queen preferred submission to him willingly.
• Goetz : Kalhana's Queen Ratta = wife of the Rashtrakuta king Indra I.
• Goetz speculates that she acted as a queen regent for her son Dantidurga after
Indra's death, but her rule was threatened by her brother-in-law Krishna I. As a
result, she appealed Lalitaditya for help, who arrived in Deccan and fought on her
side.
• Kalhan: Won Saptakonkan: exaggeration.
• The Dakshinatyas had to wear a tail that swept the ground as a badge of shame?

13. Imperialistic conquests: western India.
• Reached Dwarika.
• No mention of any conquests.
• From Dwarika, he went towards Avanti.

14. Imperialistic conquests: NW/NE India
• Kalhana: Shahi princess of Kabul served his court.
• Victory over Kambojas, Tusharas (Turks), Muminis (Branch of Arabs), Bhotas
(Tibetans), Dardas, Strirajya & Uttarkurus.
• The Turushkas had to carry their arms at their backs and shave half of their
heads as a sign of their defeat at the hands of Kashmir king.

15. Conquests in Central Asia?
• Chachanama: The king of Kashmir holds sway over whole of Hind and even
the countries of Makran (Baluchistan) and Turan (Turkeistan).
• Hermann Goetz: Lalitaditya managed to create a short-lived empire that
included major parts of India as well as present-day Afghanistan & Central
Asia.
• Rajatarangini: He excavated wells and springs in the northern sandy regions
of the Turks where for many miles water was unobtainable.
• Others: Disagree

16. Digvijay as outlined by Kalhana: Observations
• Goetz: Kalhana's account of Lalitaditya's military
exploits is not only probable, but also supported
by other evidence.
• Goetz: Lalitaditya's extensive conquests were
possible because the other contemporary
kingdoms in the region had been weakened by
foreign invasions and wars.
• Susan L. Huntington: Lalitaditya's campaigns
were probably "massive raiding and looting
expeditions rather than true conquests”

17. Diplomatic relations
• Chinese sources: King Lalitaditya’s embassy to Chinese court in 733 CE
referred to King Yashovarma as his friend.
• They both asked for Chinese help against the common threat of Arabs & Tibet.
• Tang dynasty chronicles: Present him as a vassal of the Tang king?
• Tansen Sen: Lalitaditya provided military and logistical support to the Tang
campaigns against Tibetans.
• Goetz: Lalitaditya managed to create a powerful army as a result of superior
China-influenced military organization, administrative set-up and weaponry.

18. Death: Legends
• Kalhana: A messenger arrived from his camp somewhere among the North,
announcing that the king could not return and that the ministers should
proclaim his son king.
• Some: He died of excessive cold when he got separated from his army in a
military expedition in some mountain region.
• Others: His own soldiers suffocated him during a military campaign in north.

19. Overview
• From his conquests, immense wealth and treasures came into Kashmir.
• Building of Temples and Viharas: Martand temple.
• Public welfare works: Built a bridge over the Vitasta at Chhatrapur.
• Established city of Parihaspore.
• Kalhana: Lalitaditya had many halls established in his kingdom for the
feeding of the hungry and for giving water to the thirsty.

27. Parihaspore

28. Kuvalayapida (c.760-761CE)
• S/O Lalitaditya.
• A very sensitive man.
• When a minister disobeyed his order he was so incensed that he
passed a sleepless night.
• In the morning, he abdicated the throne and a became a hermit to
seek peace.
• He ruled for one year only and 15 days.

29. Vajraditya (c.761-768CE)
• S/O Lalitaditya from another queen.
• Half brother of Kuvalaypeedha.
• Vajraditya: a man of an exactly opposite temperament.
• He immediately threw himself headlong into the pleasures of kingly power.
• Naturally succumbed after a bad reign of 7 years.
• S/O Vajraditya = Prithvipida, Samgrampida, Jayapida
• First two ruled in quick succession.
• Jayapida, grandson of Lalitaditya now came to the throne of Kashmir

30. Jayapida (c.768CE)
• Jayapida commenced his reign by Digvijay
• His first attack was on king of Kanauj: name not mentioned.
• Conquering him he proceeded as far as Prayaga.
• His army, however, afraid of long journeys into the south returned to its native country.
• Said to have gone into Bengal single-handed.
• Reached Paundravardhana town ruled by one Jayanta & married his daughter Kamaladevi.
• Subdued five Gauda princes in Bengal on behalf of his father-in-law and then returned in
triumph to Kashmir with his bride.

31. Problems at Home
• During Jayapida’s Imperialistic conquests outside Kashmir, Kashmir
throne was unattended.
• In his absence his brother-in-law, Jajja, seized the Kashmir throne.
• Kalhana: Jajja was overthrown and killed in a battle and the country
was proud and glad to be again under the rule of its rightful king
Jayapida.

32. Foreign expeditions
• Kalhan: Foreign expeditions accompanied by many subordinate kings
• In Nepal he was defeated & was taken captive by the king of Nepal.
• Saved by his minister who brought another army into Nepal & enabled
Jayapida to escape from the castle where he was imprisoned.
• King of Nepal was then defeated and Jayapida returned triumphant to
Kashmir.

33. Overview
• A patron of scholars.
• Study of the Mahabhashya (the great work on grammar by Patanjali) &
Mathematics gained impetus during his reign.
• The best men in the whole land of India were called and patronized by
Jayapida, so much so that Kashmir became famous as the land of learning.
• Title: Vinayaditya or the sun of education.
• In his later days, became a tyrant and an oppressor.
• His reign may be said to have ended in c.782 CE

34. Succession
• Kalhana: Kings succeeding Jayapida- Incompetent & weak
• Worthless Karkota sovereigns: Set up & deposed by their ambitious officers
• Utpalapidha = last king of Karkota dynasty.
• His minister Shoor dethroned him & placed Avantivarman on Kashmir’s
throne.
• Era of Karkota dynasty ended.
• Avantivarman founded the Utpala dynasty in about 855 CE.

35. Conclusion
• Kashmir during the reign of the Karkota dynasty enjoyed great power
politically being the overlord of the whole of Northern India.
• Within the empire it had parts of Punjab under it and the territory of
Kashmir while its area of influence extended even more.
• Under this dynasty Kashmir not only maintained but even increased its
status as a seat of learning.
• A period of architectural prosperity in Kashmir.
• The kings were usually worshippers of Siva, Vishnu & Aditya