Lalitaditya Muktapida

 An excellent conqueror, an adept warrior and a gift to Kashmiri civilization. This is the history of Lalitaditya Muktapida.

A good amount of what we know about Lalitaditya comes from the Rajatarangini (‘River of Kings’) composed by Kalhana, a renowned 12th century historian from Kashmir. We know that he ascended the throne of Kashmir (which, in the early 8th century, was being ruled by the Karkota dynasty) as the youngest son of his predecessor, King Durlabhaka. At that time, the relatively small Karkota Empire had sway over what is now Jammu and Kashmir along with parts of modern-day Punjab and Haryana. Lalitaditya’s ascension paved the way for a soon-to-come golden age in Kashmir. A peak of expansion and the birth of a new power on the subcontinent.

During most of his rule, Lalitaditya was known to have embarked on numerous aggressive campaigns. In fact, most of his rule centered around military conquest. Various Chinese, Turkish and Tibetan sources describe him as a very skilled warrior, adept at the art of warfare (however, some Chinese sources also mention that Kashmir was a vassal of the Tang Empire).

Lalitaditya began his conquests by defeating local kings of the subcontinent. He first took King Yashovarman of Kannauj down, allowing him to march further east and south. After subjugating several other kings in the north and east, Lalitaditya returned to Kashmir. According to German historian Hermann Goetz, Lalitaditya may have had sway over major parts of Central Asia and present-day Afghanistan during his rule. This vast landmass Kashmir once called its own only goes to show how great of a conqueror Lalitaditya was.

However, Lalitaditya’s various conquests are not what makes him worthy of a place in India’s heart.

Many people like to think that India was historically a weak nation; a nation that couldn’t stand up for itself under the threat of invasion. I have always believed that when united on a single front, Bharat was impenetrable. And I had reason to believe so.

Lalitaditya is believed to have allied with the then-subjugated King Yashovarman of Kannauj in defending his territory against both the Umayyad/Turkish invaders and the Tibetans at the same time. He fended off all the invasions and ended up employing Turkish mercenaries in his army. What a way to hand it to the invaders, huh?

Under Lalitaditya’s rule, many great architectural masterpieces were also commissioned. According to Kalhana, Lalitaditya built several great cities like Parihasapura (compared to Indra’s own abode in Kalhana’s words), Sunishchita-pura (believed to have been built prior to Lalitaditya’s first conquests) and Parnotsa. According to Kalhana, Lalitaditya also had a shrine built in every town, village, river, sea and island. He would even have images of the deity attendants fill the halls of the shrines, decked out in gold and silver. Many Buddhist shrines were also commissioned during Lalitaditya’s rule (e.g. multiple viharas/stupas in what is now Ushkur, J&K).

But the greatest of all his architectural achievements was none other than the Martand Sun Temple.

The Martand Sun Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Surya (the chief solar deity in Hinduism). Unfortunately, the temple was once destroyed by Sultan Sikandar Butshikan as a part of his vigorous efforts to convert Kashmiris to Islam. It is upsetting to know that we will never see this temple in all its original glory. One can only imagine what a beautiful temple this must have been in its heyday.

THE ANCIENT KINGDOM OF KING YAYATI

Yayati was a powerful king who ruled seven islands of the world, whose father was King Nahusa from the Aila dynasty. Yati was the eldest son of Nahusa who became sage and he was succeeded by Nahusa’s second son Yayati. Nahusa reigned Pratishthan/Pratishthanpura, a place near #Prayagraj and married #Ashokasundari (daughter of Shiv-parvati). Pratishthanpura is currently known as Jhunsi (not Jhansi) and was the central capital. The empire was spread till Saraswati River in the west where generations of Purus later settled. Yayati had two queens; Devayani and Sharmistha.  #Devayani gave birth to Yadu and Turvasu, and #Sharmistha gave birth to Druhyu (now known as Druids), Anu and Puru. 

Puru: The central kingdom of Prathisthanpura was given to his youngest son “Puru” as he was the most righteous king. The #southeast kingdom was given to #Druhyu, #south kingdom to his son #Yadu, the #west to his son #Turvasu and #north to his son #Anu. Yayati enthroned his youngest son, Puru, as the emperor of the entire world and the proprietor of all its riches, and he placed all the other sons, who were older than Puru, under Puru's control. [1]  Son of Puru was Janamejaya; his son was Prachinvat; his son was Pravira; his son was Manasyu; his son was Bhayada; his son was Sudyumna; his son was Bahugava; his son was Samyati; his son was Ahamyati; his son was Raudraswa, who had ten sons, Riteyu, Kaksheyu, Sthandileyu, Ghriteyu, Jaleyu, Sthaleyu, Santateyu, Dhaneyu, Vaneyu, and Vrateyu. The son of Riteyu was Rantinara. whose sons were Tansu, Apratiratha, and Dhruva. The son of the second of these was Kanwa, and his son was Medhatithi, from whom the Kanwayana Brahmanas descended. Anila was the son of Tansu, and he had four sons, of whom Dushyanta was the elder. The son of Dushyanta was the emperor #Bharata. In the same lineage was son of Suhotra, whose son was Hastin, who founded the city of #Hastinapura. Further in same lineage was the great king #Prithu, son of king Para. Prithu compels Earth to acknowledge his authority: he levels it: introduces cultivation: erects cities. Earth named after him Prithivi: typified as a cow. In the same lineage after many generation was King #Kuru who gave his name to #Kurukshetra. [7]

#Yadu gave rise to Yadu vansha, and one of his descandents was Lord Krishna. Yadu had four sons, #Sahasrajit, #Kroshti, Nala, and Raghu. SAHASRAJIT was the son of the elder of these, and he had three sons, Haihaya, Venu, and Haya. The son of Haihaya was Dharmanetra; his son was Kunti; his son was Sahanji; his son was Mahishmat; his son was Bhadrasena; his son was Durdama; his son was Dhanaka, who had four sons, Kritaviryya, Kritagni, Kritavarman, and Kritaujas. Kritaviryya's son was Arjuna (not Mahabharat Period). At the expiration of his long reign Krittavirya was killed by Lord Parasurama. [8] Of the sons of this king, the five principal were Sura, Surasena, Vrishana, Madhu, and Jayadhwaja. In the same lineage was Vrisha whose son was Madhu; he had a hundred sons, the chief of whom was Vrishni, and from him the family obtained the name of Vrishni (Krishna was born in Vrishni). From the name of their father, Madhu, they were also called #Madhavas; whilst from the denomination of their common ancestor Yadu, the whole were termed Yadavas.[8] Similarly the lineage of Krosthi, Nala and Raghu goes is defined in Vishnu Puran.

Turvasu: The son of Turvasu was Vahni; his son was Gobanu; his son was Traisamba; his son was Karandhama; his son was Marutta. Marutta had no children, and he therefore adopted Dushyanta, of the family of Puru; by which the line of Turvasu merged into that of Puru. [2]

Druhyu (The #Druids): Druhyus and his descendant are believed to have formed the Twipra Kingdom[3] and Mandhata Kingdom also called Shivapuri or Onkareshwar, is an island in the Narmada river in Khandwa district in Madhya Pradesh [4] The Puranas says from Narmada they moved north-west, and then settled in Gandhara. (VP IV.17) The Druhyus were driven out of the land of the seven rivers by Mandhatr and their next king Ghandara settled in a north-western region which became known as Ghandara. The Pracetas [the sons of Praceta] occupied the northern side of India (Afghanisthan to Kashmir), which was devoid of Vedic civilization, and became kings there. (Bhagavata 9.23.15-16; Visnu 4.17.5; Vayu 99.11-12; Brahmanda 3.74.11-12 and Marsya 48.9., [5]. More recently, some scholars have theorised that the Druhyu could be ancestors of Zoroastrian, Iranian, Greek or European peoples, or more likely, the Celtic Druid class. Particularly, as the Rg Veda describes this proto-Indo European tribe as migrating North. [6]

Anu: The names of Anu(s) and Druhyus are often taken together due to #Anu_Druhyu_Migration [10]. Anu, the fourth son of Yayati, had three sons, Sabhanara, Chakshusha, and Paramekshu. The son of the first was Kalanara; his son was Srinjaya; his son was Puranjaya; his son was Janamejaya; his son was Mahamani; his son was Mahamanas, who had two sons, Usinara and Titikshu. Usinara had five sons, Sivi, Trina, Gara, Krimi, Darvan. Sivi had four sons, Vrishadarbha, Suvira, Kaikeya, and Madra. Titikshu had one son, Ushadratha; his son was Hema; his son was Sutapas; his son was Bali, on whose wife five sons were begotten by Dirghatamas, or #Anga, Banga, Kalinga, Suhma, and Pundra; and their descendants, and the five countries they inhabited, were known by the same names. The son of Anga was Para; whose genealogy continued to Mahabharat period where Satyakarma was Dhritavrata, Satyakarma’s son was Adhiratha, who found #Karna of Mahabharat in a basket. The son of Karna was Vrishasena. These were the Anga kings.

Pratishthana of Jhunsi was the most important locality of Prayagraj, the city of Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati river and it was founded by King Aila and was the capital of Pururavas and other kings of Lunar Dynasty. The place gave the start to the current world’s population of Yadus, Tarvasus-Purus, Druhyus and Anu(s) which migrated all around the world. Once belonging to the rulers of Maurya, Shunga, Kushana and Gupta period, the ancient Pratisthana has lost its identity to the modernity of Jhunsi. Kalidasa too mentions about Pratishthana in his Sanskrit drama Vikramōrvaśīyam. He has given an imaginary account of this palace of Pururavas which was magnificent. Various myths are also associated with this site. An inscription of Trilochanapala, the Pratihara king, was discovered from the site in 1830. There are various legends associated with this place. 

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References & Readings:

[1] http://www.prabhupada.de/Books/SB/09/19.html

[2] http://ancientvoice.wikidot.com/vp:turvasu

[3] A sper Rajmala, the ancient royal chronicle of the Kings of Tripura

[4] http://www.jatland.com/home/Mandhata

[5] http://vedabase.net/sb/9/23/en1

[6] http://www.indiadivine.org/.../1111841-sanskrit-in-english/

[7] http://ancientvoice.wikidot.com/src-vp:vp4-19

[8] Vishnu Puran, Book 4, Chapter 11. [http://ancientvoice.wikidot.com/src-vp:vp4-11]

[9] A History of Travancore by P. Shungoonny Menon. https://archive.org/details/ahistorytravanc00menogoog

[10] https://vamadevananda.wordpress.com/tag/druhyus/