Múlarája II., a.d. 1177–1179.Ajayapála was succeeded by his son Múlarája II. also called Bála Múlarája as he was only a boy when installed. His mother was Náikídeví the daughter of Paramardi, apparently the Kádamba king Permádi or Śiva Chitta who reigned from a.d. 1147 to 1175 (S. 1203–1231).[110] The authors of the Kírtikaumudí[111] and the Sukṛitasankírtana say that even in childhood Múlarája II. dispersed the Turushka or Muhammadan army.[112] The Prabandhachintámaṇi states that the king’s mother fought at the Gádaráraghatta and that her victory was due to a sudden fall of rain. Múlarája II. is said to have died in a.d. 1179 (S. 1235) after a reign of two years.
Bhíma II. a.d. 1179–1242.Múlarája II. was succeeded by Bhíma II. The relationship of the two is not clearly established. Mr. Forbes makes Bhíma the younger brother of Ajayapála. But it appears from the Kírtikaumudí and the Sukṛitasankírtana that Bhíma was the younger brother of Múlarája. The Sukṛitasankírtana after concluding the account of Múlarája,[113] calls Bhíma ‘asya bandhu’ ‘his brother,’ and the Kírtikaumudí, after mentioning the death of Múlarája, says that Bhíma his younger brother ‘anujanmásya’ became king.[114]
Chapter II.
The Chaulukyas, a.d. 961–1242.
Bhíma II. a.d. 1179–1242. Múlarája we know came to the throne as a child. Of Bhíma also the Kírtikaumudí says that he came to the throne while still in his childhood, and this agrees with the statements that he was the younger brother of Múlarája. Bhíma probably came to the throne a.d. 1178 (S. 1234). There is no doubt he was reigning in a.d. 1179 (S. 1235), as an inscription in the deserted village of Kerálu near Bálmer of Aṇahilaváḍa dated a.d. 1179 (S. 1235) states that it was written ‘in the triumphant reign of the illustrious Bhímadeva.’[115] A further proof of his reigning in a.d. 1179 (S. 1235) and of his being a minor at that time is given in the following passage from the Tabakát-i-Násirí: In a.d. 1178 (Hijri 574) the Ráí of Nahrwálá Bhímdeo, was a minor, but he had a large army and many elephants. In the day of battle the Muhammadans were defeated and the Sultán was compelled to retreat.[116] Merutuṇga says that Bhíma reigned from a.d. 1179 (S. 1235) for sixty-three years that is up to a.d. 1242 (S. 1298), and this is borne out by a copperplate of Bhíma which bears date a.d. 1240 (S. 1296[117] Márgha Vadi 14th Sunday[118]).
Bhíma was nicknamed Bholo the Simpleton. The chroniclers of this period mention only the Vághelás and almost pass over Bhíma. The author of the Kírtikaumudí says ‘the kingdom of the young ruler was gradually divided among powerful ministers and provincial chiefs’; and according to the Sukṛitasankírtana ‘Bhíma felt great anxiety on account of the chiefs who had forcibly eaten away portions of the kingdom.’ It appears that during the minority, when the central authority was weak, the kingdom was divided among nobles and feudatories, and that Bhíma proved too weak a ruler to restore the kingly power. Manuscripts and copperplates show that Bhímadeva was ruling at Aṇahilaváḍa in S. 1247, 1251, 1261, 1263, and 1264,[119] and copperplates dated S. 1283, 1288, 1295, and 1296 have also been found. Though Bhíma in name enjoyed a long unbroken reign the verses quoted above show that power rested not with the king but with the nobles. It appears from an inscription that in a.d. 1224 (S. 1280) a Chálukya noble named Jayantasiṃha was supreme at Aṇahilaváḍa though he mentions Bhíma and his predecessors with honour and respect.[120]
It was probably by aiding Bhíma against Jayantasiṃha that the Vághelás rose to power. According to the chroniclers the Vághelás succeeded in the natural course of things. According to the Sukṛitasankírtana Kumárapála appeared to his grandson Bhíma and directed him to appoint as his heir-apparent Víradhavala son of Lavaṇaprasáda and grandson of Arṇorája the son of Dhavala king of Bhimapalli. Next day in court, in the presence of his nobles, when Lavaṇaprasáda and Víradhavala entered the king said to
Chapter II.
The Chaulukyas, a.d. 961–1242.
Bhíma II. a.d. 1179–1242. Lavaṇaprasáda: Your father Arṇorája seated me on the throne: you should therefore uphold my power: in return I will name your son Víradhavala my heir-apparent.[121] The author of the Kírtikaumudí notes that Arṇorája son of Dhavala, opposing the revolution against Bhíma, cleared the kingdom of enemies, but at the cost of his own life. The author then describes Lavaṇaprasáda and Víradhavala as kings. But as he gives no account of their rise to supremacy, it seems probable that they usurped the actual power from Bhíma though till a.d. 1242 (S. 1295) Bhíma continued to be nominal sovereign.
Bhíma’s queen was Líládeví the daughter of a Chohán chief named Samarasiṃha.[122]
[1] Ind. Ant. IV. 71–72 and VI. 180. [↑]
[2] Ind. Ant. VI. 180ff. The suggestion may be offered that the Kanyákubja which is mentioned as the seat of Múlarája’s ancestors, is Karṇakubja, an old name of Junágaḍh. Compare Burgess’ Káthiáwár and Kutch, 156. [↑]