Dharmapala Kamboja

Dharmapala Kamboja was probably the last ruler of Kamboja Pala dynasty of Bengal.[1][2][3] He ruled Dandabhukti-mandala in Vardhamana-bhukti in the first quarter of eleventh century and was contemporary of Rajendra Chola (reign 1012-1044) of Chola dynasty of Deccan.[4][5]

Rajendra sola devarku Kambosha-rajan katchiyaaga kattina kallu, idu
udaiyar rajendra sola devar tiruvaai molindaruli udaiyar
tiruchrirramblam udaiyar koyilil mun vaittadu indakkallu tiruvedir
ambalattu tiru kkai sarattil tiru mum pattikku melai ppattiyille vaittadu'.[12]

Though K. A. Nilakanta Sastri links Kamboja king of Chidambram inscription to Cambodia (Kampuchea).[13] Many other scholars say that Kamboja of Chidambram inscriptions is this Dharampala of Kamboj lineage who was ruling in Dandbhukti-mandala of west Bengal during early 11th century and was therefore a contemporary of Rajendra Chola.[14][15]

Kamboja-rajo ripu-raja sena-jaitrena yen= ajayad=ahaveshu |
tarn prahinot prartthita-mitra-bhavo yennai ratham ||.[16]

The above inscription says that, in order to seek Chola’s friendship, Kamboja king presented to Rajendra Chola a chariot with which he (Kamboja raja) had won his enemies in many battles.[17][18]

The Kamboja king mentioned in the Karandai (Tanjavur or Tanjore) plates (v.48) is also believed to be Dharmapala of the Kamboja-Pala Dynasty of Bengal. There can also be doubt that Dharmapala of the Tirumalai Inscription of king Rajendra Chola is the Kamboja king Dharmapala of Dandabhukti who was a scion of the Kamboja dynasty to which Nayapalaa, Narayanapala and Rajyapala of the Irda Copper Plate grant and the Kalanda Copper Plate grant belonged.[19][20][21][22]

When threatened by the Pala ruler Mahpala-I, this Kamboja Dharmapala appears to have sought friendship and help with Rajendra Chola against the Pala ruler by forming an alliance with Rajendra Chola and presenting him a valuable Ratha (Chariot) as a token of friendship. As a consequence, Rajendra Chola led his victorious northern expedition to the banks of the Ganges and also met Dharmapala in Dandabhukti. This demonstrates Kamboja rulers' weakened position and Rajendra Chola’s political influence in Bengal. Some scholars, however, think that “Kamboja king sent his ratha as a friendly present to Rajendra Chola to avoid war with the latter".[23]

References

  1. The Indian Historical Quarterly, 1963, p 508 India; History of Bengal, I, p 139
  2. The People and Culture of Bengal, a Study in Origins, 2002, p 562, Annapurna Chattopadhyaya.
  3. Ancient India, History and Archaeology, 1994, p 53, Dilip Kumar Ganguly.
  4. See refs: The Early Rulers of Khajurāho, 1977, p 63, Sisirkumar Mitra
  5. The Indian Historical Quarterly, 1963, p 508.
  6. Journal of the Varendra Research Museum, 1972, p 109, Varendra Research Museum, Varendra Research Museum - Bangladesh.
  7. The Orissa Historical Research Journal, 1975, p 114, Kedarnath Mahapatra, Orissa (India) Superintendent, Research and Museum, Orissa State Museum - Orissa (India).
  8. West Bengal District Gazetteers, 1965, p 73, Editor Jatindra Chandra Sengupta.
  9. Historical geography and dynastic history of Orissa, up to the rise of the imperial Gaṅgas, 1975, p 66, Dilip Kumar Ganguly.
  10. Cf: The Early Rulers of Khajurāho, 1958, p 62-63, Sisirkumar Mitra; Ancient Indian History and Civilization, 1999, p 281, Sailendra Nath Sen.
  11. Some Historical Aspects of the Inscriptions of Bengal: Pre-Muhammadan Epochs., 1942, p 399, Benoychandra Sen.
  12. Epigraphia Indica, Vol V, pp 105-106, (Editor) E. Hultsch; A Comprehensive History of India, 1957, p 39, Kallidaikurichi Aiyah Nilakanta Sastri, Indian History Congress; History of Tamilnad, 1978, p 222, N. Subrahmanian - Tamil Nadu (India)
  13. A Comprehensive History of India, 1957, p 15, Kallidaikurichi Aiyah Nilakanta Sastri, Indian History Congress - India.
  14. History of Bengal, Vol I, p 139, Edi. R. C. Majumdar, Reprint, Delhi, B.R. Publishing, 2003, ISBN 81-7646-238-1.
  15. cf: Decline of kingdom of Magdha, p 413, f.n. 2; Sinha B. P; Cf: Journal of Oriental Research, Madras (JOR), XIX, pp. 151.
  16. From Sanskrit section of Sangham Copper Plate Charter, See: Journal of Indian History: Golden Jubilee Volume, 1973, p 114, T. K. Ravindran, Trivandrum, India (City). University of Kerala. Dept. of History, University of Kerala; The Journal of Oriental Research, 1952, p 151, Kuppuswami Sastri Research Institute, Indo-Aryan philology.
  17. Journal of Indian History, 1973, p 114, T. K. Ravindram, University of Kerala, Department of History.
  18. .The Cōlas, 1955, p 220, Kallidaikurichi Aiyah Nilakanta Sastri, - Chola (Indic people); Encyclopaedia of Tamil literature, 1990, p 68, Shu Hikosaka, Institute of Asian Studies (Madras, India), G. John Samuel; A Comprehensive History of India, 1957, p 15, Kallidaikurichi Aiyah Nilakanta Sastri, Indian History Congress; See also: The Journal of Oriental Research, 1952, p 151, Kuppuswami Sastri Research Institute, Indo-Aryan philology.
  19. The Orissa Historical Research Journal, 1975, p 114, Kedarnath Mahapatra, Orissa (India) Superintendent, Research and Museum, Orissa State Museum - Orissa (India).
  20. West Bengal District Gazetteers, 1985, p 87, Editor Jatindra Chandra Sengupta; Also see: West Bengal District Gazetteers, 1965, p 63, West Bengal (India), Jatindra Chandra Sengupta - West Bengal (India) - 1965.
  21. History of Bengal, Vol I, p 139, Edi. R. C. Majumdar, Reprint, Delhi, B.R. Publishing, 2003, ISBN 81-7646-238-1.
  22. Ancient India, History and Archaeology, 1994, p 53, Dilip Kumar Ganguly; Abhinandana-Bhāratī: Professor Krishna Kanta Handiqui Felicitation Volume, 1982, p 110, Krishna Kanta Handiqui, Pratap Chandra Choudhury, Biswanarayan Shastri; cf: Decline of kingdom of Magdha, p 413, f.n. 2; Sinha B. P; Cf: Journal of Oriental Research, Madras (JOR), XIX, pp. 151.
  23. Proceedings of the Indian Science Congress, 1953, p 10, Indian Science Congress Association, Royal Asiatic Society of Bengal).
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 10/8/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.