Yashovarman

Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R)

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Yashovarman (यशोवर्मन)(eighth century) was a medieval ruler of Kannauj in India according to Rajatarangini. There are few sources that provide information of his life, although he was indubitably a powerful man. Yashovarman sent a minister to China in 731 AD.

Variants of name

• Yashovarmma (यशोवर्म्म)
• Yashovarma
• Yashovarman
• Yasovarman

The king of Kannauj

Yashovarman was king of Kannauj in the early part of the eighth century. The city (then known as Kanyakubja) had previously been ruled by Harsha, who died without an heir and thus created a power vacuum. This lasted for around a century before Yashovarman emerged as its ruler. Alexander Cunningham, an archaeologist of the British Raj period, speculated on possible rulers of Kannauj during the period between Harsha and Yashovarman but there is little evidence to support his claims.

Little is known of Yashovarman

Little is known of Yashovarman or his family, with most information being derived from the Gaudavaho (Slaying of the king of Gauda), a Prakrit-language poem written by Vakpati. Yashovarman was a supporter of culture and Vakpati was among his courtiers: the extent to which the poem can be relied upon for statements of fact is impossible to determine. Vakpati's work has been variously said to describe Yashovarman as either a divine incarnation of Vishnu or a kshatriya of the Lunar dynasty; Cunningham considered him likely to be related to the Maukharis, who had ruled Kannauj prior to Harsha, and some Jain works say that he was related to the Chandraguptas who ruled the Mauryan empire. The dates of his reign are also obscure, with assertions including c. 728–745 (Vincent A. Smith), around the late-seventh century/early eighth-century (Sankara Panduranga Pandit) and, according to the calculations of Ramashandra Tripathi, probably 725–752.

The Gaudavaho depicts Yashovarman as conquering large swathes of northern India — including Bihar, Bengal, the western Deccan, Indus Valley and Kashmir — before returning in triumph to Kannauj. However, Kalhana, a Kashmiri court chronicler who lived around the 12th century CE, gives a very different story in his Rajatarangini, depicting Yashovarman as a ruler who was among those defeated by Lalitaditya Muktapida, a ruler of Kashmir. The variant claims of stupendous conquests given by both of these courtiers are improbable, with Tripathi saying of those in the Gaudavaho that "These exploits read more like fiction than sober history". Other early sources are the Prabhavakacarita, Prabhanda-kosa and Bappabhattasuricarita, which are Jain documents.

Although R. C. Majumdar is among those who are wary of the ancient accounts of conquests, he believes that Yashovarman was "unquestionably the most powerful king [in the region] about this time." He believes that diplomatic relations existed between the Chinese court and that in Kannauj, evidenced by Yashovarman sending a minister to China in 731, and that he was for a time in alliance with Muktapida, with the two rulers defeating the Tibetans. These two diplomatic events may be connected because China was at that time at war with Tibet but it is also possible that the Chinese relationship grew from a shared concern about the growth of Arab power. The alliance with Muktapida collapsed around 740, according to Majumdar because of jealousy felt by the Kashmiri king. While Majumdar says that Lalitaditya then defeated Yashovarman and annexed his lands, Tripathi believes that Kalhana's account of what happened is inconsistent and that Yashovarman may have been allowed to remain on his throne after a "nominal acknowledgement of supremacy" to Lalitaditya.

In Rajatarangini

Rajatarangini tells that in the history of Kashmir Tarapida (693-697AD) was succeeded by his youngest brother Lalitaditya (697-733 AD). He was a very powerful king, and carried on wars against his neighbours, but did not fight against those who submitted even at the moment of his victory. People fled from the cities which ho attacked, and towns became empty as by miscarriage. Almost the whole of his reign was speent in conquest. He carried his victorious arms to the east. He conquered Gadhipura (Kanyakubja) where the women, were hunch-backed. Yashovarmma, the king of the place, wisely submitted. But the king's servants were prouder than the king, even as the breeze from the sandal trees is more pleasant than

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[p.68]: the spring. Yashovarmma unfortunately placed his name before that of Lalitaditya in the document of the treaty which was about to be concluded between the two kings ; which ran thus — "Peace is established between Yashovarmma and Lalitaditya." This offended Mitrasharma, who was minister of war and peace, as he regarded it as a slight to his master. The king who with his army was waiting with impatience, approved of the conduct of his servant in taking offence, and was so pleased with him that he made him head of the fire office': which he created out of eighteen that had existed Before- and in which five departments, Shahi and others were made heads. The five offices are thus named - the Great Constabulary, the Military Department, the great Stable Department, the Treasury, and the Supreme Executive office. Yashovarmma and his family were extirpated. The poets Vākpati, Rājashri and Bhavabhuti, &c,, who were in the court of the king of Kanyakubja, now came over to the king of Kashmira and used to chant songs to him. Kanyakubja, from the Yamuna to the Kalika submitted to him even like the courtyard of his own house.

He marched thence with his army towards the east. He passed Kalingga, where elephants wore caught. And then he came to Goura. Thence he reached the Eastern Sea, and pursued his course along the coast towards the south, conquering as he went. Karnāta submitted on his approach. A beautiful Karnāti lady named Ratti who ruled supreme in the south, her territories extending

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[p.69]: as far as the Vindya hills, also submitted to him. The army then rested on the banks of the Kaveri beneath the palm trees, drinking the water of coconuts. Thence he marched to Chandanadri. And then the king crossed the sea passing from one Island to another ; and thence marched towards the west, the sea singing the songs of his victory. He then attacked the seven Kramuka and the seven Kongkana which suffered much thereby. His army was anxious to enter Dvaraka situated on the Western Sea. The army then crossed the Vindya hills and entered Avanti where there was an image of Shiva named Mahakala.

Legacy

Little physical evidence exists of Yashovarman's reign, although he is reputed to have constructed the temple at Harischandranagari (present-day Ayodhya). An inscription has been found at Nalanda, and some coins elsewhere, that may relate to him but there is no certainty.

Account of Korean Buddhist Hui Chao

Buddha Prakash mentions .... [p.130]: The Panjab became independent under a ruling house with its capital at Jullundur. In the first quarter of the-eighth century, the Korean pilgrim Hui Ch’ao (704–787) toured through this country and noted that its king had 300 war-elephants and lived at a city which he built on hill side. His account shows that, this king of Jullundur was an important power in North India, but the kings of Kashmira and Middle India frequently invaded and annexed his territory forcing him to retire to the hill retreat. One drawback of this kingdom, according to him, was the dearth and scarcity of horses, the king having only 100 and the chiefs three to five. This may be due to the fact that the sources of horse supply were cut in the north by the Turki Shahis and in the west by the Muslim invaders of Sind as well as by the king of Middle India Yashovarman, who had conquered and controlled Rajasthan and Hariyana, as Vakpati states in his Gaudavaho.

The Korean pilgrim states that the kings of Kashmira and Middle India frequently invaded and annexed the territory of the kingdom of Jullundur. The king of Kashmira at that time was Chandrapida (713-722) of the Naga or Karkota dynasty, who also possessed a force of 300 elephants according to that pilgrim, and the king of Middle India, having his capital at Ke-na-chi-tzta (Kanauj), was Yashovarman, about whom he writes as follows ;

“The territory of this Central Indian king is very broad, the inhabitants here are populous. The king possesses 900 elephants, the rest of great chiefs, each possesses two to three hundred elephants. The king himself often led troops

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[p.131] in battles, frequently fought with other rulers and the Central Indian king is always victorious” (Fujita Toyohaohi, Hui-Ch'ao wong wu-t'ien-chu-kuo chuan chien-shih, p. 10) translated by Jan Yun-hua, ‘Some Fresh Reflections on Yashovarman of Kanauj and Muktapida of Kashmira, Journal of Indian History, Vol. XLV (April 1967.)

This king, called Yi-sha-fu-mo, is reported to have sent one Bhadanta, named Po-ta-hsin (Bhaṭṭasena ?) to the court of the Tang in China between November 4 and December 3, 731 A.D. with presents of local products. The Gaudavaho represents him as a conqueror of the whole of India.

Yashovarman followed a vigorous policy in regard to the Panjab also. The Gaudavaho (verse 484) refers to his conquest of Rajasthan (Marudesha), and Hariyana (Shrikantha-Kurukshetra). Hui Ch’ao mentions his frequent invasions of the kingdom of Jullundur and annexations of its territory and the Nalanda Inscription (Epigraphia Indica, Vol. XX, pp.37-46) suggests his conquest of Western Panjab after which he appointed a governor with the title of Udicipati (lord of the north) and mārgapati (warden of the marches) there. This Udicipati-mārgapati is called pratita-tikina (one who has rivalled or excelled the tikin) showing that he took arms against the Turki Shahi rulers of the North-West. The discovery of Yashovarman’s coin in the Manikyala stapa also indicates his influence over that region. In spite of a clash of interests over the Panjab, particularly the kingdom of Jullundur, Yashovarman maintained workably good relations with the kings of Kashmira, obviously to stem and stave off the menace of the Tibetans who were pressing on Baltistan. This is clear from the account of an embassy under Bhadanta Wu-li-to sent by Lalitaditya Muktapida, who came to the throne of Kashmira after his brother Tarapida in 726, to the court of the Tang emperor Hiuen-Tsung on May 10, 733. The Hsin Tang-slut (New History of the T’ang Dynasty) states that the envoy of Kashmira presented a memorial to the Chinese emperor conveying the following message of Lalitaditya:

“I, an humble subject of Your Majesty, along with the king of Central India, control the five principal routes of communication of Tibet having fought against the Tibetans with constant victories. If Your Majesty, the Heavenly Khan, will despatch the Imperial armies to Po-lu (Baltistan), I

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[p.132] would be able to supply food to two hundred thousand soldiers. Moreover, there is a dragon pool in the country named Mo-ho-poto-mo ( Mahapadma). I wish to build a memorial building for Your Majesty, the Heavenly Khan. I, therefore, pray for an Imperial appointment by proclamation”.

Relations between Kanauj and Kashmir

Buddha Prakash mentions .... This communication shows that, up to 733, the relations between Kanauj and Kashmira were good and they even collaborated in checking the Tibetans. But Lalitaditya Muktapida was cast in a different mould. He was pushing and aggressive and intolerant of rivals. Besides this, some of the Turki Sahi princes, menaced by Yashovarman in the North-West, took refuge in Kashmira and rose to high positions there. One of them Caṅkuṇa ( Tsiang-kiun or Tegin), seems to have instigated Lalitaditya to march against Yashovarman and put an end to his supremacy in the Panjab and the North-West. On his advice Lalitaditya led an expedition against Yashovarman, Kalhana says that Cankuna played a leading part in this campaign. Starting in the rainy season, he somehow negotiated the flooded rivers of the Panjab and reached the doab of the Ganga and the Yamuna (Rajatarangini, IV, p.132). After prolonged hostilities parleys of peace started but broke down on the ticklish question of the precedence of names in the preamble to the treaty. Hence fighting flared up, Yashovarman was defeated and “the land of Kanauj from the bank of the Yamuna to that of the Kalika (Kali Nadi) was so much in the power of Lalitaditya as the courtyard of his palace” (Rajatarangini, IV, p.145) The result of the victory was that Panjab, Jullundur and Kangra were wrested by Lalitaditya and given over to his attendants, probably the Turki Shahi princes. So the outcome of the conflict between Kashmira and Kanauj was the establishment of the Turki Shahis over the Panjab.

Lalitaditya was for the time being the paramount sovereign of India. But the pressure of the Tibetans mounted and they conquered Baltistan in 744. The Tibetan prince LJan-tsa-lha-bdon,who is probably Shalya of the Rajatarangini, led an army of 8,00,003 against Kashmira whereupon Lalitaditya committed suicide in discomfiture. (K.K.Datta Shastri, ‘A Note on Rajatarangini/Vishveshvaranand Indological Journal, Vol.III (Sept. 1965) p. 243). After him came a succession of weak kings. Hence the Turki Sahis became dominant in the Panjab.

यशोवर्मन

यशोधर्मन की उत्पत्ति और प्रारंभिक इतिहास के विषय में कुछ नहीं ज्ञात है। उनके एक अभिलेख में उन्हें औलख/औलिकर (जाट)' वंश का कहा गया है। इस वंश के लोग पाँचवीं शताब्दी के मध्य में गुप्त साम्राज्य के सामन्त के रूप में मालवा पर शासन कर रहे थे। किन्तु उसके बाद लगभग सौ वर्षो के लिये इस वंश की कोई सूचना नहीं मिलती। गुप्तों की शक्ति क्षीण हो चली थी। वाकाटकों और हूणों के आक्रमण के कारण मालवा की राजनीतिक दशा अस्थिर थी। ऐसे में यशोधर्मन् जैसे महत्वाकांक्षी और योग्य व्यक्ति के लिये अपना प्रभाव बढ़ाना सरल था।

यशोधर्मन् के विषय में हमारा ज्ञान मंदसौर से प्राप्त उसके दो अभिलेखों तक ही सीमित है। एक अभिलेख में कहा गया है कि उसका प्रभुत्व लौहित्य (ब्रह्मपुत्र) से महेंद्र पर्वत (गंजाम जिला) तक और हिमालय से पश्चिमी सागर तक फैला था। यह विवरण परंपरागत दिग्विजय का है। इन प्रशस्तियों में अतिशयोक्ति का अंश अवश्य होगा किंतु इस प्रकार के दावे नितांत निराधार नहीं कहे जा सकते। अभिलेख में यह भी कहा गया है कि असका अधिकार उन प्रदेशों पर भी था जो गुप्त राजाओं और हूणों के भी अधिकार में नहीं थे। उसके प्रांतपाल अभयदत्त के अधिकार में विंध्य और पारियात्र के बीच का प्रदेश था जो अरब सागर तक फैला था। इस विस्तृत साम्राज्य की विजय के संबंध में उसने किन किन राजवंशों को पराजित किया, इसका कोई उल्लेख नहीं मिलता। अभिलेख में उसके द्वारा पराजित शत्रुओं में केवल मिहिरकुल का हो नाम दिया गया है।

गुप्त नरेश बालादित्य ने भी मिहिरकुल को पराजित किया था। इस घटना के साथ यशोधर्मन् के कृत्यों को कालक्रम में रखना कठिन है। यशोधर्मन् और बालदित्य की विजय एक ही घटना है, अथवा यशोधर्मन् ने बालादित्य के सामंत के रूप में ही मिहिरकुल को पराजित कर बाद में अपनी स्वतंत्र सत्ता स्थापित की, या मिहिरकुल दो स्थानों पर पराजित हुआ- पश्चिम में यशोधर्मन् और पूर्व में बालादित्य के द्वारा या वह पहले यशोर्ध्मन् और उसके बाद बालादित्य के हाथों पराजित हुआ आदि संभावनाओं में से किसी एक को निश्चयात्मक बतलाना संभव नहीं। युवान् च्वाड़् के अनुसार बालादित्य के हाथों पराजित होने पर भी मिहिरकुल ने अपना सिर झुकाना नहीं स्वीकार किया और कश्मीर में जाकर अपना अधिकार स्थापित किया। यदि इससे मंदसोर अभिलेख में मिहिरकुल के वर्णन की समानता देखी जाय तो कहा जा सकता है कि मिहिकुल की द्वितीय पराजय यशोधर्मन् के ही हाथों हुई थी। शक्तिशाली हूणों और गुप्तों को पराजित करना यशोधर्मन् की प्रमुख उपलब्धियाँ थी। उसका उत्कर्ष काल 528 ई0 के बाद था। किंतु उसकी विजय स्थायी नहीं रह सकीं। 543 ई0 में हमें यशोधर्मन् के प्रभुत्व का कोई प्रभाव शेष नहीं मिलता। फिर भी उसका यह महत्व अवश्य था कि उसने अपने उदाहरण से अन्य सामंतों को उत्साहित किया जिनकी बढ़ती शक्ति और तज्जनित संघर्ष के फलस्वरूप गुप्त साम्राज्य छिन्न भिन्न हो गया।

उसने राजधिराजपरमेश्वर और सम्राज्ट की उपाधि धारण की थी। वह शिव का भक्त था। अभिलेख में उसके अच्छे शासन और उसके सदगुणों के कई उल्लेख हैं। उसकी तुलना मनु, भरत, अलर्क और मांधाता से की गई है। कि अपने समय में ही उसे विशेष गौरव प्राप्त हुआ था।

करूर

विजयेन्द्र कुमार माथुर ने लेख किया है ...2. करूर (AS, p.141): करूर पाकिस्तान में मुल्तान और लोनी के बीच में स्थित एक स्थान है। इस स्थान पर भारत के नरेश विक्रमादित्य ने शकों को हराया था। इतिहासकार स्मिथ ने इस राजा को चंद्रगुप्त द्वितीय माना है। अन्य इतिहासकारों की राय में यह राजा यशोवर्मन था।

References

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