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Kalhana

Kalhana

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57 views4 pages

Kalhana

Kalhana

Uploaded by

tophannahak003
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Nayachandra, a Jain writer of the fifteenth century wrote

Hammiramhakavya which deals with the heroic and tragic story of


the Cahamana king Hammira. However, before narrating the
history of Hammira, Nayachandra traces the early history which is
less complete than provided by Jayanaka. He describes how
Prithiviraja III, who had defeated the Turks, was eventually
defeated and killed by Sahavadina.

Jayasi in his Hindi historical romance ‘Padmavati’ shows how


Padmavati, a rare beauty, and wife of the Guhilaputra ruler,
Bhimasimha, led to the tragic siege and destruction of Chitrakuta
in 1303 by Allaudin.

Padmagupta, wrote an epic on the Paramara King Sindhuraja of


Avanti. Though the work is based on real events, it is
transformed into a romantic legend.

Padmagupta also provides us useful information about the


ancestry of his hero.

13.11 KALHANA

Kalhana was a renowned Indian historiographer. He belonged to


the middle of the twelfth century. This Hindu historian was
influenced by Buddhism. His famous historical work was
Rajatarangini (River of kings)

1) Life Sketch

Kalhana was a brahmin of Kashmir. He was the son of Kanpaka.


Kanpaka served as a minister of king Harsha of Kashmir. The
ministerial status of Kanpaka offered Kalhana an opportunity to
know the history of Kashmir. He had knowledge on history,
geography, economics, law, government, science and arts.
Kalhana was a poet par excellence (beyond comparison).

2) Historical Writing - Rajatarangini

Kalhana, the poet historian’s masterpiece was Rajatarangini. It


consists of 8000 exquisite Sanskrit verse. The verses have been
divided into eight cantos. Each canto is known as taranga or
wave.

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Kalhana started writing Rajatarangini in 1148 A.D. and computed
it in 1150 A.D. During this period, the ruler of Kashmir was king
Jayasimha.

The entire work has been divided into three sections. The first
section includes First three cantos. In this section, Kalhana deals
about legendary kings. The second section consists of the next
three cantos covering the Karkota and Utpala dynasties. The third
section includes the last two cantos covering the two Lohara
dynasties.

Aims

Kalhana wrote Rajatarangini for the following aims:

i) Kalhana regarded the existing chronicles on Kashmir and the


local puranas lacking authenticity. They offered fragmentary,
contradictory and dissatisfactory account on the history of
Kashmir. He, therefore, wanted to write an objective, authentic
and real history on Kashmir. ii) Kalhana resolved to offer valuable
spiritual and ethical lessons through his writing. He wanted to
expose impermanence of worldly life, the viccitudes (changes) in
the life of Kings and virtues and vices of the kings. iii) Kalhana
determined to write the happenings in the past in a beautiful style
in order to entertain the readers.

3) Source Materials

Kalhana collected data from the following sources: a) eleven


chronicles already in existence. b) the Nilamatha Purana c) the
works of Surata containing a summary of earlier chronicles. d)
Kshmendra’s chronicle on kashmir. e)coins. f)decrees g)
inscriptions, h) verbal traditions i) current accounts, j)
biographies, k) royal grants and charters l) sthala puranas and m)
traditions and customs.

4) Information about His Work

The first date which appeared in Rajatarangini was 1184 B.C.


Gonanda III was the ruler at that time. Without mentioning the
accurate date, Kalhana dealt with the history of 1266 years prior to
the period of 1184 B.C. in which 52 rulers ruled Kashmir.

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Kalhana gave no date for the first three cantos. He gave exact
dates from the fourth canto. The first exact date was 812 A.D.
from which period, chronology was accurate.

In his Rajatarangini, Kalhana pictured the society of Kashmir


during his period. The food habits, the way of dressing, high
position of women and the religious condition of the people were
explained. He described Srinagar, the capital and other towns in
Kashmir, temples, shrines, monasteries and natural environment.
Kalhana also described famines, prices of various commodities,
mode of taxation and currency.

Women had a dignified status. Purdah system and harem were


not in vogue. Women rulers were versed in politics. Inter-caste
marriage prevailed. For example, king Chakara Varma married
an untouchable Doma women and made her his queen.

Kalhana’s ideal king should be strong, rigid, benevolent and


considerable. He should be guided by wise counsellers. His
control over the officials should be complete. Kalhana was
against feudalism and bureaucracy. He mentioned about the
intrigues of the feudal lords and insubordination of the officials.
Kalhana wrote as follows: “The crab kills its father and the the
crab spider its mother, but the ungrateful Kayastha, when he
becomes powerful, destroys everything”.

Kalhana was an orthodox Hindu. He believed that karma shaped


the destiny of men and the course of events. Lalitadiya’s success
as a ruler was due to his munificence to the brahmans in the
previous birth. The evil desires of the kings originated in the
former births. Law of karma punished or rewarded men in
accordance with their deeds. Kalhana also believed that Vidhata,
the creator, influenced the course of history.

5) Limitations

a) Kalhana has failed to analyse the source materials collected by


him critically. He has reproduced impossibilities without critical
analysis. For example, Kalhana mentions that king Ranaditya
ruled for 300 years. b) He has reproduced fables and legendary
characters in his Rajatarangini. c) chronology is not accurate in

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the first three cantos. d) Kalhana’s faith in fate and divine power
is revealed throughout his work.

6) Estimate

Inspite of Kalhana’s failure to (i) analyse the source materials


critically (ii) observe accuracy in chronology and (iii) follow
humanistic approach, he is unique among the early Indian
historians. He was the first Indian historian who wrote history in
the proper sense of the term. He was a learned and honest
historian. He was an objective writer. He wrote his works in a
high literary style. He ranks high among the ancient historians of
India.

Check your progress

1. Write a note on Puranas and History.

2. Write briefly about Buddhist historiography.

3. Describe Jain Historiography.

4. Explain the work of Kalhana.

Summary

From the above said discussions, Puranas, Buddhist works, Jain


works, works of Bana Bhatta, Bilhana, Sandhkanandan,
Someswara deva, Jayananka and Kalhana are helpful to
understand the ancient Indian Historiography.

Glossary

Puranas : Contain valuable historical information in the form of


genealogical or dynastic tests.

Tripitakas : Provide information about India during the life time of


Lord Buddha.

Jayankara : Prithvi raja Vijaya

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