The Palace Intrigues

The harem was necessarily a great source of danger for the king and was carefully guarded. It played a considerable part in the inner as well as outer politics. The women in the harem were not always happy. jealousies and rivalries among the co-wives in the harem and therefore it had its own internal politics. There were The women in the harem of the kings from Kathasaritsagara cannot Most of the kings from the Out of the many queens in the harem be an exception to this fact. Kathasaritsagara are polygameous. of a king one was his chief queen. Naturally other queens They were jealous of her position and her sons as well. are therefore, at times, seen plotting against each other and their sons. We have many examples in the Kathasaritsagara of these jealousies, rivalries and intrigues for succession. It is mentioned that King Dridhavarman abandoned his newly married wife Kadaligarbha, daughter of sage Mankanaka because of an intrigue of his head-queen who became jealous of her 442. Nirnaya Sagar 6.6.162.

10% position. She secretely told the minister to take such steps as may compel her to depart. He accordingly took the help of a female ascetic and a barber and executed the 443 Afterwards both of them were rewarded by the queen. plan. Again we have got a reference to the palace intrigue of king Chirayus. This king had a minister named Nagarjuna who was an expert physician. He used to give the king an elixir that made him free from oldage and death and thus the king ruled for many hundred years. He had a son named Jeevahara from queen Dhanapara and was in due course of time anointed as the crown-prince. But his mother told him that he will never ascend the throne since his father was free from death and oldage due to the elixir given by the minister Nagarjuna. If he desires the kingdom he must kill Nagarjuna. Accordingly the crown-prince killed the minister and afterwards obtained the kingdom. 444 Quite interesting is the palace intrigue of King Parityaga sena. The king had two queens named Adhika sangama and Kavyalankara. Both had no son. The King propitiated Gauri and in a dream she gave him two fruits which after Son eating would give to each. The king first went to the 443. Nirnaya Sagar 6.6.122-190. 444. Ibid. 7.8.9-55.

108 apartment of queen Adhikasangama and gave her one and unfortunately went to sleep. Out of jealousy queen Adhika sangania ate the second fruit also and in due course of time got two sons. The other queen Kavyalankara therefore determined to take revenge on her. The princes went on an expedition. She took the opportunity and sent a false dispatch on the camp under the name of the king ordering the C-in-C to murder the princes. But they were informed of the intrigue and could escape. 445 When the king came to know of the treachery he punished Kavyalamkara and all the persons involved in the plot. The palace intrigue of king Virabhunja is also mentioned. It is stated that other queens of his harem headed by Ayasholekha entered into a conspiracy against queen Gunavara who was the principal queen. They decided to banish her and her son from the kingdom with the help of Ayasholekhas son Nisehhayadatta and other brothers. Ayasholekha and other queens therefore assumed sadness and told the king that his chief queen was secretely devoted to the superintendent of his harem. "Such was the gossip in the harem" told queen Ayasholekha to the king. He thereupon sent his superintendent of the harem named 445. Nirnaya Sagar 7.8.54-116.

109 Surakshita to pilgrimage and put the queen Gunavara into a dungeon. Then Ayosholekha further plotted to banish her son from the kingdom. But unfortunately the whole plot was made known to the king. He wanted to punish Ayasholekha but she escaped the punishment because of the intervention and goodness shown by queen Gunavara. 446 Again the court-intregue in the palace of King Ugrabhata of Radha is also mentioned. The rivaly between his two queens Manorama and Shilawati and their sons Bhimiabhata and Samarabhata respectively is narrated in 447 details. In yet another palace-intrigue a minister was involved. The minister, and crown-prince Mrigankadatta of The King King Amaradatta wanted to usurp the throne. therefore banished his crown-prince Mrigankadatta from 448 the kingdom with the minister. But in due course of time he came to know that the charge made against the prince was baseless. He therefore called him back and put the 449 wicked minister and his family to death. Again we have got an example of queen Ashokavati who poisoned the ears of the king by telling a false-hood 446. Nirnaya Sagar 7.5.1-147. 447. Ibid. 12.5.44 onwards. 448. Ibid. 12.3.11, 14, 16. 449. Ibid. 12.36.116-118.

110 that his minister intends to poison him with the help of another king. The real fact is that the concerned minister, a handsome Brahmin named Gunasharma did not yield to the advances of the queen and therefore she 145 wanted to take revenge on him. 451 are also mentioned in Kathasaritsagara Rebellions by relations