Part 10 - Administration and warfare (found in the Śrīkaṇṭhacarita)

Maṇkhaka, himself has stated that he wrote his Śrīkaṇṭhacarita, to eulogize Lord Śiva. He, in clear terms, states that it is a pity, that leaving aside Lord Śiva, who had ears everywhere, the poets used to glorify a human being i.e. a king, who is prone to human errors, suffering from deafness, on account of pride and vanity.^[1] This shows the poet’s reluctance to eulogize mortal and more inclination towards Lord Śiva. The reason behind this sour remark of the poet towards the king may be that the poet thought those rulers not as favourable or worthy of praise. However, to safeguard himself from any wrathful action of his king, he praises just for one or two occasions, his king. Only in one place, Sussala is praised as Indra on earth or the king of gods.^[2] King Jayasiṃha is mentioned without any special praise^[3], while verse 61 of canto XXV is composed in glory of Jayasiṃha by Devadhara. Maṅkhaka has just inserted it into his poem. Just to escape from the evil consequences of wrath and displeasure of his ruler, Maṅkhaka, has praised his king slightly and refrained himself from finding fault with him. On the basis of these facts, the political data relating to administration and warfare of that time reflected through the Śrīkaṇṭhacarita may be discussed below.

Maṅkhaka provides the following data regarding the political picture of Kashmir of his time. Jayasiṃha, the son of Sussala was the ruling king of Kashmir during the time of composition (between A.D. 1136-1142) of the Śrīkaṇṭhacarita by Maṅkhaka.^[4] Jayasiṃha’s time (A.D. 1127-1149) was perhaps peaceful but occasionally he had to fight with his enemies in many struggles, however, he became successful in subduing them.^[5] From the description of Devadhara^[6], an eminent scholar of the literary assembly of Alaṃkāra, it was found that Jayasiṃha’s overall reign was peaceful excepting some instances of unrest. From Kalhana’s Rājataraṅgiṇī also, it was noticed that though the early part of Jayasiṃha’s rule (A.D. 1128 to the middle of A.D. 1136) was disturbed by struggles and strive, the latter part of his reign i.e. from the second part of A.D. 1136 to A.D. 1142) was peaceful. Thus, the period in which the Śrīkaṇṭhacarita was written was peaceful.

Maṅkhaka mentions two ancestors of Jayasiṃha viz. Harṣa and Sussala. Stein [see Appendix: 12th century Kashmir], in his Introduction to the translation of Kalhaṇa’s Rājataraṅgiṇī, writes in detail about the political scenario of that time of Kashmir.

From the Śrīkaṇṭhacarita, it was found that feudal system was in practice.^[7] The feudatory kings had to wait upon their sovereign king.^[8] The panegyrists used to sing panegyrics called Bhogāvalī^[9] to wake up the king at dawn. During the time of coronation, the head of a king was tied with a band^[10], the kings issued royal letters to promising subordinates^[11]. The description of the court of Lord Śiva^[12] presents the true picture of the then royal court. At the outset of a military march, the commander of an army blown the conches for auspiciousness.^[13] The kings used to keep body-guards.^[14] The literary assembly was held in the abode of ministers also.

These were some of the information regarding the administration as well as political scenario of the then Kashmir.

Besides these, below is some of the historical information collected from the Śrīkaṇṭhacarita.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Ibid., XXV. 6

[2]:

Ibid., III. 62

[3]:

Ibid., III. 66

[4]:

Ibid., III. 66; XXV. 61

[5]:

Ibid., XXV. 121-126

[6]:

Ibid., XXV. 61

[7]:

Śrīkaṇṭhacarita., VI. 50; XXV. 40-41

[8]:

Ibid., XVI. 27-29

[9]:

Ibid., XVI.1

[10]:

Ibid., VIII. 44; XI. 23

[11]:

Ibid., XV. 32

[12]:

Ibid., XVII

[13]:

Ibid., XII. 42

[14]:

Ibid., VI. 42; XV. 8