Page:Kalhana's Rajatarangini Vol 1.djvu/34

 Scantiness of biographical data.

Date of Kalhana’s work, a.D, 1148-49.

Canpaka, Kal- hana’s father.

6 INTRODUCTION. (Chap. 1,

CHAPTER I. THE AUTHOR OF THE CHRONICLE.

SECTION I.—KALHANA’S PERSON AND DESCENT.

1. Kaxnaya hes shared the fate of so many Indian authors of note whose memory lives solely in their works. There is no record to tell us of the life of the scholar-poet to whom we owe our knowledge of the history of old Kasmir. Nor do we even meet with the name of Kalhana except in the colophons of his work and in the introductory notice which his successor and continuator Jonaraja has prefixed to his own Chronicle, three centuries later. It is from Kalhana’s work alone that we can gather some facts regarding his origin and person.

The colophons which are attached to the end of each Book of the Raja- taraigini, ascribe its composition to “ Kalhana, the son of the great Kasmirian minister, the illustrious Lord Qanpaka.” There is no reason to doubt the authenti- city of the information conveyed to us in these colophons. They are found already in the codex which is the archetype of our extant Manuscripts. In view of their form which gives honorific titles merely to the father of the author, these colophons may be assumed with great probability to go back to Kalhana himself.

Kalhana wrote the introduction of his Chronicle in the year 4224 of the Laukike era or AD, 1148-49, and completed his work in the year following.® Con- sidering this date and the significance of the above titles, the identity of Kalhanes father with the Cayraka who is repeatedly mentioned in the Chronicle os one of the chief officials of King Harsa (a.p. 1089-1101), becomes highly ram Collateral evidence supporting this opinion is supplied by the Chronicle itself.

2. In the several passages which mention Canpaka, we find the latter invari- ably epoken of with evident respect for his character and activity. We first meet him as lord of the Gate Saag owe or commandant of the frontier defences in the latter part of Harga’s reign. On the occasion of the king’s expedition against the castle of ie edene on the Darad frontier, shortly bekas A.D. 1099, Canpake's success in effecting the investment of that mountain stronghold notwithstanding the intrignes of official rivals is specielly eulogized® When relating Harse's desperate struggle for his crown and life, Kalhana mentions Canpaka amongst the last fow officials

who loyally held out by the king’s side. He is careful to explain Canpaka’s absence at the final catastrophe Pe sated account of the special

mission which the doomed king entrusted to him.* The dialogue which Kalhana puts into the mouth of king sal minister, bears every appearance of historic truth. Reference is made in it to a particular incident which, from the nature of the case, could not have well been remembered by any one except Canpaka himself* Its special record and that of the whole dialogue becomes intelligible in the light of

Pai : fact that Kalhana was the minister's son.

» vil. 117 sqq. * vil, 1601.
 * Soo Rajat. i, 63; vill, $404. 4 vii, 1586 qq.