Sources of Rajatarangini

Sources of Rajatarangini are several according to its author Kalhana himself. The works of old chronicles of the royals have been put into one composition named Suvrata which has been written in the Kavya style. He also consulted eleven works of former scholars as well as Nilamata Purana. Ksemendra`s Nrpavali was also consulted. Kalhana had also taken the names of eight kings from Padma-Mihira. From Chavillakara he derived some historical information such as Emperor Ashoka`s name and his devotion to the religion of Buddhism.

However, Kalhana used original sources to check his literary authorities. According to him he inspected inscriptions of various kinds that recorded construction of temples, memorials, records of land grants, eulogies engraved on temples and other buildings and manuscripts of literary works. He has also studied in detail the coins and inspected buildings, while he was clearly a master of the topography of the valley. He has also used local traditions of all kinds and family records. While from his own knowledge and from that of his father and many others he chose the minute details. Kalhana also admits that the first fifty-two kings whom he recognizes were not recorded by his predecessors as chroniclers. The name of the first four kings were taken from Nilamata, the next eight from Helaraja then after a gap of thirty-five kings, then the next five from Chavillakara.

The first king Gonanda is of special importance as he ascended the throne in the same year 653 of the Kali era in which Yudhisthir was crowned and on this synchronism is built up the whole fabric of Kalhana`s chronology. In Book III Gonanda III is considered as the real head of the dynasty. Book III describes about the history of the restored Gonanda dynasty under Meghavahana.

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