Lakshmadeva

Lakshmadeva (IAST: Lakṣma-deva) was a member of the Paramara dynasty of Malwa region in central India. According to one theory, he ascended the Paramara throne after his father Udayaditya, and reigned during the 1080s CE. According to another theory, Lakshmadeva never became the king and Udayaditya was succeeded by Lakshmadeva's brother Naravarman.

Lakshma
possibly a king of Malwa
Reignc. 1080s CE
PredecessorUdayaditya
SuccessorNaravarman
DynastyParamara

Political status

A 1104-1105 CE stone inscription, now kept at the Nagpur Museum, records several military achievements of Lakshmadeva.[1] According to one theory, these achievements happened during the reign of Udayaditya, and Lakshamdeva never ascended the throne.[1] His name is missing from the list of Paramara kings mentioned in Jayavarman II's 1274 CE Mandhata copper-plate inscription, which lists Naravarman as Udayaditya's successor.[2] The Dewas grant inscription also suggests that Naravarman succeeded Udayaditya.[1]

Military conquests

The 1104-1105 CE Nagpur prashasti inscription credits Lakshmadeva with the following military achievements in the four directions:[1]

  • East: threatening the land of Gauda, defeating the armies of Anga and Kalinga, and occupying the city of Tripuri
  • South: subjugating the Cholas, invading the Pandya country, and invading Sri Lanka
  • West: attacking the Timingalas and other tribes of the Mainaka mountain
  • North: vanquishing the Turushkas and the Kiras

This description appears to be a poetic exaggeration based on the victories of the legendary king Raghu, as described in Raghuvamsa.[3] For example, Lakshmadeva's purported subjugation of the Cholas and the Pandyas is not supported by any historical evidence.[4] However, some of the other achievements may have a historical basis. For example, the Kalachuris of Tripuri were weak after the death of their king Karna, and Lakshmadeva may have raided Tripuri during the reign of Karna's successor Yashahkarna.[5] Historian D. C. Ganguly speculated that the claim of Lakshmadeva subjugating the Turushkas (the Turkic people) may be a reference to his repulsion of an attack by Mahmud of Ghazni. However, this is not correct, as Mahmud died in 1030 CE, much earlier than Lakshmadeva's time. Some other historians believe that Lakshmadeva might have defeated a Turkic Muslim governor of Punjab who invaded Ujjain, but this is not corroborated by any evidence.[5]

Death

Lakshmadeva must have died sometime before 1082 CE, as the 1082 CE Kamed inscription records Naravarman's donation of a plot of land "for perpetually burning a lamp for" (in memory of) Lakshmadeva.[1]

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References
  1. Arvind K. Singh 2012, p. 22.
  2. H. V. Trivedi 1991, p. 213.
  3. K. C. Jain 1972, p. 358.
  4. K. C. Jain 1972, pp. 357-358.
  5. H. V. Trivedi 1991, p. 110.

Bibliography
  • Arvind K. Singh (2012). "Interpreting the History of the Paramāras". Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society. 22 (1): 13–28. JSTOR 41490371.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • K. C. Jain (1972). Malwa Through the Ages, from the Earliest Times to 1305 A.D. Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 978-81-208-0824-9.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Harihar Vitthal Trivedi (1991). Inscriptions of the Paramāras (Part 2). Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum Volume VII: Inscriptions of the Paramāras, Chandēllas, Kachchapaghātas, and two minor dynasties. Archaeological Survey of India. doi:10.5281/zenodo.1451755.
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