Lalitaditya, The Alexander of B. L. Razdan

e was the ever undefeated king who blasted the myth that King of who tasted Indians were never able to capture Hvictory everywhere he went. any foreign lands. Chinese, the Turkish and the Tibetan This great son of India who legends referred to him as a great hailed from Kashmir was none conqueror. He was the first Indian other than Lalitaditya Muktapida of king who gave a befitting reply to , the mightiest the invading Arabs; one of the few Indian king of his times and beyond. Indian kings who was able to Believed to be the youngest of the capture Central Asia. A Kashmiri three sons of Kashmiri king king, his influence spread even to Durlabhaka (alias Pratapaditya), South India and played an Lalitaditya ascended the throne in important role in the foundation of 724 AD at a time when the Karkota the Rashtrakuta empire there, dynasty ruled over the present day which became one of the most & Kashmir, Punjab and powerful kingdoms to have ever Haryana. Lalitaditya not only existed in South India. He was the stopped the Arabs from entering

Bhavan’s Journal, 31 May, 2020 u 63 India but also conquered parts of around 7th century A.D. Lalitadatiya Iran and extended his kingdom having found a natural ally in China, upto Tibet and China. His made a smart diplomatic move by successful efforts to protect aligning with the latter and took Kashmir and India is something advantage of the advanced Chinese which the Indian nation cannot military technologies that helped and should never forget. But it is him in upgrading his own army. really sad that the story of this The famous Iranian scholar and greatest of kings remains virtually historian Al Beruni records the dead and finds no place in history victory of this newly formed alliance books of schools and colleges over the invading Arabs in a battle even in post-independent India. that was fought somewhere near Very early in his youth the great Punjab. He even mentions that a warrior king had understood that festival was held on the second day Kashmir was facing two enemies of Chaitra (March) every year for at the same time; one was the Arab centuries to celebrate the victory. caliphate which had captured Later, defeated the Sindh after defeating Raja Dahir Tibetan king and wrestled kingdoms and the other was the Tibetan of the North-East and which empire. It was getting difficult to were under the dominance of Tibetan ward off both the invasions at the rulers. Lalitaditya did not allow the same time. So, the strategist king allied with Yashovarman of Kannuj, to defend India from the invasions of both Tibetans and Arabs. Legend has it that the Arab Caliphate had allied with Tibetans who were in perpetual conflict with the Chinese rulers represented at that time by the Tang dynasty. The alliance was also encroaching on the lands of Tang Empire even though it was regarded as a powerful regime

64 u Bhavan’s Journal, 31 May, 2020 The ruins of the Martand Temple Arabs to regroup and continued regent of the Deccan had expanding his kingdom in Central approached Lalitaditya for help Asia capturing parts of when her brother-in-law was trying and Transoxiana which comprised to usurp the throne. Lalitaditya the modern-day Uzbekistan, helped her in restoring her kingdom Tajikistan, southern Kyrgyzstan, and placed her son Dantidurga on and south-west Kazakhstan. the throne. Dantidurga is said to Lalitaditya soon became wary have gone on to establish one of of the increasing power of the biggest empires of South India Yashovarman, who seemed to be known as Rashtrakutas. getting arrogant. This led to the It is really sad breaking up of the alliance. Consequently in a subsequent “that the story of this battle, Yashovarman also was greatest of kings defeated and he accepted the vassal remains virtually dead status under Lalitaditya regime. Because of this new status, and finds no place in Yashovarman was obliged to later history books of schools support Lalitaditya in defeating the and colleges even in latter’s arch rivals—the later post-independent Guptas who controlled the Bengal region. It is believed that the queen India. Bhavan’s Journal, 31 May, 2020 u”65 The battles Lalitaditya fought have been described by the Throughout his renowned Kashmiri historian “empires, he built in his classic , the Rajataringini (River of the temples of Kings), in which he writes, ‘The king, many gods who carried his prowess, including Buddha abandoned his (war-like) fury (only) when the (opposing) kings which shows his discretely folded their palms at his respect for other victorious onset. At the sound of faiths. his drums (beaten) in attack, the dwellings of his enemies were grandeur of these temples could” be diverted by the (frightened) gauged even today by having an in- inhabitants and thus resembled depth look at the ruins of the rare women dropping in fright the and scores of burden of their wombs’. other temples which were pulled On the development front down around 15th century AD. Laliditya was a great builder. He Ironically, as in life so in death, reportedly cleared the silting of Lalityadita’s death remains a Vitasta (the present day Jhelum) mystery. There are two versions river to prevent flooding and relating to the death of this brave son directed the water through canals of India and Kashmir. One version is to far-flung regions. He even that he perished during a military reclaimed swamps to boost campaign in Aryanaka (Eastern Iran) agriculture. He is also said to have due to heavy snowfall which founded many present-day cities of occurred out of season. The other Kashmir. Throughout his empires, version, which is unlikely of a brave he built the temples of many gods warrior of his stature, is that he including Buddha which shows his committed suicide after being respect for other faiths. But sadly separated from his army on a again, there is nothing that remains difficult mountain route. Whatever of these grand temples today owing may have happened, in reality to the barbarity unfolded by the India lost one of its greatest sons, Muslim invaders. However, the who made us all proud. 

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