Historicity of Tribhuvanapaladeva and Kumarapaladeva in the Dutangada of Subhata - A Critical Review
Summary
This article critically reviews the historical context of Tribhuvanapaladeva and Kumarapaladeva as depicted in Subhata’s Dutangada. The Dutangada, a one-act play, refers to the Parisad of Maharajadhiraja Tribhuvanapaladeva, who commissioned the poet to initiate a "chaya-nataka" for a spring procession honoring Deva-Sri Kumarapaladeva. The author argues that Subhata flourished in the twelfth century A.D., not the thirteenth century as posited by scholars like Dr. Sushil Kumar De, A.B. Keith, M. Winternitz, and G.V. Devasthali, who place the play's enactment in 1243 A.D. The author supports this earlier dating by citing Somesvara's Kirti-Kaumudi, which alludes to Subhata as an earlier poet. The main argument challenges the prevailing view that Tribhuvanapaladeva was the thirteenth-century patron of Subhata. Instead, the author contends that Tribhuvanapaladeva was the twelfth-century father of Kumarapaladeva, the successor of Jayasimha Siddharaja. Evidence from historical and epigraphic records, including the Dyayasraya Mahakavya, Kumarapalacharita, and Prabandha-cintamani, indicates that Kumarapaladeva ruled from 1143 to 1172 A.D. The author identifies Tribhuvanapaladeva as the Maharajadhiraja mentioned in Subhata's play, referencing the INGNO-DA inscription of Vyayapala-deva and other epigraphic evidence from the Vagada region. This Tribhuvanapaladeva was an independent monarch, not the thirteenth-century Caulukya king. The author refutes the theory of two Tribhuvanapalas, as proposed by M. Krishnamacharya, by demonstrating that the first Tribhuvanapaladeva never ascended the throne and the second reigned only briefly in 1242 A.D. The article concludes that Subhata was the court poet of the twelfth-century Tribhuvanapaladeva, who organized a procession to honor his son, Kumarapaladeva, who was then a prince or vassal. The historical representation in Subhata's work is thus reconciled with epigraphic and literary evidence, establishing a twelfth-century context for the play.
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Conclusion
This critical review challenges the established scholarly consensus regarding the historicity of Tribhuvanapaladeva and Kumarapaladeva in Subhata’s Dutangada. The article demonstrates that Subhata’s patron was a twelfth-century Maharajadhiraja named Tribhuvanapaladeva of the Vagada region, not the thirteenth-century Caulukya king. Consequently, Kumarapaladeva was a subordinate prince or vassal of this earlier sovereign, rendering the traditional genealogical relationship between the two figures untenable. By re-evaluating literary allusions, epigraphic records, and dynastic histories, the text recontextualizes Subhata’s work within a distinct twelfth-century political landscape. This re-dating has significant implications, as it necessitates a reassessment of Subhata’s chronology and his role as a court poet, thereby correcting long-standing misinterpretations in the historiography of medieval Indian literature and regional polities.