Vajrata
Summary
The article investigates the identity of a historical figure named Vajrata mentioned in Rashtrakuta copper-plate charters. The author argues that Vajrata was a North Indian monarch rather than a South Indian ruler. This conclusion is based on the placement of his name alongside other defeated enemies in the charters, such as Harsha and the rulers of Kanchi, Kerala, and the Cola kingdom. The author suggests that Vajrata likely flourished after the death of Harsha. To support this, the article examines the military history of the Calukyas of Badami. It details three recorded conflicts between the Calukyas and North Indian powers: Mangalisha's war with the Kalachuri king Buddharaja, Pulakesin II's defeat of Harsha on the banks of the Reva river, and an expedition to Northern India led by Vinayaditya and his son Vijayaditya under the command of Vikramaditya I. The author argues that the third expedition is the most probable context for the Calukyas defeating a paramount sovereign of Northern India and seizing his royal insignia, such as the Palidhvaja banner and symbols of the Ganga and Yamuna rivers. The author proposes that this defeated sovereign was Vajrata. The article explores potential candidates from North Indian history, including King Vajriyudha of Kanauj mentioned by the poet Rajashekhara in the Karpuramanjari, and a figure named V. (possibly Vajrata) described in the Manjusrimulakalpa. The author suggests that this latter figure, a successor to the Harsha lineage, could be the same Vajrata who was defeated by the Calukyas. The article also briefly touches upon a separate review of Mr. S. C. Banerji's notes regarding the three Ramabhadras of Bengal. The author criticizes this review for creating confusion, specifically regarding the Nyayavarttika of Ramabhadra Nyayavarttikara and its lack of references to Raghunandana or Achyuta.
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Conclusion
This article identifies Vajrata, an enigmatic North Indian monarch mentioned in Rashtrakuta charters, as the likely paramount sovereign of Northern India defeated by the Chalukyas of Badami. Through a detailed analysis of Chalukya military campaigns against northern powers, the text argues that Vajrata flourished after Harsha and was vanquished during an expedition led by Vinayaditya and his son Vijayaditya. The study reconciles the ambiguous inscriptional evidence by proposing that Vajrata corresponds to the "Sakal-ottar-adbipati" from whom the Chalukyas seized the symbols of imperial sovereignty, including the Palidhvaja banner. This identification is supported by literary sources like the *Manjusrimulakalpa*, which suggests a post-Harsha ruler of the Harsha dynasty bearing a similar name. Ultimately, the article significantly advances the historical understanding of early medieval North Indian politics and the Chalukyas' geopolitical reach.