Udayaditya

This article is about King Udayaditya of the Paramara dynasty. For the emperor of Angkor, see Udayadityavarman II.

Udayaditya (reigned c. 1060–1087) was a Paramara dynasty ruler of Malwa region of central India, who succeeded Jayasimha I. He was succeeded by his son, Lakshmanadeva.

Situation after Bhoja I's death

The Udaipur Prashasti says that at Bhoja's death " Dhara was filled with a dense darkness by his foes and his hereditary warriors become infirm in body. Then arose king Udayaditya, another sun as it were, destroying the dense darkness......and gladdening the sight of his people by his splendour". According to the Nagpur inscription, "when he(Bhoja) had become Indra's companion, when the realm was overrun by floods in which its sovereign was submerged, his relative Udayaditya become king delivering the earth which was troubled by kings and taken possession of by Karna...... joined by Karnatas."

Merutunga in his Prabandha Chintamani confirms this fact, stating that at Bhoja's death Karna and Bhimadeva of Gujarat were allies.The friendship and alliances between these two did not last long as the same author tells us that Bhima, not long last after, threatened Karna who came to terms and presented Bhimadeva with a golden litter which he had taken from Bhoja.

The Karnata mentioned as an ally of Karna would appear to be the Hoysala Yadava price Ereyanga. A record of this house states that Ereyanga in a conquest of the north, took Dhara the stronghold of Lords of Malwa, which had made prosperous by king Bhoja.

Reign

The fame of Udayaaditya as delivering Dhar and Malwa generally from a foreign yoke has given him a position of exaggerated importance. In his deliverance Dhar, this king was assisted by the Vikramaditya VI of Kalyani Chalukya. In the Vikramankadevacharita of Bilhana, Vikramaditya is said to have lent his assistance to the Malwa king, while his father Somesvara I was still ruling.

"He (Vikramaditya VI) placed the suppliant king (of Dhar) on his throne, free of all fear from enemies."

This shows that ancient feud that existed between rulers of Dhar and Kalyana was then in abeyance.

Personal life

Udayaditya appears to have had the hereditary fondness for literature and art, and to have brought up his sons as scholars, and his second son Naravarman is believed to have been the author of more than one Prashasti.

While Jayasimha is said to have been a son, Udayaditya is only spoken of as relation of Bhoja, but the exact relationship is never given.

It may thus be surmised that the direct line ended with Jayasimha, Udayaditya starting a collateral branch as holders of the throne.

Udayaditya had three sons Lakshmanadeva, Naravarman, Jagdeva, and one daughter. The elder sons in turn succeeded their father while the daughter, Shyamaladevi, was married to the Gohi prince Vijaysinha and become the mother of Alhandevi afterwards wife of the Chedi king Gayakarnadeva.

Coinage

The gold coins issued by Udayaditya are of 4.05 g weight. On the obverse of these coins the image of seated Lakshmi is depicted. On the reverse, the Devanagari legend, Shrimad Udayadeva is inscribed in three lines.^[1]

Notes