A History of Civilization in Ancient India Volume 3; Buddhist and Pauranik Ages (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1890 Excerpt: ...the waters of the Mahapadma lake, and joined the lake also with the Vitasta. Avantivarman was the first Vaishnava king that we read of. His successor Sankaravarman was a great conqueror, and extended his conquests to Gujrat, but disgusted the Brahmans of his country by trusting to his Kayastha financiers. Surendravati and two other queens perished with him on the pyre, 902 A.D. This is one of the earliest instances of that barbarous rite. Sugandh&, a dissolute queen, reigned for two years, 904 to 906 A.D., by the help of the Tantris and the Ekangas, probably two religious sects. But she was soon deposed and the Tantris set up one king after another, according as they were bribed and courted. We now read of a succession of worthless and dissolute kings, of whom Kshemagupta (950 to 958 A.D., ) was about the most shameless and dissolute. His son Abhimanyu, a blameless prince, reigned for fourteen years, after which his mother Didda (the widow of Kshemagupta), commenced her long reign of twentythree years (980 to 1003 A.D., ) after successively murdering three infant kings. When these scenes were disgracing the court of Kashmir, a great enemy was nigh. Mahmud of Ghuzni had commenced his invasions before Didda's reign had come to a close. Her successor Kshemapati sent succour to the Shah king against the Turashka invader Hammira (Mahmud?) but in vain. The terrible invader defeated the army, consisting of Kashmirians and Rajputs, and annexed the " Shahirajya." Another expedition was sent out, but the army fled back to their country before the conquering Moslems. Ananta, after a long reign of thirty-five years, abdicated in favour of his son Ranaditya, a prince of dissolute habits. He, too, had a long reign of twenty-six years, and died in 1089 A.D. Hi...