 |
HISTORY
|
 |
SILAHARAS
Silaharas.-Three distinct families bearing the name Silaharas were ruling respectively northern Korikan, southern Konkan and the southern Maharashtra consisting of the districts of Kolhapur, Miraj and Karad. All of them assumed the title Tagarapura-varadhishvara. This indicates that they ruled the city of Tagara at one time. These families were founded in the times of Rashtrakutas and served as their feudatories. The first two of these families founded about the middle of the 9th century A.D. passed through trying circumstances during the rule of the later Chalukyas of Kalyani. This has been already mentioned. The third Silahara family was founded by Jatiga in 10th century A.D. with its capital probably at Karad. This family had a more distinguished career as its scions ruled as independent or semi-independent kings after the fall of the Rashtrakuta empire. It is said that Gandaraditya of this family who probably ruled in the
first half of the 12th century A.D. became famous by feeding
a hundred thousand Brahmanas and constructing a large tank named
Gandasamudra in the Miraj District with the installation of the
image of Buddha, Jina and Shiva.
Early History Silaharas
Vijayaditya, the son and successor of Gandaraditya, helped the northern Silaharas in recovering their independence and assisted Bijjala in his revolt against later Chalukyas. Kalachuris were unable to worst Bhoja II, Vijayaditya's son, but Singhana succeeded in overthrowing him and annexing the kingdom of Silaharas to the Yadava dominions.
The Silaharas carried the Suvarana-Garuda-Dhvaja and assumed the title Sriman-Mahalakshmi-labdha-vara-prasada; which proclaims Mahalakshmi as their tutelary deity. An epigraphic record [Epigraphies Indica, III, 192.] speaks of their descent from Jimutaketu who gave his life to Garuda for saving serpents, a story forming the basis of Nagananda of Shri-harsha. This record styles, the Silahara family as ' the best of the Sinihala kings' thus indicating a real or probably fancied relation with the island of Ceylon.
|
