61 Facts About Lalitaditya Muktapida

Lalitaditya alias Muktapida was a Karkota monarch of the Kashmir region in the Indian subcontinent.

Lalitaditya Muktapida commissioned a number of shrines in Kashmir, including the now-destroyed Martand Sun Temple.

Lalitaditya Muktapida established several towns, including a new capital at Parihasapura.

The main source of information about Lalitaditya Muktapida is Rajatarangini, a chronicle of the rulers of Kashmir, by the 12th-century Kashmiri writer Kalhana.

Lalitaditya Muktapida finds a brief mention in the New Book of Tang, a record of the Tang dynasty of China.

Lalitaditya Muktapida had two elder brothers named Chandrapida and Tarapida, who preceded him as the rulers of Kashmir.

Kalhana states that Lalitaditya Muktapida's reign lasted for 36 years, 7 months and 11 days.

However, this is not correct, as Lalitaditya Muktapida's predecessor is known to have sent an embassy to the Tang capital Chang'an in 720 CE.

Lalitaditya Muktapida claimed to be a descendant of the mythical Naga king Karkotaka.

Lalitaditya Muktapida invaded the Antarvedi country, whose capital was located at Gadhipura.

Lalitaditya Muktapida instituted five new offices, which were occupied by Shahi and other princes.

Lalitaditya Muktapida reached Kalinga and Gauda, and a number of elephants joined his army from Gauda.

Lalitaditya Muktapida had constructed obstacle-free roads over the Vindhya mountains, and was as powerful as the goddess Vindhyavasini.

Lalitaditya Muktapida's army emptied the Kamboja stables of horses.

The Tuhkharas fled to mountain ranges on Lalitaditya Muktapida's approach, leaving behind their horses.

Lalitaditya Muktapida defeated Mummuni three times in a battle, and made the Bhauttas very anxious.

When Lalitaditya Muktapida approached the deserted town of Pragjyotisha, he saw the smoke arising from the black aloes burning in the forests.

In Valukambudhi, where the mirage resulted in an illusion of water, Lalitaditya Muktapida's elephants appeared like large crocodiles.

Lalitaditya Muktapida returned to Kashmir with the immense wealth obtained from his conquests.

Lalitaditya Muktapida appointed his attendants as the kings of Jalamdhara, Lohara and other countries.

Lalitaditya Muktapida established several cities and shrines during his stay in Kashmir.

When Lalitaditya Muktapida's ministers did not receive any news about him for several days, they sent a messenger to find him.

Later, some people reported that Lalitaditya Muktapida died in the Aryanaka country, as a result of excessive out-of-season snowfall.

Lalitaditya Muktapida argues that Kalhana's dubious sources could have fabricated a conquest of known parties.

Goetz theorizes that Lalitaditya Muktapida had captured Punjab, Afghanistan, and western part of the Central Asian highlands before embarking upon his campaign in central India.

Historical evidence suggests that the two kings were immediate neighbours before their conflict: Lalitaditya Muktapida's empire extended up to present-day Punjab in the south-east, while Yashovarman's north-eastern frontier included parts of present-day Haryana.

Goetz identified Kalhana's Queen Ratta with Bhavagana, who was a wife of the Rashtrakuta king Indra I Goetz speculates that she acted as a queen regent for her son Dantidurga after Indra's death, but her rule was threatened by her brother-in-law Krishna I As a result, she appealed Lalitaditya for help, who arrived in Deccan and fought on her side.

Goetz theorizes that Lalitaditya Muktapida must have died before this year, and Karka must have returned to Gujarat after his death.

Goetz theorizes that during this return journey, Lalitaditya Muktapida passed through Ujjain, Chittorgarh, Marwar and Thanesar.

Lalitaditya Muktapida speculated that the legendary Guhila ruler Bappa Rawal of Chittorgarh served Lalitaditya as a vassal, and died fighting in the Kashmiri king's Central Asian campaigns.

Lalitaditya Muktapida further explains that the Tibetans had distressed him and another king of Central India by blocking the five great routes.

Lalitaditya Muktapida's Kashmir seems to have played a significant role in these conflicts.

Ronald M Davidson believes that Lalitaditya enlisted soldiers from Tokharistan, leveraging his position as a Chinese vassal; these soldiers supported the Chinese against the Tibetans.

Lalitaditya Muktapida was succeeded by his sons: first Kuvalayapida and then Vajraditya.

Kalhana states that Lalitaditya Muktapida established the following cities and towns:.

Kalhana mentions that while Lalitaditya Muktapida was away from his kingdom, his architect built a town called Lalitapura after him, but this angered Lalitaditya Muktapida.

The town had been built by an earlier king named Pravarasena, and Lalitaditya Muktapida did not want another town as beautiful as Parihasapura to exist.

However, when Lalitaditya Muktapida came to his senses, he regretted his decision.

Lalitaditya Muktapida was relieved when his ministers informed him that they had not actually carried out his order.

Lalitaditya Muktapida was pleased with his ministers' wise decision, and instructed them to similarly ignore his commands whenever he was drunk.

Kalhana states that Lalitaditya Muktapida constructed a shrine in every town, village, river, sea and island.

Lalitaditya Muktapida placed idols of the deities' attendants, made of gold and silver, in these shrines.

Kalhana mentions a legend describing the discovery of two ancient idols: Lalitaditya Muktapida, who was a skilled horse-rider, once took an untrained horse to a wasteland alone.

Lalitaditya Muktapida installed the Rama-svamin in this stone building.

Lalitaditya Muktapida was away from Parihasapura at that time, and the attendants of the Parihasa-Keshava temple closed its gates to prevent the Gauda men from entering the shrine.

Kalhana mentions that Lalitaditya Muktapida built a shrine of Aditya in Lalitapura, and granted the land of Kanyakubja and its villages to this shrine.

Kalhana states that Lalitaditya Muktapida made an arrangement at Chakradhara to distribute the Vitasta river water to several villages using a series of water wheels.

Kalhana states that Lalitaditya Muktapida started the Sahasra-bhakta festival at Parihasapura.

Kalhana declares that Lalitaditya Muktapida's commands were not disobeyed even by the gods.

Once, while encamped on the shores of the eastern ocean in the cold weather, Lalitaditya Muktapida ordered kapittha fruits to be brought to him.

Lalitaditya Muktapida's attendants were perplexed, as this fruit was not common in the given season and place.

Kalhana claims that Lalitaditya Muktapida's minister Chankuna was a brother of the magician Kanakavarsha.

Lalitaditya Muktapida produced gold in the king's treasury using his magic powers.

Lalitaditya Muktapida then retrieved his mani by using another mani, and the streams were united again.

Kalhana claims that Lalitaditya Muktapida made several streams appear by pushing his spear into the ground.

Lalitaditya Muktapida said that he had been punished for advising his king to accept Lalitaditya's suzerainty.

Lalitaditya Muktapida promised to punish the rival king, and had the wounded minister restored to health under his care.

When Lalitaditya Muktapida's army was on the verge of dying of thirst, the minister revealed that this was all a set-up: he was actually loyal to the rival king and intended to misguide Lalitaditya Muktapida and his army to their death.

Lalitaditya Muktapida announced that he was impressed with the minister's loyalty to his own master, but declared that his plan would not be successful.

Lalitaditya Muktapida then reached Sikata-sindhu, where he reduced the rival king to the same pitiful condition as his limbless minister.

Kalhana mentions that several other wonderful legends about Lalitaditya Muktapida existed during his time, but he could not include them all in Rajatarangini because he did not want to break the flow of the narrative.