Kokalla II

Kokalla II
King of Dahala
Reignc. 990–1015 CE
PredecessorYuvarajadeva II
SuccessorGangeyadeva
IssueGangeyadeva
DynastyKalachuris of Tripuri
FatherYuvarajadeva II

Kokalla II (IAST: , r. c. 990–1015 CE) was a ruler of the Kalachuri dynasty of Tripuri in central India. His kingdom was centered around the Chedi or Dahala region in present-day Madhya Pradesh. His Gurgi inscription suggests that he raided the territories of the Gurjara-Pratiharas, the Palas and the Chalukyas of Kalyani.

Early life

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Kokalla was a son of the Kalachuri king Yuvarajadeva II. He was placed on the throne by the ministers of the state after his father's death.[1]

Reign

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The Gurgi inscription of Kokalla boasts that the other kings were afraid of him: the Gurjara king hid in the Himalayas, the Gauda king hid in the watery fort, and the Kuntala king lived in forest. These claims indicate that Kokalla probably raided these territories:[1]

  • The Gurjara king was probably a Chaulukya king, either Mularaja or Chamundaraja. However, as the Kalachuri inscription suggests that the Himalayan region was part of his kingdom, he can also be identified with a weak Gurjara-Pratihara ruler, probably Rajyapala.[1]
  • The Kuntala king can be identified with the Kalayani Chalukya king Vikramaditya V. Kokalla's paternal aunt had married the Chalukya king Tailapa II. It is possible that the Chalukya-Kalachuri relations deteriorated after Tailapa's death.[1]

The Jabalpur and Khaira inscriptions of Kokalla's descendant Yashahkarna boast that Kokalla raided countries in four directions until he reached the four oceans. This seems to be mere conventional praise.[1]

The Udaipur Prashasti inscription of the Paramaras claims that their king Bhoja defeated one Togglala.[2] S. K. Bose identifies Togglala with Kokalla II.[3] Kokalla was succeeded by his son Gangeyadeva, who appears to have served as Bhoja's vassal during the first few years of his reign.[4]

References

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Bibliography

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  • Krishna Narain Seth (1978). The Growth of the Paramara Power in Malwa. Progress. OCLC 8931757.
  • Mahesh Singh (1984). Bhoja Paramāra and His Times. Bharatiya Vidya Prakashan. OCLC 11786897.
  • Pranab Kumar Bhattacharyya (1977). Historical Geography of Madhya Pradesh from Early Records. Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 978-0-8426-9091-1.
  • Saikat K. Bose (2015). Boot, Hooves and Wheels: And the Social Dynamics behind South Asian Warfare. Vij Books. ISBN 978-9-38446-454-7.
  • V. V. Mirashi (1957). "The Kalacuris". In R. S. Sharma (ed.). A Comprehensive history of India: A.D. 985-1206. Vol. 4 (Part 1). Indian History Congress / People's Publishing House. ISBN 978-81-7007-121-1.