The Lohara Dynasty and Kalhana's Age (1003 to c. 1171 CE)
The Lohara dynasty takes its name from the Lohara fort and valley (in the Pir Panjal). It brought strong rulers and bitter civil wars. Kalhana lived and wrote in this period.
Rulers at a glance
| Ruler | Period | Remembered for |
|---|---|---|
| Sangramaraja | 1003 to 1028 | Founder. Drove back Mahmud of Ghazni (1015 and again 1021). |
| Ananta | 1028 to 1063 | Queen Suryamati put the finances in order. |
| Kalasha | 1063 to 1089 | Weak, spent too much. |
| Harsha | 1089 to 1101 | Poet and musician, but a tyrant who melted temple idols for money. |
| Uccala | 1101 to 1111 | Overthrew Harsha. Founded a new branch. |
| Sussala | c. 1112 to 1128 | Younger brother of Uccala. Ruled with breaks, since rebels kept driving him out. Father of Jayasimha. |
| Jayasimha | 1128 to 1155 | Last great Lohara king. Kalhana finished his work in his reign (1148 to 1149). |
Mahmud of Ghazni
- Mahmud tried to take Kashmir twice, in 1015 and 1021. He failed, at the fort of Lohara (Lohkot), held by Sangramaraja.
- Al-Biruni said Kashmir was closed to foreigners from then on.
Harsha: the "Nero of Kashmir"
- Harsha was learned, a poet and a musician. But he raised heavy taxes, appointed an officer (the Devotpatananayaka) to uproot temple idols for their metal, and hired Turushka (Turk) soldiers. Kalhana says he was killed in 1101 after a revolt.
- Kalhana's own father, Champaka, was a minister of Harsha.
The Damaras and Kayasthas
| Group | Role |
|---|---|
| Damaras | Powerful landlords and feudal lords of the Valley. They rebelled again and again. |
| Kayasthas | Revenue clerks. Kalhana accuses them of corruption and cruelty. |
Jayasimha and the end of the line
- Jayasimha (1128 to 1155) ended the civil war and calmed the Damaras. He founded Jayapura (identified with Andarkoth) and supported several temples and viharas.
- After him came weak kings. Jonaraja's Dvitiya Rajatarangini names rulers down to Suhadeva (1301 to 1320).
More from the exam notes
- Sangramaraja (1003 to 1028) was the founder of the Lohara dynasty and founded the town of Loharan (in Poonch).
- Harsha (1089 to 1101) was not an able ruler, a pleasure-loving king. He plundered the treasury, melted gold and silver statues of temples and imposed heavy taxes. People and nobles grew unhappy and two brothers, Uchchala and Sussala, rose against him. Harsha was attacked and killed along with his son Bhoja.
- Jayasimha (1128 to 1149): in his reign Kalhana wrote the Rajatarangini (1149 to 1150).
- Vanitadeva (Vantideva) was the last ruler of the Lohara dynasty, who died in 1171.
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Prepared for exam revision from standard sources, official publications and the Census. Figures and recent developments change, so check official sources before relying on them. Found a mistake? Tell us.