Note 8 — Chapter XI · THE RÁSHṬRAKÚṬAS (a.d. 743–974.)

Govinda III. a.d. 800–808.According to Gujarát Govinda’s (a.d. 827–833) Káví grant (a.d. 827), finding his power threatened by Stambha and other kings, Dhruva made the great Govinda independent during his own lifetime. This suggests that while Dhruva continued to hold the main Ráshṭrakúṭa sovereignty in the Dakhan, he probably invested Govinda with the sovereignty of Gujarát. This fact the Káví grant (a.d. 827) being a Gujarát grant would rightly mention while it would not find a place in the Rádhanpur (a.d. 808) and Van-Dindori (a.d. 808) grants of the main Ráshṭrakúṭas. Of the kings who opposed Govinda the chief was Stambha who may have some connection with Cambay, as, during the time of the Aṇahilaváḍa kings, Cambay came to be called Stambha-tírtha instead of by its old name of Gambhútá. According to the grants the allied chiefs were no match for Govinda. The Gurjjara fled through fear, not returning even in dreams, and the Málava king submitted. Who the Gurjjara was it is hard to say. He may have belonged to some Gurjjara dynasty that rose to importance after Dantidurga’s conquest or the name may mean a ruler of the Gurjjara country. In either case some North Gujarát ruler is meant whose conquest opened the route from Broach to Málwa. From Málwa Govinda marched to the Vindhyas where the king apparently of East Málwa named Márá Śarva submitted to Govinda paying tribute. From the Vindhyas Govinda returned to Gujarát passing the rains at Śríbhavana,8 apparently Sarbhon in the Ámod táluka of Broach, a favourite locality which he had ruled during his father’s lifetime. After the rains Govinda went south as far as the Tungabhadra. On starting for the south Govinda handed Gujarát to his brother Indra with whom begins the Gujarát branch of the Ráshṭrakúṭas. Several plates distinctly mention that Indra was given the kingdom of the lord of Láṭa by (his brother) Govinda. Other Gujarát grants, apparently with intent to show that Indra won Gujarát and did not receive it in gift, after mentioning Śarvva Amoghavarsha as the successor of Govinda (a.d. 818), state that the king (apparently of Gujarát) was Śarvva’s uncle Indra.