Durlabharaja II (r. c. 998–1012 CE) was an Indian king belonging to the Shakambhari Chahamana dynasty. He ruled the Sapadalaksha country, which included parts of present-day

Rajasthan Rajasthan (; Literal translation, lit. 'Land of Kings') is a States and union territories of India, state in northwestern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the List of states and union territories of ...

in north-western India. Durlabha-raja was a son of the Chahamana king Simharaja. He succeeded his brother Vigraharaja II on the Chahamana throne. The Harsha inscription of Vigraharaja compares the two brothers to

Rama Rama (; , , ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the seventh and one of the most popular avatars of Vishnu. In Rama-centric Hindu traditions, he is considered the Supreme Being. Also considered as the ideal man (''maryāda' ...

Lakshmana Lakshmana (, ), also known as Laxmana, Lakhan, Saumitra, and Ramanuja, is the younger brother of Rama in the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. He is considered as an incarnation of Shesha, the lord of serpents. Lakshmana was married to Urmila, and i ...

and

Krishna Krishna (; Sanskrit language, Sanskrit: कृष्ण, ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme God (Hinduism), Supreme God in his own right. He is the god of protection, c ...

Balarama Balarama (, ) is a Hindu god, and the elder brother of Krishna. He is particularly significant in the Jagannath tradition, as one of the triad deities. He is also known as Haladhara, Halayudha, Baladeva, Balabhadra, and Sankarshana. The fir ...

. He had two other brothers, named Chandraraja and Govindaraja (not to be confused with the Chahamana kings bearing same names). Two 999 CE inscriptions from Durlabha's reigns have been discovered at Kinsariya ( Parbatsar

tehsil A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluk, or taluka () is a local unit of administrative division in India and Pakistan. It is a subdistrict of the area within a Zila (country subdivision), district including the designated populated place that ser ...

) and Sakrai in Rajasthan. According to the Sakrai inscription, he assumed the title

Maharajadhiraja Maharaja (also spelled Maharajah or Maharaj; ; feminine: Maharani) is a royal title in Indian subcontinent of Sanskrit origin. In modern India and medieval northern India, the title was equivalent to a prince. However, in late ancient India ...

("king of kings"). The Kinsariya inscription states that he was known as ''Durllanghya-Meru'', which implies that his enemies obeyed his orders. The inscription also states that he conquered the Asosittana or Rasoshittana

mandala A mandala (, ) is a geometric configuration of symbols. In various spiritual traditions, mandalas may be employed for focusing attention of practitioners and adepts, as a spiritual guidance tool, for establishing a sacred space and as an aid ...

. Historian R. B. Singh speculates that this might be present-day

Rohtak district Rohtak district is a district in the Indian state of Haryana. It is located in the southeast of the state and northwest of Delhi, bounded by Jind and Sonipat districts to the north, Jhajjar and Sonipat districts to the east, and Hissar, C ...

, which Durlabha probably captured from a Tomara king. Durlabha also finds a mention in a 996 CE inscription of Dhavala, a chief of the Hastikundi Rashtrakuta branch. According to this inscription, Dhavala came to aid of a king named Mahendra, who had been overpowered by Durlabha. This Mahendra can be identified with the contemporary Naddula Chahamana king, who was a feudatory of Durlabha's rivals, the

Chaulukya The Chaulukya dynasty (), also Solanki dynasty, was a dynasty that ruled parts of what are now Gujarat and Rajasthan in north-western India, between and . Their capital was located at Anahilavada (modern Patan). At times, their rule extended ...

s. The inscription states that Dhavala used both diplomacy and force to relieve Mahendra. According to D. R. Bhandarkar, the Durlabharaja mentioned in Dhavala's inscription was a different king: the Durlabharaja Chaulukya. The early medieval Muslim historians state that the ruler of

Ajmer Ajmer () is a city in the north-western States and union territories of India, Indian state of Rajasthan. It serves as the administrative headquarters of the Ajmer district and Ajmer division. It lies at the centre of Rajasthan, earning it the ...

joined a confederacy of Hindu kings to support Anandapala against

Mahmud of Ghazni Abu al-Qasim Mahmud ibn Sabuktigin (; 2 November 971 – 30 April 1030), usually known as Mahmud of Ghazni or Mahmud Ghaznavi (), was Sultan of the Ghaznavid Empire, ruling from 998 to 1030. During his reign and in medieval sources, he is usuall ...

in 1008 CE. R. B. Singh identifies this ruler as Durlabharaja. The confederacy failed to stop Mahmud from repeatedly plundering the Hindu territories. Among Durlabha's subordinates, a minister named Madhava and a feudatory named Dadhichika Chachcha are known. He was succeeded by his brother Govindaraja III.

References

Bibliography

* * {{Chahamanas of Shakambhari Chahamana kings of Shakambhari 10th-century Indian monarchs 11th-century Indian monarchs 10th-century maharajadhirajas 11th-century maharajadhirajas