RAJATAR A g GINL 'j ( Skt., river of Kings). A work of the poet and historian Kalhana. In eight cantos with a total of about S000 verses it tells the histories of the various dynasties which ruled Kashmir from the earliest (mythic) period down to the time of the author. Kalhana describes himself as the son of Campaka, the minister of the fa mous King Harsha, who ruled from 1089 to 110I. The history was written between 1148 and 1150 under the reign of Sinhadeva. chron icle is practically the sole extant work of a truly historical character in the entire range of Indian literature. He reports that he studied eleven his torical works, but not content with that. he examined old documents. grants, proclamations, laws. and sacred books. He is especially well acquainted with the great epic. the .11(11019harata (q.v.). which he cites frequently. Above all he
has the ("ift of character portrayal. The his torian, whom Kalhana mentions as his predeces sors are all lost, so that the Rajatarangini is the chief and direct source of information on the ancient history of Kashmir. The first three cantos. which deal with the two first dynas ties, arc almost wholly legendary. Kashmir was always closely connected with the Hindu king doms to the south, so that Kalhana's work is important authority for the history of India as a NN hole. Incidentally the Rajatarangini throws much light on the social. political, and religious conditions of India of the twelfth century. Stein published a critical edition of the text at Bombay in 1892, and a translation in two volumes, with an introduction, commentary, and appendices, at Westminster in 1900.