A Note on Vajrata

Summary

V. V. Mirashi’s note addresses the problem of identifying a king named Vajrata mentioned in several Rāṣṭrakūṭa inscriptions. An earlier article by N. Venkataramanayya equated Vajrata with Vajrayudha of Pañcāla and proposed that he was a northern monarch conquered by the Chalukyas in the seventh century. Mirashi draws attention to the Nasik copper‑plate of Dharāśraya‑Jayaśimha which records the defeat of a ‘Vajradā’ by Pulakeśin II’s son. This plate locates the battle between the Mahi and Narmada rivers, suggesting a western rather than northern campaign. Mirashi argues that the name Vajrata (or Vajradā) is unlikely to be connected with the Pañcāla ruler Vajrayudha. Instead, he suggests that the defeated king could have belonged to a local dynasty of Gujarat or Malwa. Mirashi emphasises that Rāṣṭrakūṭa grants often use hyperbolic epithets and that the identification of conquered enemies must be based on secure geographical references. He concludes that the term ‘Vajrata’ remains obscure and cautions against equating it with any well‑known northern monarch.