HISTORY OF CASHMIR. (ft 



Verma on the throne. Utpalapira was accordingly deposed, and the son, 

 of Suc'ha Verma, the founder of the Utpala* dynasty, succeeded. 



SECTION III. 



THE accession of Avanti Verma| was not suffered to take place without a. d. 

 opposition, and he had to undergo many conflicts with his own cousins, 

 and even with his brothers, before his dominion was established. By his 

 valour and prudence, however, aided by the sage counsel of Sura the mi- 

 nister, to whom he was chiefly indebted for his crown, he overcame all 

 opposition, and remained the undisputed sovereign of Cashmir. 



Having restored order and tranquillity, the king nominated Sura verm a 

 his brother by a different mother, Yuvaraja, and the two brothers were 

 both distinguished for their liberal and public spirit: th&king gave large 

 •^resents to the Brahmans, and the Yitvardja bestowed upon themthe Agree- 

 kar.aSylChaduya B^dMastikerna, constructing a temple and statue of Gocula. 

 Their example was followed by the younger brothers, and the ministers of 

 the two princes, and a variety of towns, temples and images embellished the 

 kingdom. Amongst these we may specify the following ; Avantipura, a city 

 founded by the king at Viswahesivara Cshitra, in which he also erected a 

 temple to Avajstjswar, or Siva, whose worship he had now adopted, in 

 Blaceof the Vmslmaxa tenets in which he had been educated. He also erected 



* His grand-father: it is difficult here to keep the narrative clear, amidst the rapid succession 

 of so many uncommon names. The deposition of Utpilapira happened, according to the author of the 

 Wahiat-i-Cashmir, in the year of the Hijra 209 ; he is not quite right in his computation, as agreeably 

 to our author's series of dates it must be placed about A. D. 862. It may be here observed that Abulfazl 

 has altered what maybe called the family designation of most of the Carcota princes, and has changed 

 the terminating name Apira to Ananda. In the next list we have another change but that is a mere 

 misreading, the family name Verm& is converted into Derma the Vau ) and Dal J being easily mis- 

 taken for each other. Verma is an adjunct expressing a Cshetriija or military descent ; the present 

 possessors however seem to have assumed it, as the founder of the family, UtPjILA, and his brothers 

 were apparently of a less respectable. origin. 



t Aduntderma — Abulfazl, 



