1899.] 
THE KAS'MIR CHRONICLES. 
41 
These Chronicles are the Rdj atarangini of Jonaraja who continued the 
narrative down to the reign of Sultan Zainu-l-‘abidin and died over his 
work, a.d. 1459; 1 the Jciina-Rajatarangini composed by Jonaraja’s 
pupil S'rivara which deals in four Books with the period a.d. 1459-86 ; 2 
and finally, the Fourth Chronicle which was begun under the name 
Rajavalipatakd by Prajyabhatta and completed by his pupil S'uka some 
years after the annexation of Kasmir by Akbar, a.d. 1586. 3 
It will be seen from the above dates that the narrative of the last 
two works falls entirely beyond the period of Hindu rule to which our 
enquiry is limited, and which may be considered to close finally with 
the usurpation of Shah Mir, a.d. 1339. The same holds good of the 
greater portion of Jonaraja’s Chronicle. The reigns of the late Hindu 
rulers, from Jayasimha to Queen Kota, are there disposed of with a 
brevity corresponding more to their own insignificance than to the 
intrinsic historical interest of the epoch. 4 Notwithstanding this dif¬ 
ference in date the materials supplied by these later Chronicles have 
often proved of great use in clearing up points of the old topography 
of Kasmir. For the mass of localities mentioned in them goes back 
to the Hindu period, and the names by which they are referred to, are 
also still mostly the old ones. 
Yet on the whole the inferiority of these later Chronicles when 
compared with Kalhana’s work, is as maiked in the matter of topo¬ 
graphical information as it is in other respects. In the first place it 
must be noted that the whole text of these three distinct works does 
not amount to more than about one-half of Kalhana’s work. For re¬ 
ferences to sacred sites and buildings and other places of religious 
interest the account of Muhammadan reigns offers naturally but little 
opportunity. The incidental notices of other localities are also in 
proportion less numerous and instructive. For these later authors 
allow considerably more room to episodic descriptions and do by no 
means show that care for accuracy in topographical statements which 
w T e have noticed in Kalhana. 
It is curious to note how the gradual decline of Hindu learning in 
Kasmir during the period of troubles and oppression which lasted with 
short interruptions for two and a half centuries previous to Akbar’s 
conquest, is marked also in the character and contents of these later 
1 See S'rlv. i. 6. 
2 See Fourth Chron. 6. 
3 Compare Fourth Chron. 8 sqq. Prajyabhatta’s composition ended with the year 
A.n. 1513-14 and the reign of Fatah Shah (verses 14-64). 
4* The narrative of the period 1149-1339 a.d. fills only 305 verses in Jonaraja’s 
Chronicle (347 according to the Bombay edition). 
J. 1. 6 
