Jayavarman II | |
---|---|
Maharajadhiraja | |
King of Malwa | |
Reign | c. 1255-1274 |
Predecessor | Jaitugi |
Successor | Arjunavarman II |
Dynasty | Paramara |
Father | Devapala |
Jayavarman II (ruled c. 1255-1274 CE), also known as Jayasimha II, was a king of the Paramara dynasty in central India. He ruled in the Malwa region, succeeding his elder brother Jaitugi.
The king is mentioned by the names "Jayavarman" or "Jayasimha" in his various inscriptions. In the 1274 CE Mandhata copper-plate inscription, he is mentioned as both "Jayavarman" and "Jayasimha". In the past, there was some controversy among historians whether Jayavarman and Jayasimha were two different individuals.
Multiple inscriptions of Jayavarman mention that he stayed at Mandapa-Durga (present-day Mandu). Jayavarman or his predecessor Jaitugi might have moved from the traditional Paramara capital Dhara to Mandu, which offered a better defensive position, protected by the surrounding hills and the Narmada valley. This may have happened because of attacks of threats of attack from the neighbouring kingdoms. Balban, the general of the Delhi's Sultan Nasir-ud-din, had reached the northern frontier of the Paramara territory by this time. Around the same time, the Paramaras also faced attacks from the Yadava king Krishna of Deogiri and the Vaghela king Visaladeva of Gujarat.
Jayavarman was succeeded by Arjunavarman II, a weak ruler.
Several inscriptions from Jayavarman reign, in Sanskrit language and Nagari script, have been discovered. These include:
The Rahatgarh inscription, dated 28 August 1256 CE (VS 1312), was discovered on a stone slab by Alexander Cunningham during the 1870s. The 14-line inscription is written in Sanskrit prose.