Siyaka
| Siyaka | |
|---|---|
| Maharajadhirajapati | |
| King of Malwa | |
| Reign | c. 949-972 CE |
| Predecessor | Vairisimha |
| Successor | Vakpati II (Munja) |
| Dynasty | Paramara |
Siyaka (reigned c. 949-972 CE) was an Indian king from the Paramara dynasty, who ruled in west-central India. He was the first independent sovereign of the Paramara royal house, and is the earliest Paramara ruler known from his own inscriptions.
He started out as a feudatory of the Rashtrakutas of Manyakheta, and participated in their campaigns against the Pratiharas. After the death of the Rashtrakuta emperor Krishna III, he fought against the new king Khottiga, and sacked the Rashtrakuta capital Manyakheta in 972 CE. This ultimately led to the decline of the Rashtrakutas, and the establishment of the Paramaras as an imperial power.
Siyaka is also referred to as Siyaka II to distinguish him from Siyaka I, an earlier (and possibly fictional) Paramara king mentioned in the later Udaipur Prashasti inscription. His other names include Harsha, Sri-Harshadeva and Simhabhata.
Siyaka was the son of Vairisimha II. The Harsola copper plates issued by Siyaka are dated 31 January 949 CE. Based on this, it can be inferred that Siyaka must have ascended the Paramara throne sometime before January 949 CE.
In his own inscriptions, as well as the inscriptions of his successors Munja and Bhoja, he is called "Siyaka". In Udaipur Prashasti (which mentions an earlier king called Siyaka), as well as the Arthuna inscription, the predecessor of Munja has been called Harsha (IAST: Harṣa). Merutunga, in his Prabandha-Chintamani, names the king as Simha-danta-bhata. According to one theory, "Siyaka" is the Prakrit corruption of the Sanskrit "Simhaka". Georg Bühler suggested that the full name of the king was Harsha-simha, and both parts of this name were used to refer to him.
The inscriptions of Siyaka are the earliest known Paramara inscriptions. All of these have been discovered in present-day Gujarat, and therefore, it appears that the Paramaras were connected with Gujarat in their early years.
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