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Attempt has been made in the foregoing pages to submit the historical background for an assesment of the career and reign of Didda, who dominated the political scene of the Valley for nearly half a century. As noted above, she was the daughter of the 1. Rajatarangini by Kalhana, I, vi, 318-20. (Stein's note). 2. Ibid., I, vi, 322. 3. Ibid., I, vi, 327. 4. Ibid., I, vi, 328. 6. Ibid., I, vi, 330-32.

263 powerful Lohara chief, Simharaja and grand-daughter, from the mother's side, of the illustrious Shahi king Bhima. Notices of her career and times have been taken by several Muslim Chroniclers and Kalhan's narrative is well substantiated by these accounts. She finds a place for herself in the galaxy of the great women of India not because of her virtues but because of several traits of her character and vices. Dr. Sircar has thus summed up her early careers "Loose character was a fatal weakness in her and this, coupled with an inordinate desire for power soon led to a violent reaction and she had her little grandsons killed one after another by employing witchcraft and then ascended the throne of Kashmir....." The career and doings of this remarkable lady present a queer mixture of jealousy, intrigues, licentiousness, opportunism and singleness of purpose coupled with a domineering trait over her drunkard husband, Kshemagupta, in the days when the latter contracted matrimony with Chandralekha, daughter of Phalguna, as noted above. According to the Chronicle, she was physically handicapped by lameness, but this 1. Sircar, D.C., Great Women of India, paj cf. also Sirear, D.C., Studies in the Society and Administration of Ancient and Medieval, India, pp. 245-46. 2. Rajatarangini by Kalhana, I, vi, 179, 194-95.

264 did not deter her in her ambitions much. "During her career as Regent, her doings compare favourably with the intrigues at the Mughal court during the reign of Jahangir who was dominated by his ambitious queen Nurjehan, during the later years of his life. Her career may be assessed in two broad phases- (1) as a Regent of her son and grandsons from 958 A.D. to 981 A.D. and (11) as a Queen from 981 A.D. to 1003 A.D. Immediately after the demise of Kshemagupta, the widowed queen, after a feigned show of immense grief, gradually fastened her grip on the reins of government as the Regent-mother. We have already noticed her role as the Regent of her son and the three grandsons in some detail; her eventful career as Queen may now be assessed. Didda as Queen The reign-period of Didda as the full-fledged ruler of the Valley covers almost a quarter of a century, yet, since Kalhana has devoted only a few verses in accounting for it, we may reasonably conclude that, beyond a few unsuccessful rebellions and some minor military engagements, nothing of note took place. 1. Rajatarangini by Kalhana, I, vi, 308.

265 However, the closing years of her reign were marked by certain political arrangements which, as shall be presently seen, ushered in the rule of a new a dynasty in the Valley. Soon after Didda had ascended the throne, Tunga took advantage of his intimacy with the Queen and, gradually asserting himself, came to occupy the office of the Chief Minister superseding several others. He also placed his brothers on other responsible posts and thus caused considerable heart-burning amongst the high officers of the State who had been so displaced.