Kalhana’s Rajatarangini, a Chronicle of the Kings of Kashmir, Vol. I (translated by M. A. Stein)
The Rajatarangini, the 'River of Kings', is a history of Kashmir written in Sanskrit verse by the poet Kalhana in 1148–49. Aurel Stein's English translation, with his long introduction and notes, made it available to the wider world. This first volume contains the introduction and Books I to VII.
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About this book
Kalhana wrote his chronicle in the reign of King Jayasimha, drawing on older histories, inscriptions, land grants and local tradition. It traces the rulers of Kashmir from legendary times to his own day, and its later books, describing events Kalhana or his father had witnessed, are among the most vivid historical writing in Sanskrit.
Aurel Stein spent years on the text, walking the valley to identify the places Kalhana names. His translation, introduction and notes on ancient geography are still the starting point for the study of early Kashmir.
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