Caṇḍeśvara Ṭhakkura

Caṇḍeśvara Thakkura was a Maithili-language political theorist and warrior during the 14th century. He served as minister for peace and war and chief judge in the court of Harisimhadeva who was the last King of the Karnat dynasty of Mithila in modern-day northern Bihar of India and parts of Southern Nepal.[1] His family had their origins in the village of Bisfi in Madhubani district of Bihar.[2]

Caṇḍeśvara Ṭhakkura
Born13th century
Tirhut Mithila
Died1315
Lalitpur,Nepal
Occupation(s)Minister of peace and war
TitlePraśnacandesvara
ParentVirešvara
Relativesjayadatta (cousin)

Family

Chandeshvar was born in a family of Maithil Brahmins who were also learned scholars who worked in the Karnat court.[3] He was the cousin of Jayadatta who was the grandfather of Vidyapati who worked in the court of the Oiniwar dynasty a century after Candesvara's time. Candesvara was also the grandson of another scholar, Devāditya Ṭhakkura who was described as a "minister for War and Peace" in the court of the Karnat dynasty.[4]

Candesvara most likely became a minister for peace and war for Harisimhadeva in 1310 C.E.[5]

Military Career

Primary sources from the time describe him as a great diplomat and a successful minister cum commander who participated in battles against mlecchas (possibly referring to Muslim invasions)

He was also described as having rescued the earth flooded by Mlechchhas (possibly defeat of some Tughlaq generals)[6] as well as leading a successful military expedition to Nepal where he is said to have distributed gold equal in weight to himself on the banks of the Bagmati River in 1314.[7]

Under Caṇḍeśvara's leadership and with the support of the King Harisimhadeva, the Karnatas of Mithila made an attack on Nepal in 1314. The Karnats made the city of Bhaktapur their focus and plundered the city. After this, they targeted Lalitpur region.[8]

Literary works

Among his most notable works was the Rājanītiratnākara, a treatise on organising the state.[4] Further to this, he also wrote a set of seven books that dealt with issues relating to the law among other themes. These were titled the Krityaratnākara, Dānaratnākara, Vyavahāraratnākara, Śuddhiratnākara, Pūjāratnākara, Vivādaratnākara, and Gṛihastharatnākara. Together, these books are referred to as Saptaratnākara.[4]

References
  1. Swagata P. Pandit (2003). "A Discussion about the Rare Quotes from Caṇḍeśvara Thakkura's Rajanitiratnakara". Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute. 84: 33–41. JSTOR 41694748.
  2. Sahitya, Akademi. "Vidyapati" (PDF). Retrieved 9 October 2020. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  3. Bimanbehari Majumdar (1962). "Political Thought of Chandesvara (A fourteenth-century philosopher-diplomat)". The Indian Journal of Political Science. 23 (1/4): 295–301. JSTOR 41853940.
  4. Pankaj Jha (20 November 2018). A Political History of Literature: Vidyapati and the Fifteenth Century. OUP India. pp. 49–60. ISBN 978-0-19-909535-3.
  5. Ram Gopal Sharma (1966). "Rajanitiratnakara, A Medieval Sanskrit Text on Politics". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 28: 195–201. JSTOR 44140426.
  6. {{cite book|author=Ramesh Chandra Majumdar|title=The Delhi Sultanate|year=1960|publisher=Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan|page=398
  7. Radhakrishna Choudhary (1970). History of Muslim Rule in Tirhut, 1206-1765, A.D. Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series Office. p. 48.
  8. Rajendra Ram (1978). A History of Buddhism in Nepal, A.D. 704-1396. Janabharati Prakashana. p. 185.
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