Work / monument · text

Rajatarangini

1148–1149 · 12th century · Also known as Kalhana's Rajatarangini

The Rajatarangini, the River of Kings, is a Sanskrit verse chronicle of the kings of Kashmir written by the poet Kalhana in 1148–1149. It traces the valley's rulers from legendary times to the 12th century, becoming more detailed and reliable for later periods, and is the main source for the Karkota, Utpala and Lohara dynasties. It is often counted the first true historical work in Sanskrit literature.

Rajatarangini
Image: Original work by Kalhana, manuscript written by an unknown scribe · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 6 state histories

Gonanda dynastyKarkota dynastyUtpala dynastyParvagupta dynastyLohara dynastyRajauri State

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Rajatarangini. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/rajatarangini
MLA
“Rajatarangini.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/rajatarangini. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Rajatarangini.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/rajatarangini.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Rajatarangini’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/rajatarangini (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻