Judgement of King Uchchala

Sham S. Misri

King Harsha Dev’s reign in Kashmir lasted from 1089 – 1101 A.D. (He is not the emperor Harsha who ruled in India from 606-647 A.D.) King Harsha Dev had two cousins, Uchchala and Sussala. The year 1099 A.D. witnessed plague, plunder, flood and famine. Uchchala and Sussala fled in 1100 A.D. to Rajapuri. Uchchala, a cousin of Harsha Dev became a rebel and defeated Harsha Dev. He then took the possession of the capital. Harsha’s queens burnt themselves in the palace, while he himself took refuge in a Matha.     

Uchchala (1101-1111 A, D.) was a very energetic man. There is an interesting story told by Kalhana about this ruler in Rajatarangini.

In Uchchala’s rule there was a man who had accumulated a large sum of money. He wanted to keep some money safe against the rainy day. After much thought, he decided to keep the money with a merchant, with whom he had acquaintance.  The merchant was happy at the proposal.

“You are a very wise man,” the merchant said to the man.

“One should always keep some money safe for some unexpected trouble. How much do you want to deposit with me?”

“I will deposit a lakh of dinars (currency coins) with you.” Said the man.

“A lakh. That is fine.” replied the merchant.

“I will take good care of it. You can take small amounts of money whenever you want.”

The man trusted the merchant and went his home and told his wife about this plan.”

“But can he be trusted,” asked his wife.

“Of course, he is trustworthy!” exclaimed the man.

“I have no doubts about him. He is well known in the city. Our money is safe with him.”

As days passed, the man would take small amounts of money from him to meet his petty expenses.

Nearly twenty five years passed in this manner. The man had a son who had grown by now.

One day as usual the man went to the merchant and asked for some money. The merchant refused to pay. The merchant’s face was red with anger.

“What money do you want now?” the merchant said.

He showed the man his account book.

“There is hardly any money left from the original amount. You have almost spent the whole money.”

The man was shocked to hear all about this. He did not utter a word. The merchant then showed him the account book.

“See here. Three hundred dinars for repairs of house. Six hundred for land purchase. Five hundred for   religious function. Etc.etc.” The list was unending.

The man had not taken so much of money from the merchant.

“And you must pay me the interest,” concluded the merchant.

So, there was a law suit between the merchant and the man which the court could not decide.

This case came to the notice of king Uccala. He demanded that the account books of the merchant be shown to him. The merchant had fraudulently recorded the entries in the account book. 

Uccala ordered the merchant that if any portion of the money was still with him and that he should produce before the king prior to his judgement.

The money was brought. Among the coins, he found coins of his own reign. But the deposit had been kept with the merchant when (Kalsha 1091-99 A.D.) was ruling; it was twenty years before Uccala’s reign had commenced.  So it was evident that the deposit had been used for other purposes by the merchant. The king then declared his judgement, stating that the man must pay to the merchant interest on what he had taken from him from time to time up to date, and, the merchant too must pay the man interest on the full one lakh of dinars from the time of its being deposited together with the amount of the deposit.