A Historical Outline of the Legendary Vikramaditya of Ujjain

The legendary king Vikramaditya of Ujjain has been a fascinating character in Indian history and culture. Etymologically, 'Vikramaditya' means 'the sun of valor', with 'Vikram' denoting 'valor' and 'Aditya' denoting the Sun. 

According to research scholars, the title of Vikramaditya can be used both as a person's name and as a regal title by kings to describe themselves. The first postulation is that Vikramaditya was a king who belonged to the Gardabhila clan of the Malwa region between 300 BCE and 300 AD. He was known for his just nature and courage, who successfully exterminated the Shaka yoke from the Indian subcontinent, thus earning him the epithet of 'Shakari' or 'enemy of the Shakas.' He was also referred to as 'Sahasanka' or 'one whose characteristic mark is his daring courage.'  He is also one who began Vikram Samvat calendar in 57 BCE according to Jain work Kalakacaryakatha. Jain works and Puranas substantiate the existence of such a king during the period of 1st BCE and 1st AD. The second postulation suggests that Vikramaditya of Ujjain was the Gupta Emperor Chandragupta II, called Vikramaditya, who had shifted the imperial capital from Pataliputra to Ujjain. Kalidasa's works prove this theory. 



Vikramaditya of Ujjain became well known among the Indian populace through his stories in the famous Vetal Pachisi and Singhasan Battisi, both written around the 11th century AD. The first story revolves around the king and a ghost known as Vetal. The ghost gives the king 25 riddles to solve in return for the king keeping his life. These riddles are filled with scenarios that require acute judgment and morality, which is characteristic of the king. The second story revolves around King Bhoja, who used to rule Malwa between the 10th and 11th centuries. In the story, he finds the throne of the legendary Vikramaditya and wishes to sit on it. It is then that he is stopped by 32 fairies residing inside the throne who proclaim that if he succeeds in freeing them and proving that he is as just as Vikramaditya, he will only be allowed to sit on it. These fairies recount 32 stories of Vikramaditya to King Bhoja who then successfully frees them and sits on the throne. 

Although the king's existence as a real personality has been disputed, he remains at the forefront of Indian folklore as a just and righteous king who commanded respect from his subjects.



References

Dr. Shreeja Tripathi Sharma, The Monomyth of Vikramaditya (Smart Moves Journal IJELLH, Vol 8, Issue 3, March 2020), pp 1-9

Siddharth N Kanoujia, The Possession of Narratives: Telling and Transmitting Caste in Indian Folktales (The European Conference of Arts and Humanities 2017), pp 1-12

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