Lalitaditya was the 5th ruler of the Karkota dynasty in Kashmir. He ascended the throne in about 724 A.D. and ruled the kingdom for 36 years. He is credited with many spectacular victories. He certainly defeated Yashovarman of Kanauj and won victories over the Tibetans, the Turks, the Indus and over a king of Bengal. Kalhana sings the prowess of Laliladilya as a great warrior. He was also a capable administrator and a tolerant ruler. He built the famous Martanda temple dedicated to the God Sun which is a lasting monument to his glorious memory as well as the famous chronicler Kalhana.
At the time of accession of Lalitaditya on the throne of Kashmir, there was no strong centralised power in India. It was parcelled out into numerous independent states without any cohesion or any bond of unity. In the northern India, the Gupta empire was on its decline. It was divided into small independent kingdoms. Ambitious generals, one after another, tried to unite them under his rule, but his rule did not last long and none was able to establish any centralised authority. In the Deccan, the Pallava empire was fading out and that of Chaulaukyas of Badami dying of military exhaustion. The later powers, the Gurjara-Pratiharas, the Rashtrakutas and the Palas of Bengal had not yet emerged. In the West, the Susanian empire had collapsed in 637–42 A.D. The Muslim conquerors had just reached Sindh (712 A.D.) but they had not yet penetrated the Afghan mountains and the Punjab.
In the north of Kashmir, the Chinese under the T'pangs had slowly but gradually extended their dominions to the West and about Durlabhavardhana's time, the Chinese Emperor Tsi-T'sung had conquered Kucha, Khotan, Khorasan and Kashgar. But in the times of Lalitaditya, the Chinese Emperor had lost control over the provinces and the break up of the Empire was imminent.
In close poximity to the kingdom of Kashmir, there was the kingdom of Kanauj which was ruled by Yashovarman. Gaudavaha, the court poet of Yashovarman, in his work Gaudavaha represents his master as a conqueror of the whole India. Gaudavaha refers to Yashovarman's conquests Rajasthan and Haryana. It seems that he followed a vigorous policy towards the Punjab. Hui Ch'ao mentions his frequent invasions of kingdom of Jalandhar and annexation ofits territories. In spite of clashes of his interests over the Punjab, particularly the kingdom of Jalandhar, Yashovarman maintained cordial relations with the kings of Kashmir, very probably to stem and stave off the menace of the Tibetans who were pressing on Baltistan.
Lalitaditya was a pushing and aggressive ruler and he was intolerant of rivals. Though Yashovarman had gained several victories over his rivals, he could not compete with the prowess and resources of Lalitaditya. In this vacuum, Lalitaditya carried out his powerful empire though it later proved ephemera
LALITADITYA'S CONQUEST'S
The political condition of North-west India at the time of accession of Lalitaditya seems to have been obscure. But it is presumed that Lalitaditya had under him some districts of Kangra and the Punjab. It is recorded that when Lalitaditya led his army across the fertile plains of the Punjab, the entire population submitted to his rule without offering any opposition
Conquest of Kanauj. Lalitaditya's most important expedition was against Yashovarman, the king of Central India, with his capital at Kanuaj. There were certain reasons for this war. First, Lalitaditya was an aggressive military general and was intolerant of rivals. Secondly, some of the Turki Sahi princes, menaced by Yashovarman in the North-west, took refuge in Kashmir and rose to high positions there. It seems that one of these nobles, Cinkuna, a military adventurer, instigated him to undertake an expedition against Yashovarman and put an end to his supremacy in the Punjab and the North-west area. Dr. R.C. Majumdar remarks that Yashovarman probably came into contact with Lalitaditya in 726 A.D. when both these rulers asked for Chinese help against the Arabs and Tibetans who were making inroads into India. Although Yashovarman took up the noble cause of defending India against the foreign invaders in alliance with Lalitaditya, the two soon fell out. The imperial ambition was probably the cause of the enmity, though it might have been accelerated by other circumstances. It is also probable that Lalitaditya's occupation of the Punjab had not only made him the master of the Punjab but had also given him the theoretical right over the vast conquests of Yashovarman.
Conquests of Bihar, Bengal and Orissa. In order to consolidate his conquest of Central India, Laliladitya, according to Kalhana, undertook a worldwide victory or digyijaya campaign. He marched towards the eastern ocean and reached Kalinga. The king of Gauda (West Bengal) probably acknowledged his suzerainty without a fight, for he sent elephants to join the army of Lalitadilya. Laiitaditya advanced upto the sea coast of Orissa.
Deccan, Gujarat etc. While in Orissa, Lajitaditya received a call for help from the Deccan. Rashtrakula king Indra 1 had abducted the Chaltikva princess Bhavagana from Khaira (Gujarat state) and forced her to marry him. After his death in 735 A.D., his queen soon fell in difficulties. With her secret connivance Lalitaditya crossed the passes into Deccan without facing any resistance. He passed through the Karnata territory ruled by Queen Ratta who paid him homage. Lalitaditya also overran Rashtrakuta territories and reached the bank of the Kaveri and even conquered some of the islands. Turning west, he overran the seven Konkanas and advanced as far as Dwarka (in the western extremity of Kathiawar Peninsula). On his way back home, Lalitaditya also passed through Malwa and Marwar, shaking the tottering power of the Maitrajas of Vallabhi and of the Mauryas of Chitorgarh
Expeditions to the North-west of Kashmir. It is presumed that after his outstanding expeditions in the south, Lalitaditya turned his attention to the territories bordering on the South of Kashmir. He had already extended his kingdom to the farthest point in the Karakoram range controlling the overland caravan routes from India to Chin
Since the beginning of the eighth century, the Muhammedan invaders of Arabia were advancing towards North India from Sindh. While the Sahi rulers in Kabul and Gandhara were exposed to these attacks, it is probable that Lalitaditya may well have found an opportunity to extend his authority in the direction of the Indus. He led Kashmir army and through the Dard Dasha (Dardistan) gained an easy victory there.
Tibet, Ladakh and Beyond. About this time, the Tibetans had gained sufficient power to advance towards the West and the East. Lalitaditya, therefore, turned his forces against the Tibetans in Ladakh and beyond. Ladakh was easily brought under subjection and Tibetans were also ousted. These victories were celebrated not only during the time of Lalitaditya but even long afterwards. Kalhana records that in his time the victories were annually celebrated and Alberuni tells that the Kashmiris held annual celebrations on the second of Chaitra as a day of Lalitaditya's victories.