King Lalitaditya Muktapida of the Karkota dynasty, who built the Martand Sun Temple, ruled over:

Lalitaditya Muktapida (ruled about 724-760 CE) was a powerful king of the Karkota dynasty of Kashmir.

About Lalitaditya:

• He is described in detail in the "Rajatarangini", the 12th-century history of Kashmir written by Kalhana.
• According to Kalhana, he was a great conqueror who led campaigns in many directions.
• He is said to have defeated a powerful king of north India, and campaigned against the Tibetans, the Turks and the Dards of the north.
• He is said to have extended his influence over parts of north India, Punjab and Central Asia, though historians think that Kalhana may have exaggerated some of these conquests.
• He sent an embassy to the Chinese Tang emperor.

His buildings:

• He built the famous Martand Sun Temple, near Anantnag in Kashmir, dedicated to the Sun god (Surya).
• The temple stands on a plateau, and is built of large limestone blocks, in a style showing Gandhara, Gupta, Chinese and Greek influences.
• It has a large courtyard surrounded by a colonnade of 84 pillars.
• It was later destroyed, probably in the reign of Sikandar Butshikan (late 14th-early 15th century).
• He founded the city of Parihasapura, with many temples and Buddhist monasteries.

About the Karkota dynasty:

• It ruled Kashmir from the 7th to the 9th century.
• It was founded by Durlabhavardhana.
• Kashmir was a centre of Sanskrit learning and Shaiva philosophy in this period.

Later dynasties of Kashmir:

• Utpala dynasty (9th-10th century): Avantivarman, who founded Avantipur; his engineer Suyya developed irrigation.
• Lohara dynasty (11th-12th century).
• Queen Didda: a powerful ruler of the 10th century.
• Kashmir Sultanate: from the 14th century.

About the Rajatarangini:

• It was written by Kalhana in Sanskrit verse, around 1148-1149.
• It is regarded as the first true historical work in Sanskrit.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Kannauj, Bengal and Gujarat had other rulers.