90-464: The Gahadavala dynasty ( IAST : Gāhaḍavālas) also Gahadavalas of Kannauj was a Rajput dynasty that ruled parts of the present-day Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar , during 11th and 12th centuries. Their capital was located at Banaras (now Varanasi) in the Gangetic plains , and for a brief period, they also controlled Kannauj . Chandradeva , the first monarch of the dynasty, established
180-622: A Rashtrakuta branch that ruled in Bodh Gaya . Her Sarnath inscription mentions the Gahadavalas and the Rashtrakutas as two distinct families and does not indicate that one was a branch of the other. Yet another theory identifies Chandradeva as Chand Rai, a "keeper of elephants" according to the medieval Muslim historian Salman. The Diwan-i-Salman states that a Ghaznavid army led by Mahmud (c. 971-1030) invaded India and defeated one Jaipal. As
270-568: A macron ). Vocalic (syllabic) consonants, retroflexes and ṣ ( / ʂ ~ ɕ ~ʃ/ ) have an underdot . One letter has an overdot: ṅ ( /ŋ/ ). One has an acute accent : ś ( /ʃ/ ). One letter has a line below: ḻ ( / ɭ / ) (Vedic). Unlike ASCII -only romanisations such as ITRANS or Harvard-Kyoto , the diacritics used for IAST allow capitalisation of proper names. The capital variants of letters never occurring word-initially ( Ṇ Ṅ Ñ Ṝ Ḹ ) are useful only when writing in all-caps and in Pāṇini contexts for which
360-515: A 1237 CE inscription, may have been the successor of Harishchandra. But this cannot be said with certainty. IAST The International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration ( IAST ) is a transliteration scheme that allows the lossless romanisation of Indic scripts as employed by Sanskrit and related Indic languages. It is based on a scheme that emerged during the 19th century from suggestions by Charles Trevelyan , William Jones , Monier Monier-Williams and other scholars, and formalised by
450-521: A Kalachuri king, probably Yashah-Karna or his successor Gaya-Karna. As a prince, Govindachandra appears to have repulsed a Pala invasion, sometime before 1109 CE. The Pala-Gahadavala conflict halted for a few decades as a result of his marriage with Kumaradevi, a relative of the Pala monarch Ramapala. Epigraphic evidence suggests that there was a revival of the Pala-Gahadavala rivalry in the 1140s CE, during
540-433: A font, etc. It can be enabled in the input menu in the menu bar under System Preferences → International → Input Menu (or System Preferences → Language and Text → Input Sources) or can be viewed under Edit → Emoji & Symbols in many programs. Equivalent tools – such as gucharmap ( GNOME ) or kcharselect ( KDE ) – exist on most Linux desktop environments. Users of SCIM on Linux based platforms can also have
630-545: A gift by the chief queen Nayanakeli. The later 1151 CE Bangarmau grant records a gift by the chief queen Gosalla-devi. An undated Sarnath inscription of Kumaradevi indicates that she was a Buddhist . Her father Devarakshita, a member of the Chikkora dynasty of Pithi , was a Pala vassal. Her mother Shankaradevi was a daughter of the Rashtrakuta Mathana-deva of Anga , who was also a Pala feudatory. Vasantadevi
720-619: A governor of the newly conquered Kalachuri territory. If this assumption is true, the territory annexed by Govindachandra must have been located in the region between the Yamuna and the Sone rivers. Govindachandra's marriage to the Pithipati princess Kumaradevi had secured the eastern frontier of the Gahadavala kingdom. However, there seems to have been some kind of conflict between the two kingdoms during
810-514: A large number of temples. After Jayachandra's death, several local feudatory chiefs offered their allegiance to the Ghurids. A legendary account in Prithviraj Raso states that Jayachandra allied with the Ghurids against Prithviraj Chauhan , who had eloped with his daughter Samyukta . However, such legends are not supported by historical evidence. Jayachandra's son Harishchandra succeeded him on
900-526: A peace treaty concluded through a matrimonial alliance. Govindachandra married Kumaradevi, the daughter of a Devaraksita of the Pithipatis of Bodh Gaya . Govindachandra was the most powerful king of his family. The Gahadavalas became the most prominent power of northern India as a result of his military conquests and diplomatic relations. The 1114 CE Pali inscription, which is the earliest extant inscription from Govindachandra's reign, states that he captured
990-452: A play by the 15th century writer Nayachandra, states that Jayachandra was born on the day his father Govindachandra conquered Dasharna . This territory was a part of the Paramara kingdom of Malwa . The contemporary Paramara kings Naravarman and Yashovarman were weak rulers, and the Gahadavalas may have taken advantage of this opportunity. The Chandelas , whose territory was located between
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#17328517896441080-424: A prominent king, possibly the 11th century Kalachuri king Karna . His son Mahichandra (alias Mahitala or Mahiyala) bore the feudatory title nṛpa , and is said to have defeated several enemies. He may have been a Kalachuri vassal. According to the 1093 CE and 1100 CE Chandrawati inscriptions, the Gahadavalas occupied Kanyakubja after the descendants of Devapala had been destroyed. This Devapala can be identified as
1170-559: A reference to his general vigilance against the potential Ghaznavid attacks. Govindachandra's marriage to the Pithipati princess Kumaradevi had led to peaceful relations between the two kingdoms for several years. Govindachandra's relations with the Chandela king Madanavarman also appear to have been friendly. The Mau inscription from Madanavarman's reign states that the king of Kashi ( Varanasi ) remained friendly to him. This king of Kashi can be identified with Govindachandra. Although
1260-534: A result of this victory, the feudatory chiefs from all over the country lined up to offer allegiance to Mahmud. Mahmud received so many elephants as gifts from these chiefs, that an elephant stable was set up in Kannauj , with Chand Rai as its manager. According to the theory, Chand Rai acquired the rulership of Kannauj by promising to pay a tribute to the Ghaznavids. The Ghaznavid raids of the Gahadavala kingdom resulted from
1350-606: A seated goddess. Originally used by the Kalachuris of Tripuri , this style was probably adapted by Govindachandra to celebrate his victory over the Kalachuris. One side of the coins features the king's name ("Shrimad-Govindachandra-deva") in three lines, usually followed by a trishula . The other side features a four-armed seated goddess, identified with Lakshmi . After defeating Govindachandra's grandson Jayachandra , Muhammad of Ghor also adapted this style, and issued coins featuring
1440-855: A shrine which later got corrupted into "Bundela". He and his other clansmen will later conquer parts of central India and that area would came to be known as Bundelkhand The rulers of Bijaipur-Kantit feudal estate near Mirzapur also described themselves as Gahrwars, and claimed descent from the Gahadavalas The Gahadavalas controlled their territory through semi-independent feudatory chiefs, whose various titles included Rāṇaka , Mahānāyaka , Mahārāja and Rāja . The king's officials were known as amātyas . Their duties are described in Lakshmidhara's Kṛtya-Kalpataru . The most important court positions included: The yuvaraja ( heir apparent ) and other princes announced grants in their own name, while
1530-677: A sovereign kingdom sometime before 1090, after the decline of the Kalachuri power. The kingdom reached its zenith under his grandson Govindachandra who annexed some of the Kalachuri territories, warded off Ghaznavid raids, and also fought the Palas . In 1194, Govindachandra's grandson Jayachandra was defeated by the Ghurids , which effectively ended the dynasty's imperial power. The kingdom completely ceased to exist when Jayachandra's successors were defeated by
1620-530: A tax called Turushka -danda ("Turkic punishment"). Scholars interpret it as a contribution towards a tribute to be paid to the Turushka s ( Ghaznavids ), or a tax towards potential war expenses involving Turushka enemies. Some scholars, such as Sten Konow , had theorized this to be a tax imposed on Turushka s (Muslim Turkic people), implying that the Gahadavalas persecuted Muslim subjects — this has fallen out of favor with modern scholars. Adakkamalla, attested by
1710-475: A war to recover it. As a result, the Gahadavalas probably moved their capital back to Varanasi soon after Chandradeva's reign. The writings of the Muslim chroniclers such as Ali ibn al-Athir , Minhaj-i-Siraj , and Hasan Nizami consistently describe Jayachandra as the "Rai of Banaras" (ruler of Varanasi), and make no reference to Kannauj (Kanyakubja) in their description of the Gahadavalas. This further suggests that
1800-646: Is also used for major e-text repositories such as SARIT, Muktabodha, GRETIL, and sanskritdocuments.org. The IAST scheme represents more than a century of scholarly usage in books and journals on classical Indian studies. By contrast, the ISO 15919 standard for transliterating Indic scripts emerged in 2001 from the standards and library worlds. For the most part, ISO 15919 follows the IAST scheme, departing from it only in minor ways (e.g., ṃ/ṁ and ṛ/r̥)—see comparison below. The Indian National Library at Kolkata romanization , intended for
1890-782: Is by setting up an alternative keyboard layout . This allows one to hold a modifier key to type letters with diacritical marks. For example, alt + a = ā. How this is set up varies by operating system. Linux/Unix and BSD desktop environments allow one to set up custom keyboard layouts and switch them by clicking a flag icon in the menu bar. macOS One can use the pre-installed US International keyboard, or install Toshiya Unebe's Easy Unicode keyboard layout. Microsoft Windows Windows also allows one to change keyboard layouts and set up additional custom keyboard mappings for IAST. This Pali keyboard installer made by Microsoft Keyboard Layout Creator (MSKLC) supports IAST (works on Microsoft Windows up to at least version 10, can use Alt button on
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#17328517896441980-524: Is dated 1154 CE, and the earliest available inscription of his successor Vijayachandra is dated 1168 CE. Such a long gap is unusual for the dynasty, and may indicate troubled times arising out of an external invasion or a war of succession after Govindachandra's death. According to the Gahadavala inscriptions, Govindachandra appreciated and patronized different branches of learning (as indicated by his title Vividha-vidya-vichara-vachaspati ). Govindachandra's courtier Lakshmidhara composed Kṛtya-Kalpataru at
2070-479: Is generally identified with Govindachandra's father Madanapala . It appears that the Gahadavalas lost Kanyakubja somewhere between 1104 CE and 1105 CE, and Govindachandra led a war to recover it. The inscriptions issued by Govindachandra as a prince ( Maharajaputra ) indicate that he managed to restore the Gahadavala power in Kanyakubja and its surrounding area by 1109 CE. A peace treaty was probably concluded between
2160-478: Is located to the east of Patna and Gorakhpur. Inscriptional evidence proves that Munger later came under the control of Madanapala. This evidence cannot be interpreted with certainty, but it is possible that Govindachandra invaded the Pala kingdom sometime around 1146 CE, and advanced up to Munger, where he issued the 1146 CE inscription. Madanapala repulsed this invasion and chased the Gahadavala army up to Patna before returning to his own kingdom. Another possibility
2250-581: Is not certain. Lastly, neither Hindu nor Muslim sources indicate that the Ghaznavid invasions were as a result of non-payment of tribute. The etymology of the term "Gahadavala" is uncertain. This dynastic name appears only in four inscriptions of the Gahadavalas: three inscriptions issued by Chandradeva's grandson Govindachandra (as a prince), and the Sarnath inscription issued by his wife Kumaradevi who belonged to
2340-454: Is that Adakkamalla was from a different branch of the family that ruled a small fief . Nothing is known about Adakkamalla's successors. The bardic chronicles of Rajputana claim that the Rathore rulers of Jodhpur State descended from the family of the Gahadavala ruler Jayachandra . For example, according to Prithviraj Raso , Rathore was an epithet of Jayachandra (Jaichand). The rulers of
2430-559: Is that Madanapala invaded the Gahadavala kingdom and advanced up to Patna. Govindachandra repulsed this invasion, and advanced up to Munger in the enemy's pursuit, before turning back. An inscription of Madanapala's war-and-peace minister Bhimadeva was discovered at Rajghat in Varanasi . Based on this, D. C. Sircar theorized that the Palas may have occupied Varanasi (which was the seat of the Gahadavala power) at one time. Rambha-Manjari-Nataka ,
2520-451: Is the furthest point in the north-west where the Gahadavala inscriptions have been discovered. Some coins attributed to Madanapala are associated with Delhi, but according to numismatist P. C. Roy these coins were actually issued by a Tomara king of same name. According to Roy, Indrasthaniyaka should be identified with a place other than Delhi. The Gahadavalas are associated with two ancient cities: Kanyakubja and Varanasi . According to
2610-533: The Bodhisattavas , and one Shrimitra (Śrimītra). Shrimitra is named as a perceptor ( diksha -guru ) of Kashisha Jayachchandra, identified with the king Jayachandra. The inscription records the construction of a guha (cave monastery) at Jayapura. Archaeologist Federica Barba theorizes that the Gahadavalas built large Hindu temples in traditional Buddhist cities such as Sarnath , and converted Buddhist shrines into Brahmanical ones. The Gahadavala inscriptions mention
2700-517: The Delhi Sultanate Mamluk dynasty ruler Iltutmish ( r. 1211–1236 ). Chandradeva , the first monarch of the dynasty, was a son of Mahichandra and a grandson of Yashovigraha. The Gahadavala inscriptions state that Yashovigraha "seized the earth and made her fond of the king's sceptre (or justice)". He did not bear any royal titles, so it appears that he was a petty chief with some military victories to his credit. He probably served
2790-488: The Manda feudal estate, who described themselves as Rathore, traced their ancestry to Jayachandra's alleged brother Manikyachandra (Manik Chand). These claims are of later origin, and their historical veracity is doubtful. The Bundelas , another prominent Rajput clan are descendants of Gahadavalas .Raja Hemkaran or Pancham Singh, a Gaharwar Rajput from Benaras who had the title of Vindhyela which he acquired from regularly visiting
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2880-553: The Pala inscriptions in this area indicate that he lost this territory by the end of his reign. Nayachandra's play Rambha-Manjari-Nataka claims that he conquered Dasharna ( Malwa ) in the west, but this claim is not supported by any other evidence. Four queens of Govindachandra are known: Nayanakeli-devi, Gosalla-devi, Kumara-devi, and Vasanta-devi. The first two bore the title of the chief queen ( patta-mahadevi ), probably one after another. The 1119 Kamauli grant of Govindachandra records
2970-407: The Pithipati dynasty of Bod Gaya . No contemporary inscriptions of the neighbouring dynasties use the term "Gahadavala" to describe the rulers of Kanyakubja or Varanasi. The dynastic name does not appear in contemporary literature, including in the works authored by the Gahadavala courtiers Shriharsha and Lakshmidhara (author of Kṛtya-Kalpataru ). C. V. Vaidya and R. C. Majumdar , who connected
3060-657: The Tomara rulers of Delhi might have been Gahadavala feudatories. If this assumption is true, then the Gahadavala kingdom extended up to Delhi in the north-west. However, historical evidence suggests that Delhi was under the control of the Chahamanas since Vigraharaja IV (r. c. 1150-1164 CE), and before that under the Tomara sovereigns. No historical records indicate that the Gahadavalas ever ruled Delhi. Rahin (or Rahan) village in Etawah district
3150-457: The cavalry , the infantry and the elephant corps "). This imitation was presumably a way of celebrating his victory over the Kalachuris. His descendants inherited these titles. Govindachandra's coins also corroborate the theory that he defeated the Kalachuris. These coins featured a seated goddess: this design had originally been introduced by the Kalachuri king Gangeya-deva . Govindachandra must have adapted this style after his victory over
3240-477: The "elephants of nine kingdoms" ( nava-rajya-gaja ). According to one theory, this term is a conventional literary device to announce the king's claim of being a leading monarch. Another interpretation is that it refers to Govindachandra's conquest of Kanyakubja from another ruler called Gadhipuradhipati Gopala. Govindachandra seems to have captured some territories from the Kalachuris , who were his southern neighbours. The Kalachuri king defeated by Govindachandra
3330-446: The 1140s. The 1124 CE Maner inscription of Govindachandra was found in the present-day Patna district . However, the Pala king Madanapala (not to be confused with Govindachandra's father) is known to have gained control of this area sometime during 1145–1147 CE. The 1146 Lar inscription of Govindachandra records the grants of villages located in present-day Gorakhpur district . However, it was issued at Mudgagiri (modern Munger ), which
3420-659: The 1167 CE Kamauli inscription, Jayachandra was initiated as a worshipper of Krishna (an incarnation of Vishnu) as a prince. The kings also offered homage to other Hindu gods, including Shiva and Surya . The Gahadvala inscriptions describe the kings as Parama-Maheshvara ("devotees of Shiva"). The Gahadavalas were also tolerant towards Buddhism . Two of Govindachandra 's queens — Kumaradevi and Vasantadevi — were Buddhists. An inscription discovered at Bodh Gaya suggests that Jayachandra also showed interest in Buddhism . This inscription begins with an invocation to Gautam Buddha ,
3510-516: The 1190s, but his account can be ignored as inaccurate because he flourished around four centuries later, in the 16th century. Harishchandra may have also retained Varanasi . Meanwhile, the control of the region around Etawah appears to have been usurped by Jayachandra nephew Ajayasimha. The 13th century chronicler Minhaj al-Siraj Juzjani refers to a victory achieved by the Delhi Sultanate ruler Iltutmish (r. 1211-1236) at Chandawar; Ajayasimha
3600-399: The Gahadavala and Paramara kingdoms, were friendly with Govindachandra, and may have allowed him to pass through their kingdom. However, Nayachandra's claim is not supported by any other literary or epigraphic evidence. Therefore, the historical accuracy of this claim is doubtful. An inscription of Govindachandra's queen Kumaradevi states that he had been sent by Hara ( Shiva ) to protect
3690-510: The Gahadavala genealogy from Yashovigraha to Chandradeva has been found at Gangaikonda Cholapuram in the Chola territory. It ends abruptly, so the name of its issuer is not certain, but it appears to have been issued during the reign of either Madanavarman or Govindachandra. Historian H. C. Ray speculated that the Gahadavalas and the Cholas may have developed friendly relations, because they both shared
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3780-465: The Gahadavala kingdom. Kṛtya-Kalpataru , written by Govindachandra's courtier Lakshmidhara, states that Govindachandra killed the Hammira. This incident may have happened during the reign of Madanapala, or early during the reign of Govindachandra. The undated Sarnath inscription of Govindachandra's queen Kumaradevi praises him for protecting Varanasi from the "wicked" Turushkas (Turkic people, that is,
3870-461: The Gahadavala records do not mention any friendship between the two kings, it is quite plausible, given that the Kalachuris of Tripuri were their common enemies. Jajjaladeva, a ruler of the Tummana Kalachuri branch, also maintained friendly relations with Govindachandra. His 1114 CE Ratanpur inscription states that he had been honoured by the king of Kanyakubja. An inscription detailing
3960-475: The Gahadavala throne. According to one theory, he was a Ghurid vassal. However, in an 1197 CE Kotwa inscription, he assumes the titles of a sovereign. According to historian Roma Niyogi, it is possible that he controlled Kanyakubja, as no contemporary Muslim historians mention that the Ghurids captured the city at that time. Firishta (16th century) was the earliest writer to claim that the Muslims captured Kannauj in
4050-452: The Gahadavalas no longer controlled Kanyakaubja by Jayachandra's time. By the last quarter of the 11th century, the north-central India was a troubled territory as a result of Ghaznavid raids and the lack of a strong imperial power. The Gurjara-Pratihara empire had ceased to exist. Their successors, such as the Paramaras and the Kalachuris , had declined in power. In these times of chaos,
4140-407: The Gahadavalas to the Rashtrakutas, speculated that the dynastic name might have derived from "Gawarmad", a place-name mentioned in a 1076 CE Kannada language inscription. However, the term is not mentioned in the early Gahadavala inscriptions. Therefore, if the dynasty's name has any geographical significance, it points to the newly acquired territories in northern India. According to the rulers of
4230-423: The Gahadavalas. The Kṛtya-Kalpataru , written by his courtier Lakashidhara, suggests that he also killed a Ghaznavid general. Govindachandra succeeded his father as the Gahadavala king sometime during 1109-1114 CE. The Gahadavalas became the most prominent power of northern India as a result of his military conquests and diplomatic relations. His adoption of the Kalachuri titles and coinage indicate that he defeated
4320-547: The Ghaznavids may have led to the neglect of the kingdom's eastern border, which later resulted in a Sena invasion. Jayachandra , the last powerful king of the dynasty, faced a Ghurid invasion under Muhammad of Ghor and his slave commander Qutbuddin Aibak . He was defeated and killed at the Battle of Chandawar in 1194. According to the contemporary Muslim historian Hasan Nizami , the Ghurids then sacked Varanasi, where they destroyed
4410-510: The Ghaznavids). Sometime before 1109 CE, the Palas of eastern India invaded the Gahadavala kingdom, probably as a retaliation for Chandradeva 's earlier invasion of their kingdom. The 1109 CE Rahin inscription boasts that even as a prince, Govindachandra subdued the elephants of Gauda (the Pala kingdom). The Kṛtya-Kalpataru declares that the mere sport of Govindachandra threatened the elephants of Gauda. This war appears to have ended with
4500-477: The Kalachuris as a common enemy. As a result, a Gahadavala prince may have visited Gangaikonda Cholapuram and issued the inscription. The 1119 CE Set-Mahet inscription states that Govindachandra made some grants at the request of a monk from the Chola kingdom. This further corroborates the theory of friendly relations between the two kingdoms. According to Rajatarangini , the contemporary Kashmiri king Jayasimha made
4590-583: The Kalachuris. The identity of the Karanda and Karandatalla villages is not certain, so it is difficult to determine which part of the Kalachuri kingdom was annexed by Govindachandra. A 1237 CE inscription from the reign of a Gahadavala prince named Adakkamalla was found in the Nagod State (present-day Satna district , Madhya Pradesh ). Adakkamalla ruled the area even after the end of the imperial Gahadavala branch; Govindachandra might have appointed his ancestor as
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#17328517896444680-515: The Kantit feudal estate , who claimed descent from the Gahadavalas, the term "Gahadavala" derives from the Sanskrit word grahavāra ("overcomer of the evil planet"). Their fanciful legend claims that Yayati 's son acquired the title grahavāra after defeating the evil planet ( graha ) Saturn . The Gahadavala power was concentrated in what is now eastern Uttar Pradesh . At times, their rule extended to
4770-695: The Transliteration Committee of the Geneva Oriental Congress , in September 1894. IAST makes it possible for the reader to read the Indic text unambiguously, exactly as if it were in the original Indic script. It is this faithfulness to the original scripts that accounts for its continuing popularity amongst scholars. Scholars commonly use IAST in publications that cite textual material in Sanskrit, Pāḷi and other classical Indian languages. IAST
4860-449: The actual successor of Govindachandra was Vijayachandra, whose first inscription is dated 1168 CE. It is not known why Vijayachandra ascended the throne when Asphotachandra was the yuvaraja . It is possible that the other two princes died during Govindachandra's lifetime, or that Vijayachandra defeated them in a war of succession, but there is no concrete evidence for either of these hypotheses. The last extant inscription of Govindachandra
4950-621: The area of Sanskrit studies make use of free OpenType fonts such as FreeSerif or Gentium , both of which have complete support for the full repertoire of conjoined diacritics in the IAST character set. Released under the GNU FreeFont or SIL Open Font License , respectively, such fonts may be freely shared and do not require the person reading or editing a document to purchase proprietary software to make use of its associated fonts. Govindachandra (Gahadavala dynasty) Govindachandra ( IAST : Govindacandra, r. c. 1114–1155 CE)
5040-526: The consumer edition since XP. This is limited to characters in the Basic Multilingual Plane (BMP). Characters are searchable by Unicode character name, and the table can be limited to a particular code block. More advanced third-party tools of the same type are also available (a notable freeware example is BabelMap ). macOS provides a "character palette" with much the same functionality, along with searching by related characters, glyph tables in
5130-625: The convention is to typeset the IT sounds as capital letters. For the most part, IAST is a subset of ISO 15919 that merges the retroflex (underdotted) liquids with the vocalic ones ( ringed below ) and the short close-mid vowels with the long ones. The following seven exceptions are from the ISO standard accommodating an extended repertoire of symbols to allow transliteration of Devanāgarī and other Indic scripts , as used for languages other than Sanskrit. The most convenient method of inputting romanized Sanskrit
5220-507: The dynasty's founder Chandradeva as the Kannauj Rashtrakuta scion Chandra, but this theory is contradicted by historical evidence. For example, the Rashtrakutas of Kannauj claimed origin from the legendary solar dynasty . On the other hand, the Gahadavala inscriptions state they gained power after the destruction of the solar and the lunar dynasties. Moreover, Kumaradevi, the queen of the Gahadavala ruler Govindachandra came from
5310-403: The earliest available inscription of his successor Vijayachandra is dated 1168 CE. Such a long gap is unusual for the dynasty, and may indicate troubled times arising out of an external invasion or a war of succession after Govindachandra's death. Vijayachandra faced a Ghaznavid invasion, which he seems to have repulsed sometime before 1164 CE. His focus on guarding the western frontiers against
5400-583: The first Gahadavala king Chandradeva brought stability to the region by establishing a strong government. The 1104 CE Bashai (or Basahi) inscription of his son Madanapala declares that he saved the distressed earth after the deaths of the Paramara Bhoja and the Kalachuri Karna . Since the Kalachuris controlled the area around Varanasi before the Gahadavalas, it appears that Chandradeva captured this territory from them. The Kalachuri king defeated by him
5490-408: The grants made by the queens were announced by the king. The territory directly ruled by the Gahadavala monarch was sub-divided into several administrative divisions: According to the Gahadavala inscriptions, Govindachandra appreciated and patronized different branches of learning (as indicated by his title Vividha-vidya-vichara-vachaspati ). His courtier Lakshmidhara composed Kṛtya-Kalpataru at
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#17328517896445580-540: The holy city of Varanasi from the Turushka (Turkic people, that is, the Ghaznavids ). This has led to speculation that Govindachandra fought against the Ghaznavids as a sovereign as well. However, there is no record of any Ghaznavid army advancing up to Varanasi. It is possible that Bahram Shah or his son Khusrau Shah may have fought with a feudatory of Govindachandra at the kingdom's north-western border. The praise bestowed upon Govindachandra for protecting Varanasi may be
5670-629: The king made a grant after bathing in the Ganga river at Varanasi. This suggests that the Gahadavala kings mainly lived in and around Varanasi, which was their favoured capital. They probably considered Kanyakubja as a 'capital of honour', since it had been a seat of reputed kingdoms since the Maukhari period. A verse in the 1104 CE Basahi inscription of Madanapala states that his father Chandradeva had made Kanyakubja his capital. However, Madanapala's 1105 CE Kamauli grant omits this verse, although it repeats all
5760-478: The king's request. Vijayachandra also patronized scholars and poets including Shriharsha , whose works include Naishadha Charita and the now-lost Shri-Vijaya-Prashasti . Jayachandra 's court poet Bhatta Kedar wrote a eulogy titled Jaichand Prakash (c. 1168) on his life, but the work is now lost . Another lost eulogy on his life is the poet Madhukar's Jaya-Mayank-Jasha-Chandrika (c. 1183). The Gahadavala kings worshipped Vishnu . For example, according to
5850-505: The king's request. Lakshmidhara was a scholar, a warrior and a diplomat. Nearly 1,000 gold coins of Govindachandra have been discovered, besides some silver and copper coins. A hoard of 800 of his gold coins was discovered near Nanpara in 1887, during railway construction work. The coins are made of impure gold, and contain a large mixture of silver. Most of the other coins have been discovered at various parts of present-day Uttar Pradesh and Bihar . Govindachandra's coins feature
5940-539: The locations mentioned in them provide an idea of the territorial extent of his kingdom. In the north-east, his kingdom was probably bounded by the Burhi Gandak River . The northern boundary of his kingdom is debatable. His grandfather Chandradeva ruled a place called Indrasthaniyaka; some scholars identify it as the modern Delhi . Based on this identification, historian Roma Niyogi theorizes that Tomaras of Delhi may have served as Govindachandra's feudatories in
6030-409: The medieval Muslim chronicles. Diwan-i-Salman by the contemporary Muslim historian Salman states that Malhi was imprisoned by the Ghaznavids, and released only after the payment of a ransom. The Gahadavala inscriptions indicate that Madanapala's son Govindachandra led the military expeditions during his reign. As a result of these expeditions, the Ghaznavids were forced to conclude a peace treaty with
6120-427: The medieval legends, Kanyakubja (Kannauj) was their capital. However, according to Al-Biruni , most of the Kanyakubja city was in ruins by 1030 CE, nearly half a century before the dynasty's founder Chandradeva ascended the throne. The vast majority of the Gahadavala inscriptions have been discovered in and around Varanasi ; only one has been found in the Kanyakubja area. The majority of these inscriptions state that
6210-452: The mid-10th century Gurjara-Pratihara king of Kanyakubja. Chandradeva probably started his career as a feudatory, but declared independence sometime before 1089 CE. The sudden rise of the Gahadavalas has led to speculation that they descended from an earlier royal house. Rudolf Hoernlé once proposed that the Gahadavalas were an offshoot of the Pala dynasty of Gauda , but this theory has been totally rejected now. Another theory identifies
6300-401: The non-payment of this tribute. The Gahadavalas inscriptions mention a Turushka -danda ("Turkic punishment") tax, which according to the proponents of this theory, was collected to pay a tribute to the Ghaznavid (Turkic) overlord. This theory can be criticized on several grounds. First, no Muslim chronicles mention imposition of any tribute on Chand Rai. Secondly, the meaning of Turushka-danda
6390-507: The north-west. However, P. C. Roy is critical of this theory, as no historical records establish the Gahadavala presence in Delhi. He points out that Rahin (or Rahan) village in Etawah district is the furthest point in the north-west where a Gahadavala inscription has been discovered. Therefore, he believes that Indrasthaniyaka is not same as Delhi. The Rashtrakutas of Kannauj were Govindachandra's feudatories. The Yamuna River probably formed
6480-670: The opportunity to install and use the sa-itrans-iast input handler which provides complete support for the ISO 15919 standard for the romanization of Indic languages as part of the m17n library. Or user can use some Unicode characters in Latin-1 Supplement, Latin Extended-A, Latin Extended Additional and Combining Diarcritical Marks block to write IAST. Only certain fonts support all the Latin Unicode characters essential for
6570-542: The other introductory verses from the Basahi grant. Other than the 1104 CE Basahi inscription, no other inscription describes Kanyakubja as the Gahadavala capital. Historian Roma Niyogi theorized that Chandradeva temporarily moved his seat from Varanasi to Kanyakubja, because Kanyakubja was reputed as the capital of the earlier imperial powers. However, the Gahadavalas lost Kanyakubja to Ghaznavids somewhere between 1104 CE and 1105 CE, and Madanapala's son Govindachandra had to wage
6660-401: The reign of Govindachandra and the Pala monarch Madanapala (not to be confused with Govindachandra's father). Although the identity of the aggressor is not certain, the conflict seems to have happened over control of present-day western Bihar . Both Pala and Gahadavala inscriptions were issued in this area during this period. The last extant inscription of Govindachandra is dated 1154 CE, and
6750-464: The right side of the keyboard instead of Ctrl+Alt combination). Many systems provide a way to select Unicode characters visually. ISO/IEC 14755 refers to this as a screen-selection entry method . Microsoft Windows has provided a Unicode version of the Character Map program (find it by hitting ⊞ Win + R then type charmap then hit ↵ Enter ) since version NT 4.0 – appearing in
6840-483: The romanisation of all Indic scripts , is an extension of IAST. The IAST letters are listed with their Devanagari equivalents and phonetic values in IPA , valid for Sanskrit , Hindi and other modern languages that use Devanagari script, but some phonological changes have occurred: * H is actually glottal , not velar . Some letters are modified with diacritics : Long vowels are marked with an overline (often called
6930-510: The rulers of Kanyakubja and other kingdoms "proud of his friendship". Shrikantha-Charita by Jayasimha's courtier Mankha states that Govindachandra sent one Suhala to attend an assembly of scholars held by the Kashmiri minister Alamkara. These evidences point to friendly diplomatic relations between the Gahadavalas and the rulers of Kashmir. A number of inscriptions from Govindachandra's reign are available. The find spots of these inscriptions and
7020-475: The seated goddess. The following inscriptions issued by Govindachandra, or issued by others during his reign, have been discovered: The Hari-Vishnu inscription , said to have been found at the Babri mosque during its demolition in 1992, also mentions one Govindachandra. It records the construction of a temple by Govindachandra's subordinate Anayachandra. Its date portion is missing, and its authenticity has been
7110-538: The so-called Vishnu-Hari inscription at the Babri mosque site, and that the Govindachandra mentioned in it is a different person. Govindachandra was born to the Gahadavala monarch Madanapala . The last extant inscription from Madanapala's reign is dated 1109 CE, and the first inscription from Govindachandra's reign is dated 1114 CE. Thus, Govindachandra must have ascended the throne sometime during 1109–1114 CE. His mother
7200-469: The southern boundary of his father's kingdom, and Govindachandra appears to have annexed some Kalachuri territories to the south of Yamuna. In the east, Govindachandra controlled a part of the present-day Bihar . His easternmost inscription has been found at Maner in Patna district . His 1146 CE Lar inscription mentions that it was issued from Mudgagiri (modern Munger ), which is located further east. However,
7290-483: The transliteration of Indic scripts according to the IAST and ISO 15919 standards. For example, the Arial , Tahoma and Times New Roman font packages that come with Microsoft Office 2007 and later versions also support precomposed Unicode characters like ī . Many other text fonts commonly used for book production may be lacking in support for one or more characters from this block. Accordingly, many academics working in
7380-568: The two parties, as indicated by the 1109 CE Rahin (or Rahan) inscription. According to this epigraph, prince Govindachandra fought repeatedly against "Hammira", and made him lay aside his enmity. Hammira is the Sanskrit form of the Arabic title " Amir ", which was used by the Ghaznavids. According to Salman, the Ghaznavids released Malhi only after the payment of a ransom . Subsequently, a Ghaznavid general appears to have launched an unsuccessful attack on
7470-458: The western parts of Bihar . The 1090 CE Chandrawati inscription of Chandradeva states that he protected the sacred places of Kashi ( Varanasi ), Kushika ( Kannauj ), Uttara Koshala (the area around Ayodhya ) and Indrasthaniyaka. The identity of Indrasthaniyaka is unknown, but because of its similarity to the word " Indraprastha ", some scholars have identified it as modern Delhi . Based on this, historians such as Roma Niyogi have proposed that
7560-421: Was also a Mahayana Buddhist , as attested by a text called Ashta-Sahasrika-Prajna-Paramita . Three sons of Govindachandra are known: Asphota-chandra, Rajya-pala and Vijaya-chandra. Asphotachandra bore the title Yuvaraja ( heir apparent ), as attested by 1134 CE inscription. Rajyapala bore the title Maharajaputra (prince), as attested by the 1143 CE Gagaha inscription and the 1146 CE Varanasi inscription. But
7650-449: Was found among the Babri mosque debris . The authenticity of this inscription is controversial. According to some historians, it proves that Govindachandra's subordinate Anayachandra constructed a temple at the site believed to be Rama 's birthplace; this temple was later destroyed and replaced with the Babri mosque by Muslim conquerors. Other historians allege that the Hindu activists planted
7740-456: Was probably Yashahkarna or his successor Gayakarna . The Kalachuri king Yashahkarna had granted the Karanda and Karandatalla villages to his royal perceptor ( rajguru ) Rudra-Shiva. An 1120 CE inscription of Govindachandra records the grant of these villages to Thakkura Vashishtha. In this inscription, Govindachandra assumed the traditional Kalachuri titles Ashva-pati Nara-pati Gaja-pati Rajatrayadhipati (literally, "leader of three forces:
7830-467: Was probably Iltutmish's enemy in this battle. The ultimate fate of Harishchandra is not known, but he was probably defeated by the Delhi Sultanate under Iltutmish . A 1237 inscription issued during the reign of one Adakkamalla of Gahadavala family was found in Nagod State (present-day Satna district of Madhya Pradesh ). Adakkamalla may have been the successor of Harishchandra. Another possibility
7920-499: Was probably Karna's successor Yashah-Karna . Chandradeva's inscriptions indicate that he also tried to expand his kingdom in the east, but the Pala chronicle Ramacharitam suggests that his plan was foiled by Ramapala 's feudatory Bhimayashas. Chandradeva was succeeded by Madanapala , who faced invasions from the Muslim Ghaznavid dynasty. He is identified with "Malhi", who was the king of Kannauj (Kanyakubja) according to
8010-440: Was probably Ralhadevi, who seems to have died sometime before 1141 CE. An 1141 CE grant of Govindachandra mentions that it was made on the occasion of the "day of the great queen Ralhadevi". Diwan-i-Salman , a chronicle by the contemporary Muslim historian Salman, states that the Muslim Ghaznavid ruler Mas'ud III invaded India. According to Salman, the Ghaznavid forces captured Malhi, the ruler of Kanauj ( Kanyakubja ). "Malhi"
8100-534: Was the King of Kannauj from 1114 to 1155 and was a member of the Gahadavala dynasty . Govindachandra was the most powerful ruler of his dynasty. As a prince, he achieved military successes against the Ghaznavids and the Palas . As a sovereign, he defeated the Kalachuris of Tripuri , and annexed some of their territories. The " Vishnu-Hari inscription " recording the construction of a temple during Govindachandra's reign
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