Guhila dynasty
Guhila Dynasty गुहिल राजवंश | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
728–1303 | |||||||||||||
Capital | |||||||||||||
Religion | Hinduism | ||||||||||||
• 728-753 | Bappa Rawal (first) | ||||||||||||
• 753-773 | Khuman I | ||||||||||||
• 828-853 | Khuman II | ||||||||||||
• 878-942 | Khuman III | ||||||||||||
• 942-951 | Rawal Bharttripatta II | ||||||||||||
• 951-971 | Rawal Allata | ||||||||||||
• 1303 | Ratnasimha | ||||||||||||
History | |||||||||||||
• Established | 728 | ||||||||||||
1303 | |||||||||||||
|
The Guhilas of Medapata colloquially known as Guhilas of Mewar were a Rajput dynasty that ruled the
The Guhilas assumed sovereignty after the decline of the Pratiharas in the 10th century under
In the mid-12th century, the dynasty divided into two branches. The senior branch (whose rulers are called
Origin
The history of the Guhilas has been obscured by bardic legends. In the 7th century, three different Guhila dynasties are known to have ruled in present-day Rajasthan in Nagda-Ahar, Kishkindha (Kalyanpur) and Dhavagarta (Dhor). None of these dynasties claimed any prestigious origin in their 7th century records.[6] The Guhilas of Dhavagarta explicitly mentioned the Mori (later Mauryas) kings as their overlords, and the early kings of the other two dynasties also bore the titles indicating their subordinate status.[7]
By the 10th century, the Guhilas of Nagda-Ahar were the only among the three dynasties to have survived. By this time, their political status had increased, and the Guhila kings had assumed high royal titles such as
By the 13th century, having consolidated their rule over the Medapata (Mewar) region, the Guhilas came up with a new origin myth.[10] Their post-13th century records and the subsequent bardic legends name the dynasty's founder as Bappa Rawal, who is not mentioned in the Atpur inscription.[11] These accounts state that Bappa Rawal consolidated his rule with the blessings of the Pashupata sage Haritarashi.[10] Different historians identify Bappa Rawal with different kings mentioned in the Atpur inscription, including Kalabhoja, Shiladitya, and Khummana. R. C. Majumdar theorizes that Bappa achieved a highly significant military success, because of which he gained reputation as the dynasty's founder.[11]
According to the 1274 CE Chittor inscription and the 1285 CE
The 1274 CE Chittor inscription compares the Guhila ruler Bharttripatta with Rama, describing both of them as "Brahma-Kshatras". Based on the identification of Rama with
The later bardic chronicles mention a fabricated genealogy, claiming that the dynasty's founder Guhaditya was a son of Shiladitya, the
History
R. C. Majumdar places Guhadatta in the 5th century CE, assuming a 20-year reign for each generation.[9] R. V Somani places him somewhere before the first quarter of the 6th century.[14][15]
According to the 977 CE Atpur inscription and the 1083 CE Kadmal inscription, Guhadatta was succeeded by Bhoja, who commissioned the construction of a tank at
Nagaditya's successor Shiladitya raised the political status of the family significantly, as suggested by his 646 CE Samoli inscription, as well as the inscriptions of his successors, including the 1274 CE Chittor inscription and the 1285 CE Abu inscription. R. V. Somani theorizes that the copper and zinc mines at
Shiladitya was succeeded by Aparajita, who is attested by the 661 CE Kunda inscription. This epigraph records the construction of a Vishnu temple by Yashomati, the wife of Aparajita's commander Varaha. According to the bardic chronicles, Aparajita was also killed in a battle with the Bhils. His son Mahendra succeeded him.[18]
Mahendra was succeeded by Kalabhoja, who has been identified as
The Guhilas originally acknowledged the suzerainty of the
Guhilas of Ahar
Towards the end of the 10th century, Ahar became the second capital of the Guhilas.[20]
In the later half of the 10th century, the Paramara king Munja defeated the elephant forces of the Guhilas, and plundered their capital Ahar. The defeated Guhila ruler (either Naravahana or his son Shaktikumara) took shelter with Dhavala, the Rashtrakuta ruler of Hastikundi. As a result of this victory, the Paramaras gained control of the eastern part of Mewar, including Chittorgarh.[21]
Shaktikumara's son Ambaprasada was defeated and killed by the Chahamana king Vakpati II. Among his successors, Vijayasimha (r.c. 1108–1116) was a son-in-law of the Paramara king Udayaditya and a father-in-law of the Kalachuri king Gayakarna.[20]
Rawal branch
According to the 15th century text
Kshemasimha succeeded his father
Kumarasimha was succeeded by Mathanasimha, Padmasimha and Jaitrasimha.[20]
Jaitrasimha
During the reign of
The Guhila records also credit him with military success against the king of Shakambhari. The rulers of Shakambhari had already ended by this time, therefore, this may be a reference to the Chahamanas of Ranthambore. Jaitrasimha is also said to have defeated the Sindhuka army, whose identity is uncertain.[28]
Decline
Jaitrasimha's son Tejasimha ascended the throne sometime before 1260. The earliest Guhila inscription discovered at Chittor is from Tejasimha's reign, and refers to "Chitrakuta-maha-durga" (the great fort of Chittor).[28]
Tejasimha's son
The Rawal branch ended when
Genealogy
Different sources offer different lists of the Guhila kings. The earliest extant inscription that provides a genealogy of the dynasty is the 971 CE inscription of Naravahana. However, it is badly damaged, and only three names can be read: Guhila, Bappa and Naravahana.[33]
The following inscriptions are the major sources of the dynasty's genealogy:[34][35]
- Atpur (VS) of Śaktikumāra
- Samarasiṃha
- Abu (Achaleshvar) inscription, 1285 CE (1342 VS) of Samarasiṃha
- Sadadi (Ranpur) inscription, 1439 CE (1496 VS) of Kumbhakarna of Rana (Sisodia) branch
- Kumbhalgarh inscription, 1460 CE (1517 VS) of Kumbhakarna of Rana (Sisodia) branch
Early kings
The following table lists the early kings of the dynasty, as given in the various inscriptions.[34][35]
# | Name ( IAST ) |
Atpur inscription |
Chittor inscription |
Abu inscription |
Sadadi inscription |
Kumbhal-garh inscription |
Date of own inscriptions | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Bappa | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Called Bappaka in Abu inscription | ||
2 | Guhila | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Called Guhadatta in Atpur inscription | |
3 | Bhoja | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
4 | Mahendra (I) | ✓ | ✓ | |||||
5 | Nāga | ✓ | ✓ | |||||
6 | Śila | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ? | 646 CE (703 VS) | The Kumbhalgarh inscription lists Bappa instead |
7 | Aparājita | ✓ | ✓ | 661 CE (718 VS) | ||||
8 | Mahendra (II) | ✓ | ✓ | |||||
9 | Kālabhoja | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
10 | Khommāṇa (I) | ✓ | ✓ | Called Sh[Kh]ummāṇa in Kumbhalgarh inscription | ||||
11 | Mattaṭa | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Called Manttaṭa in Chittor inscription | |||
12 | Bhartṛipaṭṭa (I) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Called Bhartṛibhaṭa in all inscriptions except the Atpur one | |
13 | Siṃha | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Called Athasiṃha Chittor inscription | ||
14 | Khommāṇa (II) | ✓ | Son of Siṃha | |||||
15 | Mahāyaka | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Called Mahāyika in Abu inscription, Son of Khommāṇa | ||
16 | Khommāṇa (III) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Called Khumāṇa in all inscriptions except the Atpur one, Son of Mahāyaka | ||
17 | Bhartṛipaṭṭa (II) | ✓ | 942 CE (999 VS), 943 CE (1000 VS) | Son of Khommāṇa (III), Married Mahālakṣmī of Rashtrakuta family | ||||
18 | Allaṭa | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 951 CE (1008 VS), 953 CE (1010 VS) | Son of Bhartṛipaṭṭa (II), Married Huna princess Hariyādevī |
19 | Naravāhana | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 971 CE (1028 VS) | Son of Allaṭa, Married a daughter of Jejaya of Chahamana family. Held religious debates in court between Buddhists, Jains and Shaivite Hindus.[36] |
20 | Śalivāhana | ✓ | ✓ | Son of Naravāhana | ||||
21 | Śaktikumāra | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 977 CE (1034 VS) | Son of Śalivāhana |
22 | Āmraprasāda | ✓ | ✓ | 993 CE (1050 VS) | Called Ambāprasāda in Kumbhalgarh inscription, Son of Śaktikumāra. Slain by Chauhan Vakpatiraja II in Battle. | |||
23 | Śuchivarman | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ? | The Kumbhalgarh inscription lists Anantavarman (a son of Śaktikumāra) instead | ||
24 | Naravarman | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Son of Śaktikumāra | |||
25 | Kīrtivarman | ✓ | ✓ | ? | The Kumbhalgarh inscription lists Yaśovarman (a son of Śaktikumāra) instead | |||
26 | Yogarāja | ✓ | ✓ | According to Kumbhalgarh inscription, his descendants did not rule. Possibly deposed by Bhoja of Paramars.[37] | ||||
27 | Vairaṭa | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Descendant of Junior branch from Allata. Possibly placed on throne by Bhoja.[38] | |||
28 | Vaṃśapāla | ✓ | ✓ | Called Haṃsapāla in Kumbhalgarh inscription | ||||
29 | Vairisiṃha | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Son of Vaṃśapāla | |||
30 | Vijayasiṃha | ✓ | 1164 VS, 1173 VS | Son of Vairaṭa. Married Śyāmaladevī (daughter of Paramara king Udayaditya) forming a matrimonial alliance with the traditional enemy of the house; His daughter Alhaṇadevi married the Kalachuri king Gayakarna. The Kumbhalgarh inscription mentions an unnamed narendra (prince), who is identified with him.[39] | ||||
31 | Vairisiṃha (II) | ✓ | ✓ | Son of Vijayasiṃha. Called Virasiṃha in Kumbhalgarh inscription | ||||
32 | Arisiṃha | ✓ | ✓ | |||||
33 | Choḍa | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Called Choḍasiṃha in Sadadi inscription | |||
34 | Vikramasiṃha | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Son of Choḍa (Abu insc.) or Elder brother of Choḍa (Kumbhalgarh insc.) | |||
35 | Raṇasiṃha | ✓ | ✓ | 1223 VS | Son of Vikramasiṃha. Called Karṇasiṃha in Ekalinga Purana. Rana Branch descends through his son Rahapa. |
Post-split Rawal branch
After Raṇasiṃha, the dynasty split into the Rawal branch and the Rana branch. The following is a list of the rulers of the Rawal branch. Except Ratnasiṃha, all these rulers are mentioned in Abu, Sadadi, and Kumbhalgarh inscriptions. Ratnasiṃha is mentioned only in the Kumbhalgarh inscription.[40][41]
# | Name ( IAST ) |
Date of own inscriptions | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
36 | Kṣemasiṃha | 1228 VS, 1236 VS, 1256 VS, 1258 VS | Son of Raṇasiṃha; his elder brother Mahanasiṃha apparently died before their father Raṇasiṃha |
37 | Sāmantasiṃha | Son of Kṣemasiṃha | |
38 | Kumārasiṃha | Younger brother of Sāmantasiṃha | |
39 | Mathanasiṃha | Called Mahanasiṃha in Kumbhalgarh inscription, Son of Kumārasiṃha | |
40 | Padmasiṃha | ||
41 | Jaitrasiṃha | 1270 VS, 1279 VS, 1284 VS | Called Raula Jayasiṃha in Kumbhalgarh inscription. Son of Padmasiṃha. His younger son Sīlhaḍa seems to have ruled Vāgaḍa. |
42 | Tejasiṃha | 1317 VS, 1322 VS, 1324 VS | Son of Jaitrasiṃha. The Kumbhalgarh inscription gives his title as Rāula. Married Jayatalladevī |
43 | Samarasiṃha |
1330 VS, 1331 VS, 1335 VS, 1342 VS, 1344 VS, 1345 VS, 1356 VS, 1358 VS | Son of Tejasiṃha. Assumed the title Mahārajākula. The Kumbhalgarh inscription gives his title as Rāula. |
44 | Ratnasiṃha | 1359 VS | Son of Samarasiṃha. Assumed the title Mahārajākula in Dariba inscription. The Kumbhalgarh inscription gives his title as Rāula. |
The 1439 Sadadi inscription of
The 1460 Kumbhalgarh inscription of Kumbhakarna states that after Ratnasiṃha departed from the battlefield (during the 1303 Siege of Chittor), Lakshmasiṃha of the Rana branch died fighting to defend the fort.[32]
Rana branch
Rahapa, a son of Ranasimha alias Karna, established the Rana branch. According to the 1652 Eklingji inscription, Rahapa's successors were:[42]
- Narapati
- Dinakara
- Jasakarna
- Nagapala
- Karnapala
- Bhuvanasimha
- Bhimasimha
- Jayasimha
- Lakhanasimha
- Arisimha (Arasi)
- Hammira (Hammir Singh)
Hammir Singh re-established the families rule over Mewar under the title of
For Sisodia successors of Hammir Singh, see Ranas of Mewar.
References
- ISBN 0226742210.
- ISBN 978-1-84331-132-4.
The period between the seventh and the twelfth century witnessed gradual rise of a number of new royal-lineages in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, which came to constitute a social-political category known as 'Rajput'. Some of the major lineages were the Pratiharas of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and adjacent areas, the Guhilas and Chahamanas of Rajasthan, the Caulukyas or Solankis of Gujarat and Rajasthan and the Paramaras of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
- ISBN 978-1-78074-108-6.
By contrast in Rajasthan a single warrior group evolved called Rajput (from Rajaputra-sons of kings): they rarely engaged in farming, even to supervise farm labour as farming was literally beneath them, farming was for their peasant subjects. In the ninth century separate clans of Rajputs Cahamanas (Chauhans), Paramaras (Pawars), Guhilas (Sisodias) and Caulukyas were splitting off from sprawling Gurjara Pratihara clans...
- ^ Ram Vallabh Somani 1976, pp. 51.
- ^ Ram Vallabh Somani 1976, pp. 59–61.
- ^ Nandini Sinha 1991, p. 64.
- ^ Nandini Sinha 1991, p. 65.
- ^ Nandini Sinha 1991, p. 66.
- ^ a b R. C. Majumdar 1977, pp. 298–299.
- ^ a b Nandini Sinha 1991, p. 68.
- ^ a b c R. C. Majumdar 1977, p. 299.
- ^ Ram Vallabh Somani 1976, pp. 31–32.
- ^ Ram Vallabh Somani 1976, p. 32.
- ^ a b Ram Vallabh Somani 1976, p. 34.
- ^ Ali, Daud (1 January 2005). "NANDINI SINHA KAPUR: State Formation in Rajasthan: Mewar during the Seventh-Fifteenth Centuries. 308pp. Delhi: Manohar, 2002". Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient.
- ^ a b Ram Vallabh Somani 1976, p. 36.
- ^ Ram Vallabh Somani 1976, pp. 37–38.
- ^ Ram Vallabh Somani 1976, p. 39.
- ^ Ram Vallabh Somani 1976, p. 40.
- ^ a b c d e D. C. Ganguly 1957, p. 89.
- ^ Krishna Narain Seth 1978, p. 94.
- ^ Akshaya Keerty Vyas 1937, pp. 311.
- ^ R. C. Majumdar 1977, p. 298.
- ^ Asoke Kumar Majumdar 1956, p. 128.
- ^ Ashok Kumar Srivastava 1979, p. 5.
- ^ Gopinath Sharma (1992). "RAJASTHAN". In Mohammad Habib; Khaliq Ahmad Nizami (eds.). A Comprehensive History of India: The Delhi Sultanat (A.D. 1206-1526). Vol. 5 (Second ed.). The Indian History Congress / People's Publishing House. p. 803.
COMPRISING the districts of Dungarpur and Banswara was known as Vagad in old days. It was occupied chiefly by Bhils and to a small extent by Rajputs of the Chauhan and Pramara clans. Samant Singh of Mewar was forced by circumstances to migrate to Vagad and to set up a separate principality with its capital at Baroda in the last halť of the twelfth century. But his rüle was short-lived. After a reign of about ten years, he was overpowered by Bhim Deva II, who established his sway about the year 1185 and posted his chief, Vijayapal, over Vagad. The fugitive prince, according to local traditions, repaired to the court of Prithviraja and died a martyr's death at the famous feld of Tarain
- ISBN 978-81-291-1501-0.
In the final quarter of the twelfth century AD (as noted already), Mewar's Guhila chief, Samantasimha, sought refuge in the Vagar area, following his defeat at the hands of Kirtipal of Jalore and the Chalukyas of Gujarat, along with the loss of his capital city. Samantasimha established a principality centred around his new small capital of Baroda sometime around c. 1171 or so. This probably proved short-lived. Ojha holds, on the basis of the Virpur Inscription, that having been forced to quit his estates, Samantasimha subsequently found a place at the court of Prithviraj Chauhan III, and finally met a hero's death at the battle of Tarain
- ^ a b c d e f D. C. Ganguly 1957, p. 90.
- ^ a b R. B. Singh 1964, p. 264.
- ^ Asoke Kumar Majumdar 1956, p. 168.
- ^ Peter Jackson 2003, p. 133.
- ^ a b Akshaya Keerty Vyas 1937, p. 313.
- ^ Anil Chandra Banerjee 1958, p. 15.
- ^ a b N. P. Chakravarti 1987, pp. 119–121.
- ^ a b Anil Chandra Banerjee 1958, pp. 14–15.
- ^ Ram Vallabh Somani 1976, pp. 55.
- ^ Ram Vallabh Somani 1976, pp. 59–60.
- ^ Ram Vallabh Somani 1976, pp. 59.
- ^ Akshaya Keerty Vyas 1937, pp. 310–314.
- ^ a b N. P. Chakravarti 1987, p. 121.
- ^ Akshaya Keerty Vyas 1937, pp. 312–313.
- ^ D. C. Ganguly 1957, p. 91.
Bibliography
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- Nandini Sinha (1991). "A Study of the Origin Myths Situating the Guhilas in the History of Mewar (A.D. Seventh to Thirteenth Centuries)". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 52. Indian History Congress: 63–71. JSTOR 44142569.
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