Gurjara-Pratihara dynasty

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Gurjara Pratihara dynasty
c. 730 CE–1036 CE
Gurjara-Pratihara coinage of Mihira Bhoja, King of Kanauj. Obv: Boar, incarnation of Vishnu, and solar symbol. Rev: Traces of Sasanian type. Legend: Srímad Ādi Varāha "The fortunate primaeval boar".[1][2][3] of Gurjara Pratihara
Gurjara-Pratihara coinage of
Kanauj. Obv: Boar, incarnation of Vishnu, and solar symbol. Rev: Traces of Sasanian type. Legend: Srímad Ādi Varāha "The fortunate primaeval boar".[1][2][3]
Extent of the Pratihara Empire at its peak (c. 800—950 CE) and neighbouring polities.[4]
Capital
Common languagesSanskrit, Prakrit
Religion
Hinduism
GovernmentMonarchy
• c.  730 – c. 760
Nagabhata I (first)
• c. 1024 – c. 1036
Yasahpala (last)
Historical era
Conquest of Kannauj by Mahmud of Ghazni
1008 CE
• Disestablished
1036 CE
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Chavda dynasty
Varman dynasty of Kannauj
Pala Empire
Chandela dynasty
Paramara dynasty
Kalachuris of Tripuri
Tomara dynasty
Chavda dynasty
Chahamanas of Shakambhari
Ghaznavid Empire
Guhila dynasty
Today part ofIndia
Bangladesh
Nepal

The Gurjara-Pratihara was a dynasty that ruled much of Northern India from the mid-8th to the 11th century. They ruled first at Ujjain and later at Kannauj.

The Gurjara-Pratiharas were instrumental in containing Arab armies moving east of the

Rashtrakuta and Pala empires for control of the Indian subcontinent. During this period, Imperial Pratihara took the title of Maharajadhiraja of Āryāvarta (Great King of Kings of Aryan
Lands).

Gurjara-Pratihara are known for their sculptures, carved panels and open pavilion style temples. The greatest development of their style of temple building was at

The power of the Gurjara-Pratihara dynasty was weakened by dynastic strife. It was further diminished as a result of a great raid led by the Rashtrakuta ruler Indra III who, in about 916, sacked Kannauj. Under a succession of rather obscure rulers, the dynasty never regained its former influence. Their feudatories became more and more powerful, one by one throwing off their allegiance until, by the end of the tenth century, the dynasty controlled little more than the Gangetic Doab. Their last important king, Rajyapala, was driven from Kannauj by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1018.[7]

Etymology and origin

Saptamatrikas, Kannauj
, 9th-10 century, Pratihara dynasty

The origin of the dynasty and the meaning of the term "Gurjara" in its name is a topic of debate among historians. The rulers of this dynasty used the self-designation "Pratihara" for their clan, and never referred to themselves as Gurjaras.[9] They claimed descent from the legendary hero Lakshmana, who is said to have acted as a pratihara ("door-keeper") for his brother Rama.[10][11] [12]

Multiple inscriptions of their neighbouring dynasties describe the Pratiharas as "Gurjara".[13] The term "Gurjara-Pratihara" occurs only in the Rajor inscription of a feudatory ruler named Mathanadeva, who describes himself as a "Gurjara-Pratihara". According to one school of thought, Gurjara was the name of the territory (see Gurjara-desha) originally ruled by the Pratiharas; gradually, the term came to denote the people of this territory. An opposing theory is that Gurjara was the name of the tribe to which the dynasty belonged, and Pratihara was a clan of this tribe.[14]

Among those who believe that the term Gurjara was originally a tribal designation, there are disagreements over whether they were native Indians or foreigners.

Hunnic state, although its precise origins remain unclear.[17][18] Critics of the foreign origin theory argue that there is no conclusive evidence of their foreign origin: they were well-assimilated in the Indian culture. Moreover, if they invaded India through the north-west, it is inexplicable why would they choose to settle in the semi-arid area of present-day Rajasthan, rather than the fertile Indo-Gangetic Plain.[19]

According to the

History

Pashupatinath, Uttar Pradesh, 9th -10th century, Pratihara dynasty
Vishnu and Lakshmi bronze, 10th-11th century, Pratihara dynasty

The original centre of Pratihara power is a matter of controversy. R. C. Majumdar, on the basis of a verse in the Harivamsha-Purana, 783 CE, the interpretation of which he conceded was not free from difficulty, held that Vatsaraja ruled at Ujjain.

Kuvalayamala
states that it was composed at Jalor in the time of Vatsaraja in 778 CE, which is five years before the composition of Harivamsha-Purana.

Early rulers

Vatsraja
(775–805).

Resistance to the Caliphate

In the Gwalior inscription, it is recorded that Gurjara-Pratihara emperor Nagabhata "crushed the large army of the powerful Mlechcha king." This large army consisted of cavalry, infantry, siege artillery, and probably a force of camels. Since Tamin was a new governor he had a force of Syrian cavalry from Damascus, local Arab contingents, converted Hindus of Sindh, and foreign mercenaries like the Turkics. All together the invading army may have had anywhere between 10 and 15,000 cavalry, 5000 infantry, and 2000 camels.[citation needed]

The Arab chronicler Sulaiman describes the army of the Pratiharas as it stood in 851 CE, "The ruler of Gurjara maintains numerous forces and no other Indian prince has so fine a cavalry. He is unfriendly to the Arabs, still he acknowledges that the king of the Arabs is the greatest of rulers. Among the princes of India there is no greater foe of the Islamic faith than he. He has got riches, and his camels and horses are numerous."[27]

Conquest of Kannauj and further expansion

The Kanauj triangle.

After bringing much of Rajasthan under his control, Vatsaraja embarked to become "master of all the land lying between the two seas." Contemporary Jijasena's Harivamsha Purana describes him as "master of western quarter".[28]

According to the Radhanpur Plate and

Vatsraj had extended his dominions to include a large part of northern India, from the Thar Desert in the west up to the frontiers of Bengal in the east.[28]

The metropolis of Kannauj had suffered a power vacuum following the death of

Vatsaraja successfully challenged and defeated the Pala ruler Dharmapala and Dantidurga
, the Rashtrakuta king, for control of Kannauj.

Around 786, the Rashtrakuta ruler Dhruva (c. 780–793) crossed the

Somnath in Gujarat, which had been demolished in an Arab raid from Sindh. Kannauj became the center of the Gurjara-Pratihara state, which covered much of northern India during the peak of their power, c. 836–910.[citation needed
]

Mihira Bhoja

Teli ka Mandir is a Hindu Temple built by Mihira Bhoja.[31][32][33][34]

Mihira Bhoja first consolidated his territories by crushing the rebellious feudatories in Rajasthan, before turning his attention against the old enemies, the Palas and Rastrakutas.[35] The Palas of Bengal, ruled by King Devapala (c. 810–850), were reputed to have:

Eradicated the race of the Utkalas, humbled the pride of the Hunas and scattered the conceit of the Dravidas and Pratiharas.

When Mihira Bhoja started his career reverses and defeats suffered by his father Ramabhadra had considerably lowered the prestige of the Royal Pratihara family. He invaded the Pala Empire of Bengal, but was defeated by Devapala

He then launched a campaign to conquer the territories to the south of his empire and was successful,

Deccan and Gujarat were conquered. In Gujarat he Stepped into a war of succession for the throne of Gujarat between Dhruva II of the Gujarat Rashtrakuta dynasty and his younger brother, Bhoja led a cavalry raid into Gujarat against the Dhruva while supporting his Dhruva's younger brother. Although the raid was repulsed by Dhruva II. Bhoja I was able to retain dominion over parts of Gujarat and Malwa.[35]

The Pratiharas were defeated in a large battle in Ujjain by the Rastrakutas of Gujarat. However, retribution followed on the part of the Pratiharas, by the end of his reign, Bhoja had successfully destroyed the Gujarat Rashtrakuta dynasty.[36]: 20–21 

Shiva and Parvati sculpture, 9th-10 century CE , Pratihara era

Bhoja's feudatory, the‌

Guhilas chief named Harsha of Chatsu
, is described as :

"defeating the northern rulers with the help of the mighty elephant force", and "loyally presenting to Bhoja the special 'Shrivamsha' breed of horses, which could easily cross seas of sand."

[35]

He gradually rebuilt the empire by conquest of territories in Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.[37] Besides being a conqueror, Bhoja was a great diplomat.[37] The Kingdoms which were conquered and acknowledged his Suzerainty includes Travani, Valla, Mada, Arya, Gujaratra, Lata Parvarta

and

Chandelas of Bundelkhand. Bhoja's Daulatpura-Dausa Inscription(AD 843), confirms his rule in Dausa region. Another inscription states that,"Bhoja's territories extended to the east of the Sutlej river."

The Nilgund inscription (866) of Amoghavarsha mentions that his father Govinda III
subjugated the Gurjaras of Chitrakuta

Kalhana's Rajatarangini states that the territories of Bhoja extended to Kashmir in the north, and bhoja had conquered Punjab by defeating ruling 'Thakkiyaka' dynasty .[35][38]

After Devapala's death, Bhoja defeated the Pala King Narayanapala and expanded his boundaries eastward into Pala-held territories near Gorakhpur.

Hudud-ul-Alam a tenth century Persian geographic text states that most of the kings of India acknowledged the supremacy of the powerful 'Rai of Qinnauj', (kannauj was the capital of Imperial Pratiharas) whose mighty army had 150,000 strong cavalry and 800 war elephants.[35]

His son

Mahenderpal I (890–910), expanded further eastwards in Magadha, Bengal and Assam.[39]

Decline

Ghaznavid invasions of the subcontinent.[40][41]

Tomaras of Haryana, and the Chahamanas of Shakambhari.[42] The south Indian Emperor Indra III (c. 914–928) of the Rashtrakuta dynasty briefly captured Kannauj in 916, and although the Pratiharas regained the city, their position continued to weaken in the tenth century, partly as a result of the drain of simultaneously fighting off Turkic attacks from the west, the attacks from the Rashtrakuta dynasty from the south and the Pala advances in the east.[42] The Gurjara-Pratiharas lost control of Rajasthan to their feudatories, and the Chandelas captured the strategic fortress of Gwalior in central India around 950.[42] By the end of the tenth century the Gurjara-Pratihara domains had dwindled to a small state centered on Kannauj.[42]

Mahmud of Ghazni captured Kannauj in 1018, and the Pratihara ruler Rajapala fled. He was subsequently captured and killed by the Chandela ruler Vidyadhara.[43][44][42] The Chandela ruler then placed Rajapala's son Trilochanpala on the throne as a proxy. Jasapala, the last Gurjara-Pratihara ruler of Kannauj, died in 1036.[42]

The Imperial Pratihara dynasty broke into several small states after the

Tughlaq Empire.[45]

Gurjara-Pratihara art

There are notable examples of architecture from the Gurjara-Pratihara era, including sculptures and carved panels.

Māru-Gurjara architecture

Māru-Gurjara architecture was developed during Gurjara-Pratihara Empire.

  • One of the four entrances of the Teli ka Mandir. This Hindu temple was built by the Pratihara emperor Mihira Bhoja.[31]
    One of the four entrances of the Teli ka Mandir. This Hindu temple was built by the Pratihara emperor Mihira Bhoja.[31]
  • Jainism-related cave monuments and statues carved into the rock face inside Siddhachal Caves, Gwalior Fort.
    Jainism-related cave monuments and statues carved into the rock face inside Siddhachal Caves, Gwalior Fort.
  • Ghateshwara Mahadeva temple at Baroli Temples complex. The complex of eight temples, built by the Gurjara-Pratiharas, is situated within a walled enclosure.
    Ghateshwara Mahadeva temple at Baroli Temples complex. The complex of eight temples, built by the Gurjara-Pratiharas, is situated within a walled enclosure.
  • Bateshwar Hindu temples in Madhya Pradesh was built by the Gurjara-Pratiharas.
    Bateshwar Hindu temples in Madhya Pradesh was built by the Gurjara-Pratiharas.

Legacy

Historians of India, since the days of Elphinstone, have wondered at the slow progress of Muslim invaders in India, as compared with their rapid advance in other parts of the world. The Arabs possibly only stationed small invasions independent of the Caliph. Arguments of doubtful validity have often been put forward to explain this unique phenomenon. Currently it is believed that it was the power of the Gurjara-Pratihara army that effectively barred the progress of the Muslims beyond the confines of Sindh, their first conquest for nearly three hundred years. In the light of later events this might be regarded as the "Chief contribution of the Gurjara-Pratiharas to the history of India".[27]

List of rulers

List of Imperial Gurjara-Pratihara dynasty rulers
Serial No. Ruler Reign (CE)
1 Nagabhata I 730–760
2 Kakustha and Devaraja 760–780
3 Vatsaraja 780–800
4 Nagabhata II 800–833
5 Ramabhadra 833–836
6 Mihira Bhoja or Bhoja I 836–885
7 Mahendrapala I 885–910
8 Bhoja II 910–913
9 Mahipala I 913–944
10 Mahendrapala II 944–948
11 Devapala 948–954
12 Vinayakapala 954–955
13 Mahipala II 955–956
14 Vijayapala II 956–960
15 Rajapala 960–1018
16 Trilochanapala 1018–1027
17 Yasahpala 1024–1036

List of feudatories and Branches

List of Pratihara feudatories

List of Pratihara Branches

Gurjara-Pratihara dynasty of Mandavyapura (c. 550 – 750 CE)
Baddoch Branch (c. 600 – 700 CE)

Known Baddoch rulers are-

  • Dhaddha 1 (600 – 627 CE)
  • Dhaddha 2 (627 – 655 CE)
  • Jaibhatta (655 – 700 CE)
Rajogarh Branch

Badegujar were rulers of Rajogarh

See also

References

  1. ^ Smith, Vincent Arthur; Edwardes, S. M. (Stephen Meredyth) (1924). The early history of India : from 600 B.C. to the Muhammadan conquest, including the invasion of Alexander the Great. Oxford : Clarendon Press. p. Plate 2.
  2. .
  3. .
  4. .
  5. .
  6. ^ Avari 2007, p. 303.
  7. ^ a b Sircar 1971, p. 146.
  8. ^ a b Partha Mitter, Indian art, Oxford University Press, 2001 pp.66
  9. ^ Sanjay Sharma 2006, p. 188.
  10. ^ Tripathi 1959, p. 223.
  11. ^ Puri 1957, p. 7.
  12. ^ Agnihotri, V. K. (2010). Indian History. Vol. 26. p. B8. Modern historians believed that the name was derived from one of the kings of the line holding the office of Pratihara in the Rashtrakuta court
  13. ^ Puri 1957, p. 9-13.
  14. ^ Majumdar 1981, pp. 612–613.
  15. ^ Puri 1957, p. 1-2.
  16. ^ Puri 1957, p. 2.
  17. White Hunnic
    element. The Gurjara Pratiharas who were likely created from a fusion of White Hunnic and native Indian elements, ruled a vast Empire in northern India, and they also halted Arab Muslim expansion in India through Sind for centuries...
  18. .
  19. ^ Puri 1957, pp. 4–6.
  20. ^ Yadava 1982, p. 35.
  21. ^ Singh 1964, pp. 17–18.
  22. ^ Majumdar, R.C. (1955). The Age of Imperial Kanauj (First ed.). Bombay: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. pp. 21–22.
  23. ^ Sharma, Dasharatha (1966). Rajasthan through the Ages. Bikaner: Rajasthan State Archives. pp. 124–30.
  24. .
  25. .
  26. ^ A New History of Rajasthan, Rima Hooja pg – 270–274 University of Rajasthan
  27. ^ .
  28. ^ .
  29. .
  30. .
  31. ^ .
  32. .
  33. ^ Rajan, K. V. Soundara (1984). Early Kalinga Art and Architecture. Sundeep. p. 103. When we have to compare a khākhärä temple of Kalinga with anything outside its borders, the most logical analogue coming to our mind will be that of Teli ka Mandir at Gwalior of the time of Pratihara Mihira Bhoja.
  34. .
  35. ^ .
  36. ^ . He was undoubtedly one of the outstanding political figures of India in ninth century and ranks with Dhruva and Dharmapala as a great general and empire builder.
  37. ^ Dasharatha Sharma, Rajasthan Through the Ages "a comprehensive and authentic history of Rajasthan" Bikaner, Rajasthan State Archives 1966, pp.144–54
  38. .
  39. .
  40. .
  41. ^ .
  42. .
  43. .
  44. .
  45. .
  46. ^ Kalia 1982, p. 2.
  47. ^ Cort 1998, p. 112.
  48. ^ "ASI to resume restoration of Bateshwar temple complex in Chambal". Hindustan Times. 21 May 2018.

Bibliography