Introduction

• The Gahadavala dynasty (also known as Gahadavalas of Kannauj) was a Rajput dynasty that ruled parts of present-day Uttar Pradesh and Bihar during the 11th and 12th centuries.
• The capital of the dynasty 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 a sovereign kingdom before 1090, after the decline of Kalachuri power.
• The kingdom reached its zenith under Govindachandra, Chandradeva’s grandson, who annexed some Kalachuri territories, warded off Ghaznavid raids, and fought against the Palas.
• In 1194, Jayachandra, the grandson of Govindachandra, was defeated by the Ghurid army under Qutb al-din Aybeg, which effectively ended the dynasty’s imperial power.
• The dynasty completely ceased to exist when Jayachandra’s successors were defeated by the Delhi Sultanate Mamluk dynasty ruler Iltutmish (r. 1211–1236).

Origin

• Chandradeva, the first monarch of the Gahadavala dynasty, was the son of Mahichandra and grandson of Yashovigraha.
• Yashovigraha is said to have “seized the earth and made her fond of the king’s sceptre (or justice)”, indicating he was likely a petty chief with military victories, possibly serving a prominent king, possibly Kalachuri king Karna.
• Mahichandra (also called Mahitala or Mahiyala) bore the feudatory title nṛpa and is said to have defeated several enemies. He was likely a Kalachuri vassal.
• According to the 1093 CE and 1100 CE Chandrawati inscriptions, the Gahadavalas occupied Kanyakubja after the descendants of Devapala (the mid-10th century Gurjara-Pratihara king) had been destroyed.
• Chandradeva likely started as a feudatory but declared independence sometime before 1089 CE.
• The sudden rise of the Gahadavalas has led to theories about their origins. One theory suggested they were an offshoot of the Pala dynasty of Gauda, but this has been rejected.
• Another theory proposed Chandradeva as a scion of the Kannauj Rashtrakuta family, but this contradicts the historical evidence, as the Rashtrakutas claimed origin from the solar dynasty while Gahadavala inscriptions suggest they gained power after the destruction of the solar and lunar dynasties.
• Kumaradevi, the queen of Govindachandra, came from a Rashtrakuta branch that ruled in Bodh Gaya. Her inscription distinguishes the Gahadavalas and Rashtrakutas as separate families.
• Another theory identifies Chandradeva as Chand Rai, a “keeper of elephants” according to Salman, a medieval Muslim historian.
• According to this theory, Chand Rai gained rulership of Kannauj after promising to pay tribute to the Ghaznavids following their invasion. However, this theory has been criticized:
  • No Muslim chronicles mention tribute being imposed on Chand Rai.
  • The meaning of Turushka-danda (“Turkic punishment”) is unclear.
  • There is no indication in Hindu or Muslim sources that Ghaznavid invasions were due to non-payment of tribute.