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Govindachandra (Gahadavala Dynasty)
Govindachandra (IAST: Govindacandra, 1114–1155 CE) was an Indian king from the Gahadavala dynasty. He ruled the Antarvedi country in present-day Uttar Pradesh, including the major cities of Kanyakubja and Varanasi. 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 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 the so-called Vishnu-Hari inscription at ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Madanapala (Gahadavala Dynasty)
Madana-pala (IAST: Madanapāla, r. c. 1104-1113 CE), also known as Madana-chandra, was an Indian king from the Gahadavala dynasty. He ruled the Antarvedi country in present-day Uttar Pradesh, including Kanyakubja and Varanasi. Madanapala's son Govindachandra played an active role in his administration, and repulsed the Ghaznavid and Pala invasions. Early life Madanapala was a son of the Gahadavala king Chandradeva. An 1107 CE inscription gives his titles and name as ''Parama-bhattaraka Maharajadhiraja Parameshvara Parama-Maheshvara Shriman Madanapala-deva''. Inscriptional evidence suggests that Madanapala married at least two women: Ralhadevi (IAST: Rālhadevi) and Prithvishrika (IAST: Pṛthvīśrīkā). Ralhadevi was the mother of his successor Govindachandra. Military career The Gahadavala inscriptions attribute grand military victories to Madanapala using conventional praises, but do not provide any specific details. His son Govindachandra appears to have led th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late Bronze Age. Sanskrit is the sacred language of Hinduism, the language of classical Hindu philosophy, and of historical texts of Buddhism and Jainism. It was a link language in ancient and medieval South Asia, and upon transmission of Hindu and Buddhist culture to Southeast Asia, East Asia and Central Asia in the early medieval era, it became a language of religion and high culture, and of the political elites in some of these regions. As a result, Sanskrit had a lasting impact on the languages of South Asia, Southeast Asia and East Asia, especially in their formal and learned vocabularies. Sanskrit generally connotes several Old Indo-Aryan language varieties. The most archaic of these is the Vedic Sanskrit found in the Rig Veda, a colle ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
War Elephant
A war elephant was an elephant that was trained and guided by humans for combat. The war elephant's main use was to charge the enemy, break their ranks and instill terror and fear. Elephantry is a term for specific military units using elephant-mounted troops. Description War elephants played a critical role in several key battles in antiquity, especially in Ancient India. While seeing limited and periodic use in Ancient China, they became a permanent fixture in armies of historical kingdoms in Southeast Asia. During classical antiquity they were also used in ancient Persia and in the Mediterranean world within armies of Macedon, Hellenistic Greek states, the Roman Republic and later Empire, and Carthage in North Africa. In some regions they maintained a firm presence on the battlefield throughout the Middle Ages. However, their use declined with the spread of firearms and other gunpowder weaponry in early modern warfare. After this, war elephants became restricted to non- ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Infantry
Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine infantry. Although disused in modern times, heavy infantry also commonly made up the bulk of many historic armies. Infantry, cavalry, and artillery have traditionally made up the core of the combat arms professions of various armies, with the infantry almost always comprising the largest portion of these forces. Etymology and terminology In English, use of the term ''infantry'' began about the 1570s, describing soldiers who march and fight on foot. The word derives from Middle French ''infanterie'', from older Italian (also Spanish) ''infanteria'' (foot soldiers too inexperienced for cavalry), from Latin '' īnfāns'' (without speech, newborn, foolish), from which English also gets '' infant''. The individual-soldier term ''infantry ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cavalry
Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry in the roles of reconnaissance, screening, and skirmishing in many armies, or as heavy cavalry for decisive shock attacks in other armies. An individual soldier in the cavalry is known by a number of designations depending on era and tactics, such as cavalryman, horseman, trooper, cataphract, knight, hussar, uhlan, mamluk, cuirassier, lancer, dragoon, or horse archer. The designation of ''cavalry'' was not usually given to any military forces that used other animals for mounts, such as camels or elephants. Infantry who moved on horseback, but dismounted to fight on foot, were known in the early 17th to the early 18th century as '' dragoons'', a class of mounted infantry which in most armies later evolved into standard cavalry while ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Thakur (Indian Title)
Thakur is a historical feudal title of the Indian subcontinent. It is also used as a surname in the present day. The female variant of the title is Thakurani or Thakurain, and is also used to describe the wife of a Thakur. There are varying opinions among scholars about its origin. Some scholars suggest that it is not mentioned in the Sanskrit texts preceding 500 BCE, but speculates that it might have been a part of the vocabulary of the dialects spoken in northern India before the Gupta Empire. It is viewed to have been derived from word ''Thakkura'' which, according to several scholars, was not an original word of the Sanskrit language but a borrowed word in the Indian lexis from the Tukhara regions of Inner Asia. Another view-point is that ''Thakkura'' is a loan word from the Prakrit language. Scholars have suggested differing meanings for the word, i.e. "god", "lord", and "master of the estate". Academics have suggested that it was only a title, and in itself, did not gr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gayakarna
Gayakarna ( IAST: Gaya-karṇa, r. c. 1123-1153 CE) was a ruler of the Kalachuri dynasty of Tripuri in central India. His kingdom was centered around the Chedi or Dahala region in present-day Madhya Pradesh. Gayakarna married Alhanadevi, a granddaughter of the Paramara king Udayaditya, which led to peace between the two kingdoms. However, he lost some territory to the Chandela king Madanavarman. The Kalachuri vassals at Ratnapura declared their independence during his reign. Reign Gayakarna succeeded his father Yashahkarna as the Kalachuri king. Gayakarna seems to have lost some of his northern territory to the Chandela king Madanavarman. The Mau inscription of Madanavarman's minister Gadadhara states that the king fled on listening Madanavarman's name. The Chandelas seem to have captured the northern part of Baghelkhand, as suggested the discovery of Madanavarman's coins at Panwar in this region. The Ratnapura Kalachuri branch, whose kings had earlier served as vassals ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yashahkarna
Yashahkarna (IAST: Yaśaḥakarṇa, r. c. 1073-1123 CE) was a ruler of the Kalachuri dynasty of Tripuri in central India. His kingdom was centered around the Chedi or Dahala region in present-day Madhya Pradesh. During Yashahkarna's reign, the Kalachuris lost the northern parts of their kingdom to the Gahadavalas, and also suffered defeats against the Paramaras and the Chandelas. Reign Yashahkarna was a son of his predecessor Karna. His mother Avalladevi was a Huna princess. Yashahkarna ascended the throne around 1073 CE, and soon raided the Andhra region. There, he is said to have worshipped at the Shiva temple in Draksharama. The contemporary ruler of the region was probably the Vengi Chalukya king Vijayaditya VII. Yashahkarna also raided Champaranya, which V. V. Mirashi identifies as Champaran in Bihar. Yashahkarna lost the northern parts of his kingdom, including Varanasi, to the Gahadavalas. The Paramara king Lakshmadeva raided the Kalachuri Tripuri during his reign. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ramapala
Ramapala (reigned 1077–1130 AD) was the successor to the Pala king Shurapala II in the Bengal region of the Indian subcontinent, and fifteenth ruler of the Pala line. Early life Ramapala was the youngest son of Vigrahapala III. His mother was an unknown Rashtrakuta princess. Ramapala showed valour in battle field during the reign of his father, according to Manhali copper plate. Ramapala, along with his older brother Shurapala II, was locked in a bitter struggle with their oldest brother Mahipala II, who ascended the Pala throne after their father's death. They were imprisoned by Mahipala. However, after Mahipala's death at the hands of Kaivarta chief Divya, the brothers fled to distant parts of their kingdom, where they succeeded one another. Shurapala ruled for two years, before being succeeded by Ramapala. Reign At the very beginning, Ramapala reigned over a small territory comprising part of Magadha and Radha. But soon, according to ''Ramacharitam'', he faced a new ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gauḍa (region)
Gauda ( bn, গৌড়), was a territory located in Bengal in ancient and medieval times, as part of the Gauda Kingdom. Location and extent The ''Arthashastra'' of Chanakya (around 350–283 BC) refers to it along with Vanga, Pundra. This geographical idea continues with some of the ancient texts. Gauda and Vanga are sometimes used side by side.. Shashanka, the first important king of ancient Bengal who is believed to have ruled between 590 AD to 625 AD, had his capital at Karnasubarna, south-west of Baharampur, headquarters of Murshidabad district. The Chinese monk, Xuanzang (Hiuen Tsang) travelled from the country of Karnasubarna to a region in Orissa ruled by Shashanka. There is mention of Pundravardhana being part of Gauda in certain ancient records.Bandopadhyay, Rakhaldas, ''Bangalar Itihas'', , first published 1928, revised edition 1971, vol I, p 101, Nababharat Publishers, 72 Mahatma Gandhi Road, Kolkata. Evidence seems to be discrepant regarding links of Gauda with ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chandradeva
Chandradeva (IAST: Candradeva, r. c. 1089–1103 CE), also known as Chandraditya, was an Indian king from the Gahadavala dynasty. He ruled the Antarvedi country in present-day Uttar Pradesh, including Kanyakubja and Varanasi. Although the Gahadavala inscriptions mention two of his ancestors, he was the first sovereign monarch of his family. Amid the chaos resulting from the decline of Kalachuri power and Ghaznavid invasions, Chandradeva established a government in the Kanyakubja-Varanasi region of the Gangetic plains. Rise to power According to the Gahadavala inscriptions, Chandradeva was a son of Mahichandra (alias Mahitala or Mahiyala), and a grandson of Yashovigraha. The Gahadavala inscriptions give the titles and name of Chandradeva as "Parama-bhattaraka Maharajadhiraja Parameshvara Parama-Maheshvara Shriman Chandra-deva". They portray Chandradeva as the saviour of the earth (that is, the region which they ruled). The 1104 CE Bashai (Basahi) inscription states t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Turkic Peoples
The Turkic peoples are a collection of diverse ethnic groups of West, Central, East, and North Asia as well as parts of Europe, who speak Turkic languages.. "Turkic peoples, any of various peoples whose members speak languages belonging to the Turkic subfamily...". "The Turkic peoples represent a diverse collection of ethnic groups defined by the Turkic languages." According to historians and linguists, the Proto-Turkic language originated in Central-East Asia region, potentially in Mongolia or Tuva. Initially, Proto-Turkic speakers were potentially both hunter-gatherers and farmers, but later became nomadic pastoralists. Early and medieval Turkic groups exhibited a wide range of both East Asian and West-Eurasian physical appearances and genetic origins, in part through long-term contact with neighboring peoples such as Iranian, Mongolic, Tocharians, Yeniseian people, and others."Some DNA tests point to the Iranian connections of the Ashina and Ashide,133 highlighti ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
