The Chahamanas of Shakambhari (
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 ...
: Cāhamāna), colloquially known as the Chauhans of Sambhar or Chauhans of Ajmer, were an Indian dynasty that ruled parts of the present-day
Rajasthan
Rajasthan (; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern si ...
and neighbouring areas in India, between the 6th and 12th centuries. The territory ruled by them was known as Sapadalaksha. They were the most prominent ruling family of the Chahamana (
Chauhan
Chauhan, historically ''Chahamana'', is a clan name historically associated with the various ruling Rajput families during the Medieval India in Rajasthan.
Subclans
Khichi, Hada, Songara, Bhadauria, Devda etc. are the branches or subclan ...
)
Rajput
Rajput (from Sanskrit ''raja-putra'' 'son of a king') is a large multi-component cluster of castes, kin bodies, and local groups, sharing social status and ideology of genealogical descent originating from the Indian subcontinent. The term Ra ...
clan.
The Chahamanas originally had their capital at
Shakambhari
Shakambhari (Sanskrit: शाकम्भरी, IAST: Śākambharī), also referred to as Shatakshi, is a goddess of nourishment. She is regarded to be an incarnation of Mahadevi, and identified with both Lakshmi and Durga in Hinduism. Aft ...
(present-day
Sambhar Lake Town
Sambhar (officially known as Sambhar Lake Town) is a town and a municipality in Jaipur district in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is surrounded by the Sambhar Salt Lake. Sambhar is approximately 70 km from Jaipur (NH-8, RJ SH 57) and ...
). Until the 10th century, they ruled as
Pratihara
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 ...
vassals. When the Pratihara power declined after the
Tripartite Struggle, the Chahamana ruler
Simharaja
Simharaja ( IAST: Siṃharāja, r. c. 944-971 CE ) was an Indian king belonging to the Shakambhari Chahamana dynasty. He ruled the Sapadalaksha country, which included parts of present-day Rajasthan in north-western India. He was the first Chaha ...
assumed the title
Maharajadhiraja
Mahārāja (; also spelled Maharajah, Maharaj) is a Sanskrit title for a "great ruler", "great king" or " high king".
A few ruled states informally called empires, including ruler raja Sri Gupta, founder of the ancient Indian Gupta Empire, a ...
. In the early 12th century,
Ajayaraja II
Ajayaraja II (r. c. 1110–1135 CE ) was an Indian king belonging to the Shakambhari Chahamana dynasty. He ruled the Sapadalaksha country, which included parts of present-day Rajasthan in north-western India. He defeated the Paramaras of Malwa, ...
moved the kingdom's capital to Ajayameru (modern
Ajmer
Ajmer is one of the major and oldest cities in the Indian state of Rajasthan and the centre of the eponymous Ajmer District. It is located at the centre of Rajasthan. It is also known as heart of Rajasthan. The city was established as "''Aj ...
). For this reason, the Chahamana rulers are also known as the "Chauhans of Ajmer".
The Chahamanas fought several wars with their neighbours, including the
Chaulukya
The Chaulukya dynasty (), also Solanki dynasty, was a dynasty that ruled parts of what are now Gujarat and Rajasthan in north-western India, between and . Their capital was located at Anahilavada (modern Patan). At times, their rule extended ...
s of Gujarat, the
Tomaras
The Tomara dynasty (also called Tomar in modern vernaculars because of Schwa deletion in Indo-Aryan languages, schwa deletion) dynasty ruled parts of present-day Delhi and Haryana in India during 8th-12th century. Their rule over this region ...
of Delhi, the
Paramara
The Paramara dynasty ( IAST: Paramāra) was an Indian dynasty that ruled Malwa and surrounding areas in west-central India between 9th and 14th centuries. They belonged to the Parmara clan of the Rajputs.
The dynasty was established in either t ...
s of Malwa and the
Chandela
The Chandelas of Jejakabhukti was an Indian dynasty in Central India. The Chandelas ruled much of the Bundelkhand region (then called ''Jejakabhukti'') between the 9th and the 13th centuries. They belonged to the Chandel clan of the Rajputs.
...
s of Bundelkhand. From 11th century onwards, they started facing Muslim invasions, first by the
Ghaznavid
The Ghaznavid dynasty ( fa, غزنویان ''Ġaznaviyān'') was a culturally Persianate, Sunni Muslim dynasty of Turkic ''mamluk'' origin, ruling, at its greatest extent, large parts of Persia, Khorasan, much of Transoxiana and the northwest ...
s, and then by the
Ghurid
The Ghurid dynasty (also spelled Ghorids; fa, دودمان غوریان, translit=Dudmân-e Ğurīyân; self-designation: , ''Šansabānī'') was a Persianate dynasty and a clan of presumably eastern Iranian Tajik origin, which ruled from the ...
s. The Chahamana kingdom reached its zenith under
Vigraharaja IV
Vigraharāja IV (r. c. 1150–1164 CE), also known as Visaladeva, was a king from the Chauhan (Chahamana) dynasty in north-western India. He turned the Chahamana kingdom into an empire by subduing the neighbouring kingdoms of Chaulukya, Nadd ...
in the mid-12th century. The dynasty's power effectively ended in 1192 CE, when the
Ghurid
The Ghurid dynasty (also spelled Ghorids; fa, دودمان غوریان, translit=Dudmân-e Ğurīyân; self-designation: , ''Šansabānī'') was a Persianate dynasty and a clan of presumably eastern Iranian Tajik origin, which ruled from the ...
invader
Muhammad of Ghor
Mu'izz ad-Din Muhammad ibn Sam ( fa, معز الدین محمد بن سام), also Mu'izz ad-Din Muhammad Ghori, also Ghūri ( fa, معز الدین محمد غوری) (1144 – March 15, 1206), commonly known as Muhammad of Ghor, also Gh ...
defeated and executed his nephew
Prithviraj Chauhan
Prithviraja III (IAST: Pṛthvī-rāja; reign. – 1192 CE), popularly known as Prithviraj Chauhan or Rai Pithora, was a king from the Chauhan (Chahamana) dynasty who ruled the territory of Sapadalaksha, with his capital at Ajmer in present- ...
.
Origin
According to the 1170 CE
Bijolia
Bijoliya is a census town in Bhilwara district in the state of Rajasthan, India and is surrounded by nature and waterfalls and is famous for Tapodaya Teerth Kshetra and Mandakini Temple.
Geography
Bijoliya Kalan is located at . It has an aver ...
rock inscription of
Someshvara, the early Chahamana king
Samantaraja
Samantaraja ( IAST: Sāmantarāja, r. c. 7th century CE ) was an Indian king belonging to the Chahamana dynasty of Shakambhari (modern Sambhar). He ruled parts of present-day Rajasthan in north-western India.
The exact period of Samanta is not ...
was born at Ahichchhatrapura in the
gotra of
sage
Sage or SAGE may refer to:
Plants
* ''Salvia officinalis'', common sage, a small evergreen subshrub used as a culinary herb
** Lamiaceae, a family of flowering plants commonly known as the mint or deadnettle or sage family
** ''Salvia'', a large ...
Vatsa. Historian R. B. Singh theorizes that the Chahamanas probably started out as petty rulers of Ahichchhatrapura (identified with
Nagaur), and moved their capital to Shakambhari (Sambhar) as their kingdom grew. Later, they became the vassals of the
Imperial Pratiharas.
Several mythical accounts of the dynasty's origin also exist. The earliest of the dynasty's inscriptions and literary works state that the dynasty's progenitor was a legendary hero named Chahamana. They variously state that this hero was born from
Indra
Indra (; Sanskrit: इन्द्र) is the king of the devas (god-like deities) and Svarga (heaven) in Hindu mythology. He is associated with the sky, lightning, weather, thunder, storms, rains, river flows, and war. volumes/ref> I ...
's eye, in the lineage of the sage Vatsa, in the
solar dynasty
The Solar dynasty (IAST: Suryavaṃśa or Ravivaṃśa in Sanskrit) or the Ikshvaku dynasty was founded by the legendary king Ikshvaku.Geography of Rigvedic India, M.L. Bhargava, Lucknow 1964, pp. 15-18, 46-49, 92-98, 100-/1, 136 The dynasty is ...
and/or during a ritual sacrifice performed by
Brahma
Brahma ( sa, ब्रह्मा, Brahmā) is a Hindu god, referred to as "the Creator" within the Trimurti, the trinity of supreme divinity that includes Vishnu, and Shiva.Jan Gonda (1969)The Hindu Trinity Anthropos, Bd 63/64, H 1/2, pp. 21 ...
. A popular medieval account classifies the dynasty among the four
Agnivanshi
In Indian culture, the Agnivanshi are people who claim descent from Agni, the Vedic god of fire. The Agnivanshi lineage (Agnivansha or Agnikula) is one of the three lineages into which the Rajput clans, the others being the Suryavanshi (descended ...
Rajput clans, whose ancestors are said to have come out of
sacrificial fire pit. The earliest sources to mention this legend are the 16th century recensions of ''
Prithviraj Raso''. Some
colonial-era historians interpreted this myth to suggest a foreign origin of the dynasty, speculating that the foreign warriors were initiated into the Hindu society through a fire ritual. However, the earliest extant copy of ''Prithviraj Raso'' does not mention this legend at all. Instead, it states that the first ruler of the dynasty was
Manikya Rai, who is said to have been born from Brahma's sacrifice.
Territory
The core territory of the Chahamanas was located in present-day
Rajasthan
Rajasthan (; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern si ...
. It was known as Sapadalaksha (
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 ...
: Sapādalakṣa) or
Jangala-desha (
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 ...
: Jangaladeśa).
[For a theorized map of the Chahamana territory: ]
The term Jangladesha ("rough and arid country") appears to be older, as it mentioned in the ''
Mahabharata
The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the Kuruk ...
''. The text does not mention the exact location of the region. The later Sanskrit texts, such as ' and ' suggest that it was a hot, arid region, where trees requiring little water grew. The region is identified with the area around
Bikaner
Bikaner () is a city in the northwest of the state of Rajasthan, India. It is located northwest of the state capital, Jaipur. Bikaner city is the administrative headquarters of Bikaner District and Bikaner division.
Formerly the capital of ...
.
![Visaladeva inscription on Delhi Topra 12th century](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0c/Visaladeva_inscription_on_Delhi_Topra_12th_century.jpg)
The term Sapadalaksha (literally "one and a quarter
lakh
A lakh (; abbreviated L; sometimes written lac) is a unit in the Indian numbering system equal to one hundred thousand (100,000; scientific notation: 105). In the Indian 2,2,3 convention of digit grouping, it is written as 1,00,000. For ex ...
s" or 125,000) refers to the large number of villages in the area. It became prominent during the Chahamana reign. It appears that the term originally referred to the area around modern
Nagaur near Bikaner. This area was known as ''Savalak'' (vernacular form of Sapadalaksha) in as late as 20th century. The early Chahamana king
Samantaraja
Samantaraja ( IAST: Sāmantarāja, r. c. 7th century CE ) was an Indian king belonging to the Chahamana dynasty of Shakambhari (modern Sambhar). He ruled parts of present-day Rajasthan in north-western India.
The exact period of Samanta is not ...
was based in Ahichchhatrapura, which can be identified with modern Nagaur. The ancient name of Nagaur was Nagapura, which means "the city of the serpent". Ahichchhatrapura has a similar meaning: "the city whose ''chhatra'' or protector is serpent".
As the Chahamana territory expanded, the entire region ruled by them came to be known as Sapadalaksha. This included the later Chahamana capitals Ajayameru (
Ajmer
Ajmer is one of the major and oldest cities in the Indian state of Rajasthan and the centre of the eponymous Ajmer District. It is located at the centre of Rajasthan. It is also known as heart of Rajasthan. The city was established as "''Aj ...
) and Shakambhari (
Sambhar). The term also came to be applied to the larger area captured by the Chahamanas. The early medieval Indian inscriptions and the writings of the contemporary Muslim historians suggest that the following cities were also included in Sapadalaksha:
Hansi (now in
Haryana
Haryana (; ) is an Indian state located in the northern part of the country. It was carved out of the former state of East Punjab on 1 Nov 1966 on a linguistic basis. It is ranked 21st in terms of area, with less than 1.4% () of India's land ar ...
),
Mandore (now in
Marwar
Marwar (also called Jodhpur region) is a region of western Rajasthan state in North Western India. It lies partly in the Thar Desert. The word 'maru' is Sanskrit for desert. In Rajasthani languages, "wad" means a particular area. English tra ...
region), and
Mandalgarh
Mandalgarh is a town with municipality in Bhilwara district in the Indian state of Rajasthan. Pincode of Mandalgarh is 311604.
It is the tehsil headquarters of Mandalgarh tehsil.
History
Mandalgarh was ruled by Brahma kings , the last Brahma kin ...
(now in
Mewar
Mewar or Mewad is a region in the south-central part of Rajasthan state of India. It includes the present-day districts of Bhilwara, Chittorgarh, Pratapgarh, Rajsamand, Udaipur, Pirawa Tehsil of Jhalawar District of Rajasthan, Neemuch and Man ...
region).
History
![Harshnath_Temple_Sikar_outer_view](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7c/Harshnath_Temple_Sikar_outer_view.JPG)
The earliest historical Chahamana king is the 6th century ruler
Vasudeva
According to Hindu scriptures, Vasudeva (Sanskrit: वसुदेव, IAST: ''Vasudeva''), also called Anakadundubhi, (''anakas'' and ''dundubhis'' both refer to ''drums'', after the musicians who played these instruments at the time of his ...
. According to a mythical account in ''
Prithviraja Vijaya
''Prithviraja Vijaya'' (IAST: Pṛthvīrāja Vijaya, "Prithviraja's Victory") is an eulogistic Sanskrit epic poem on the life of the Indian Chahamana king Prithviraja III (better known as Prithviraj Chauhan in the vernacular folk legends). It is ...
'', he received the
Sambhar Salt Lake as a gift from a
vidyadhara
Vidyadhara(s) (Sanskrit , literally "wisdom-holders") are a group of supernatural beings in Indian religions who possess magical powers. In Hinduism, they also attend Shiva, who lives in the Himalayas. They are considered ''Upadeva''s, or demi ...
(a supernatural being). Little is known about his immediate successors. The 8th century Chahamana ruler
Durlabharaja I
Durlabha-rāja I (r. c. 784-809 CE ) was an Indian ruler belonging to the Chahamana dynasty. He ruled parts of present-day Rajasthan in north-western India as a vassal of the Gurjara-Pratihara king Vatsaraja.
Early life
Durlabha was the son ...
and his successors are known to have served the
Gurjara-Pratihara
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 th ...
s as vassals. In 10th century,
Vakpatiraja I
Vakpatiraja I (reigned c. 917–944 CE), also known as Vappayaraja, was an Indian king belonging to the Shakambhari Chahamana dynasty. He ruled the Sapadalaksha country, which included parts of present-day Rajasthan in north-western India. He ap ...
made an attempt to overthrow the Gurjara-Pratihara suzerainty, and assumed the title
Maharaja
Mahārāja (; also spelled Maharajah, Maharaj) is a Sanskrit title for a "great ruler", "great king" or " high king".
A few ruled states informally called empires, including ruler raja Sri Gupta, founder of the ancient Indian Gupta Empire, an ...
("great king"). His younger son
Lakshmana
Lakshmana ( sa, लक्ष्मण, lit=the fortunate one, translit=Lakṣmaṇa), also spelled as Laxmana, is the younger brother of Rama and his loyalist in the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. He bears the epithets of Saumitra () and Ramanuja (). ...
established the
Naddula Chahamana branch. Vakpatiraja's elder son and successor
Simharaja
Simharaja ( IAST: Siṃharāja, r. c. 944-971 CE ) was an Indian king belonging to the Shakambhari Chahamana dynasty. He ruled the Sapadalaksha country, which included parts of present-day Rajasthan in north-western India. He was the first Chaha ...
assumed the title
Maharajadhiraja
Mahārāja (; also spelled Maharajah, Maharaj) is a Sanskrit title for a "great ruler", "great king" or " high king".
A few ruled states informally called empires, including ruler raja Sri Gupta, founder of the ancient Indian Gupta Empire, a ...
("king of great kings"), which suggests that he was a sovereign ruler.
Simharaja's successors consolidated the Chahamana power by engaging in wars with their neighbours, including the
Chaulukya
The Chaulukya dynasty (), also Solanki dynasty, was a dynasty that ruled parts of what are now Gujarat and Rajasthan in north-western India, between and . Their capital was located at Anahilavada (modern Patan). At times, their rule extended ...
s of Gujarat and the
Tomaras
The Tomara dynasty (also called Tomar in modern vernaculars because of Schwa deletion in Indo-Aryan languages, schwa deletion) dynasty ruled parts of present-day Delhi and Haryana in India during 8th-12th century. Their rule over this region ...
of Delhi. The dynasty's earliest extant inscription (973 CE) is from the reign of
Vigraharaja II
Vigraharāja II (r. c. 971-998 CE ) was a king belonging to the Shakambhari Chahamana dynasty. He ruled the Sapadalaksha country, which included parts of present-day Rajasthan in north-western India.
Early life
Vigrahraja was born to the Cha ...
. During the reign of
Viryarama (r. c. 1040 CE), the
Paramara
The Paramara dynasty ( IAST: Paramāra) was an Indian dynasty that ruled Malwa and surrounding areas in west-central India between 9th and 14th centuries. They belonged to the Parmara clan of the Rajputs.
The dynasty was established in either t ...
king
Bhoja
Bhoja (reigned c. 1010–1055 CE) was an Indian king from the Paramara dynasty. His kingdom was centered around the Malwa region in central India, where his capital Dhara-nagara (modern Dhar) was located. Bhoja fought wars with nearly all ...
invaded the Chahamana kingdom, and probably occupied their capital
Shakambhari
Shakambhari (Sanskrit: शाकम्भरी, IAST: Śākambharī), also referred to as Shatakshi, is a goddess of nourishment. She is regarded to be an incarnation of Mahadevi, and identified with both Lakshmi and Durga in Hinduism. Aft ...
for a brief period.
Chamundaraja restored the Chahamana power, possibly with the help of the Naddula Chahamanas.
The subsequent Chahamana kings faced several
Ghaznavid
The Ghaznavid dynasty ( fa, غزنویان ''Ġaznaviyān'') was a culturally Persianate, Sunni Muslim dynasty of Turkic ''mamluk'' origin, ruling, at its greatest extent, large parts of Persia, Khorasan, much of Transoxiana and the northwest ...
raids.
Ajayaraja II
Ajayaraja II (r. c. 1110–1135 CE ) was an Indian king belonging to the Shakambhari Chahamana dynasty. He ruled the Sapadalaksha country, which included parts of present-day Rajasthan in north-western India. He defeated the Paramaras of Malwa, ...
(r. c. 1110-1135 CE) repulsed a Ghaznavid attack, and also defeated the Paramara king
Naravarman
Naravarman (reigned c. 1094-1133 CE), also known as Naravarma-deva, was an Indian king from the Paramara dynasty, who ruled in the Malwa region of central India. The Paramara power greatly declined during his reign, as a result of multiple milit ...
. He moved the kingdom's capital from Shakambhari to Ajayameru (
Ajmer
Ajmer is one of the major and oldest cities in the Indian state of Rajasthan and the centre of the eponymous Ajmer District. It is located at the centre of Rajasthan. It is also known as heart of Rajasthan. The city was established as "''Aj ...
), a city that he either established or greatly expanded. His successor
Arnoraja
Arnoraja (IAST: Arṇorāja, r. c. 1135-1150 CE) was an Indian king belonging to the Shakambhari Chahamana dynasty. He ruled the Sapadalaksha country, which included parts of present-day Rajasthan in north-western India. Arnoraja repulsed a Gha ...
raided the Tomara territory, and also repulsed a Ghaznavid invasion. However, he suffered setbacks against the Gujarat Chaulukya kings
Jayasimha Siddharaja
Jayasiṃha ( ), who assumed the title Siddharāja (), was an Indian king who ruled western parts of India. He was a member of the Chaulukya (also called Solanki) dynasty.
Jayasimha's capital was located at Anahilapataka (modern Patan) in pres ...
and
Kumarapala, and was killed by his own son
Jagaddeva.
![Bisaldeo_temple](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5d/Bisaldeo_temple.jpg)
Arnoraja's younger son
Vigraharaja IV
Vigraharāja IV (r. c. 1150–1164 CE), also known as Visaladeva, was a king from the Chauhan (Chahamana) dynasty in north-western India. He turned the Chahamana kingdom into an empire by subduing the neighbouring kingdoms of Chaulukya, Nadd ...
greatly expanded the Chahamana territories, and captured
Delhi
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders w ...
from the
Tomaras
The Tomara dynasty (also called Tomar in modern vernaculars because of Schwa deletion in Indo-Aryan languages, schwa deletion) dynasty ruled parts of present-day Delhi and Haryana in India during 8th-12th century. Their rule over this region ...
. His kingdom included parts of the present-day Rajasthan, Haryana, and Delhi. It probably also included a part of
Punjab
Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...
(to the south-east of
Sutlej river) and a portion of the northern
Gangetic plain
The Indo-Gangetic Plain, also known as the North Indian River Plain, is a fertile plain encompassing northern regions of the Indian subcontinent, including most of northern and eastern India, around half of Pakistan, virtually all of Bangla ...
(to the west of
Yamuna
The Yamuna (Hindustani language, Hindustani: ), also spelt Jumna, is the second-largest tributary river of the Ganges by discharge and the longest tributary in List of major rivers of India, India. Originating from the Yamunotri Glacier at a ...
). His 1164 CE Delhi-Shivalik pillar inscription claims that he conquered the region between the
Himalayas
The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 100 ...
and the
Vindhyas
The Vindhya Range (also known as Vindhyachal) () is a complex, discontinuous chain of mountain ridges, hill ranges, highlands and plateau escarpments in west-central India.
Technically, the Vindhyas do not form a single mountain range in the ...
, and thus restored the rule of
Aryans
Aryan or Arya (, Indo-Iranian *''arya'') is a term originally used as an ethnocultural self-designation by Indo-Iranians in ancient times, in contrast to the nearby outsiders known as 'non-Aryan' (*''an-arya''). In Ancient India, the term ...
in
Aryavarta. While this is an exaggeration, it is not completely baseless. The inscription was originally found in Topra village, near the
Shivalik Hills
The Sivalik Hills, also known as the Shivalik Hills and Churia Hills, are a mountain range of the outer Himalayas that stretches over about from the Indus River eastwards close to the Brahmaputra River, spanning the northern parts of the Indi ...
(Himalayan foothills). Also, the exiled ruler of
Malwa
Malwa is a historical region of west-central India occupying a plateau of volcanic origin. Geologically, the Malwa Plateau generally refers to the volcanic upland north of the Vindhya Range. Politically and administratively, it is also syno ...
(Vindhyan region) possibly acknowledged his suzerainty. Thus Vigraharaja's influence extended from the Himalayas to the Vindhyas, at least in name.
![The last stan of Rajputs against Muhammadans](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bb/The_last_stan_of_Rajputs_against_Muhammadans.jpg)
Vigraharaja was succeeded by his son
Amaragangeya
Amaragangeya (r. c. 1164-1165 CE ), also known as Aparagangeya, was an Indian king from the Chahamana dynasty. He ruled parts of north-western India, including present-day Rajasthan.
Amaragangeya was a son of the Chahamana king Vigraharaja IV. ...
, and then his nephew
Prithviraja II
Prithvirāja II (r. c. 1165–1169 CE ) was an Indian king from the Chahamana dynasty. He ruled parts of north-western India, including present-day Rajasthan. He is also known by other names, including Prithvi-bhatta, Prithvi-deva and Pethad-de ...
. Subsequently, his younger brother
Someshvara ascended the throne.
The most celebrated ruler of the dynasty was Someshvara's son Prithviraja III, better known as
Prithviraj Chauhan
Prithviraja III (IAST: Pṛthvī-rāja; reign. – 1192 CE), popularly known as Prithviraj Chauhan or Rai Pithora, was a king from the Chauhan (Chahamana) dynasty who ruled the territory of Sapadalaksha, with his capital at Ajmer in present- ...
. He defeated several neighbouring kings, including the
Chandela
The Chandelas of Jejakabhukti was an Indian dynasty in Central India. The Chandelas ruled much of the Bundelkhand region (then called ''Jejakabhukti'') between the 9th and the 13th centuries. They belonged to the Chandel clan of the Rajputs.
...
ruler
Paramardi
Paramardi (reigned c. 1165–1203 CE) was a king of the Chandela dynasty of central India. He was the last powerful Chandela king, and ruled the Jejakabhukti region (Bundelkhand in present-day Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh). Around 1182–11 ...
in 1182–83, although he could not annex the Chandela territory to his kingdom. In 1191, he defeated the
Ghurid Empire
The Ghurid dynasty (also spelled Ghorids; fa, دودمان غوریان, translit=Dudmân-e Ğurīyân; self-designation: , ''Šansabānī'') was a Persianate dynasty and a clan of presumably Iranian peoples, eastern Iranian Tajik people, Tajik ...
king
Muhammad of Ghor
Mu'izz ad-Din Muhammad ibn Sam ( fa, معز الدین محمد بن سام), also Mu'izz ad-Din Muhammad Ghori, also Ghūri ( fa, معز الدین محمد غوری) (1144 – March 15, 1206), commonly known as Muhammad of Ghor, also Gh ...
at the
first Battle of Tarain
The First Battle of Tarain, also spelt as the First Battle of Taroari, was fought in 1191 between the invading Ghurid army led by Muhammad of Ghor and the Rajput confederacy led by Prithviraj Chauhan, near Tarain (modern Taraori in Haryana, In ...
. However, the next year, he was defeated at the
second Battle of Tarain
The Second Battle of Tarain was fought in 1192 between the Ghurid forces of Muhammad Ghuri and the Rajput Confederacy of Prithviraj Chauhan. It took place near Tarain (modern Taraori), which is , north of Delhi. The battle ended in a decisi ...
by Muhammad of Ghor, and subsequently killed.
Muhammad of Ghor appointed Prithviraja's son
Govindaraja IV
Govindaraja IV (r. c. 1192 CE ) was an Indian king belonging to the Chahamana dynasty, which ruled the Sapadalaksha country in present-day north-western India. The Ghurid invaders defeated and killed his father Prithviraja III, while he was sti ...
as a vassal. Prithviraja's brother
Hariraja
Hariraja (r. c. 1193–1194 CE ) was a king from the Chahamana (Chauhan) dynasty who ruled parts of his ancestral kingdom (in present-day Rajasthan, India) for a brief period, before being defeated by the Ghurids. After the Ghurid invaders def ...
dethroned him, and regained control of a part of his ancestral kingdom. Hariraja was defeated by the Ghurids in 1194 CE. Govindaraja was granted the fief of
Ranthambore by the Ghurids. There, he established a
new branch of the dynasty.
Cultural activities
The Chahamanas commissioned a number of Hindu temples, several of which were destroyed by the
Ghurid
The Ghurid dynasty (also spelled Ghorids; fa, دودمان غوریان, translit=Dudmân-e Ğurīyân; self-designation: , ''Šansabānī'') was a Persianate dynasty and a clan of presumably eastern Iranian Tajik origin, which ruled from the ...
invaders after the defeat of
Prithviraja III
Prithviraja III (IAST: Pṛthvī-rāja; reign. – 1192 CE), popularly known as Prithviraj Chauhan or Rai Pithora, was a king from the Chauhan (Chahamana) dynasty who ruled the territory of Sapadalaksha, with his capital at Ajmer in present- ...
.
Multiple Chahamana rulers contributed to the construction of the
Harshanatha temple, which was probably commissioned by
Govindaraja I. According to ''
Prithviraja Vijaya
''Prithviraja Vijaya'' (IAST: Pṛthvīrāja Vijaya, "Prithviraja's Victory") is an eulogistic Sanskrit epic poem on the life of the Indian Chahamana king Prithviraja III (better known as Prithviraj Chauhan in the vernacular folk legends). It is ...
'':
*
Simharaja
Simharaja ( IAST: Siṃharāja, r. c. 944-971 CE ) was an Indian king belonging to the Shakambhari Chahamana dynasty. He ruled the Sapadalaksha country, which included parts of present-day Rajasthan in north-western India. He was the first Chaha ...
commissioned a large Shiva temple at
Pushkar
Pushkar is a city and headquarters of Pushkar tehsil in the Ajmer district in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is situated about northwest of Ajmer and about southwest of Jaipur.[Chamundaraja commissioned a ]Vishnu
Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism.
Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within t ...
temple at Narapura (modern Narwar in Ajmer district)
* Prithviraja I Prithviraj or Pruthviraj may refer to:
Art and entertainment
* ''Samrat Prithviraj'', a 2022 Indian Hindi film
Mononym
* Prithviraja I (r. c. 1090-1110), Indian king from the Shakambhari Chahamana dynasty
* Prithviraja II (r. c. 1165-1169), Indi ...
built a food distribution centre (''anna-satra'') on the road to Somnath temple for pilgrims.
* Someshvara commissioned a number of temples, including five temples in Ajmer.
Vigraharaja IV
Vigraharāja IV (r. c. 1150–1164 CE), also known as Visaladeva, was a king from the Chauhan (Chahamana) dynasty in north-western India. He turned the Chahamana kingdom into an empire by subduing the neighbouring kingdoms of Chaulukya, Nadd ...
was known for his patronage to arts and literature, and himself composed the play '' Harikeli Nataka''. The structure that was later converted into the Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra
Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra (literally "shed of 2½ days") is a historical mosque in the city of Ajmer in Rajasthan, India. It is one of the oldest mosques in India, and the oldest surviving monument in Ajmer.
Commissioned by Qutb-ud-Din-Aibak in 1192 ...
mosque was constructed during his reign.
The Chahamana rulers also patronized Jainism
Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religions, Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current ...
. Vijayasimha Suri's ''Upadeśāmālavritti'' (1134 CE) and Chandra Suri's ''Munisuvrata-Charita'' (1136 CE) state that Prithviraja I donated golden kalasha
A kalasha, also spelled kalash or kalasa, also called ghat or ghot ( sa, कलश , Telugu: కలశము Kannada: ಕಳಶ literally "pitcher, pot"), is a metal (brass, copper, silver or gold) pot with a large base and small mouth, large eno ...
s (cupolas) for the Jain temples at Ranthambore. The '' Kharatara-Gachchha-Pattavali
A Pattavali (From Sanskrit patta: seat, avali: chain), Sthaviravali or Theravali, is a record of a spiritual lineage of heads of monastic orders. They are thus spiritual genealogies. It is generally presumed that two successive names are teach ...
'' states that Ajayaraja II
Ajayaraja II (r. c. 1110–1135 CE ) was an Indian king belonging to the Shakambhari Chahamana dynasty. He ruled the Sapadalaksha country, which included parts of present-day Rajasthan in north-western India. He defeated the Paramaras of Malwa, ...
allowed the Jains to build their temples in his capital Ajayameru (Ajmer
Ajmer is one of the major and oldest cities in the Indian state of Rajasthan and the centre of the eponymous Ajmer District. It is located at the centre of Rajasthan. It is also known as heart of Rajasthan. The city was established as "''Aj ...
), and also donated a golden kalasha to a Parshvanatha
''Parshvanatha'' (), also known as ''Parshva'' () and ''Parasnath'', was the 23rd of 24 ''Tirthankaras'' (supreme preacher of dharma) of Jainism. He is the only Tirthankara who gained the title of ''Kalīkālkalpataru (Kalpavriksha in this "Kal ...
temple. Someshvara granted the Revna village to a Parshvanatha temple.
List of rulers
Find spot
Provenance (from the French ''provenir'', 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody or location of a historical object. The term was originally mostly used in relation to works of art but is now used in similar senses i ...
s of the inscriptions issued during the Shakambhari Chahamana reign." width="280" height="280" zoom="5" latitude="26.45" longitude="74.62">
Following is a list of Chahamana rulers of Shakambhari and Ajmer, with approximate period of reign, as estimated by R. B. Singh:
References
Bibliography
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{{Wikiquote
Dynasties of India
History of Rajasthan
Rajput rulers
Dynasties of the Rajputs
7th-century establishments in India
12th-century disestablishments in India