The Chahamanas of Ranastambhapura were a 13th-century Indian dynasty. They ruled the area around their capital Ranastambhapura (Ranthambore) 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 ...
, initially as vassals of the
Delhi Sultanate
The Delhi Sultanate was an Islamic empire based in Delhi that stretched over large parts of the Indian subcontinent for 320 years (1206–1526). , and later gained independence. They belonged to the Chahamana (Chauhan) clan of the
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 ...
s, and are also known as Chauhans of Ranthambore in vernacular Rajasthani bardic literature.
The Chahamana line of Ranastambhapura was established by
Govindaraja, who agreed to rule as a vassal of 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 in 1192, after they defeated his father, the
Shakambhari Chahamana king
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- ...
. Govindaraja's descendants gained and lost their independence to the Delhi Sultanate multiple times during the 13th century.
Hammira, the last king of the dynasty, adopted an expansionist policy, and raided several neighbouring kingdoms. The dynasty ended with his defeat against the Delhi Sultan
Alauddin Khalji
Alaud-Dīn Khaljī, also called Alauddin Khilji or Alauddin Ghilji (), born Ali Gurshasp, was an emperor of the Khalji dynasty that ruled the Delhi Sultanate
The Delhi Sultanate was an Islamic empire based in Delhi that stretched over lar ...
at the
Siege of Ranthambore in 1301.
History
The Chahamana dynasty of Ranastambhapura was established by
Govinda-raja, a member of the
Shakambhari Chahamana family (also known as the Chauhans of
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 ...
). Govinda was the son 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- ...
, who was defeated and killed in a battle with the
Ghurids
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 ...
, in 1192 CE. 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 ...
ruler
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 ...
appointed Govinda as his vassal at Ajmer. However, Prithviraja's brother Hari-raja de-throned him, and himself became the ruler of Ajmer. Govinda then established a new kingdom with its capital at Ranastambhapura (modern Ranthambor). After the Muslim conquest of Ajmer, he granted asylum to Hari.
Balhana, the son of Govindaraja, is recorded as a vassal of the Delhi Sultan
Iltumish
Shams ud-Din Iltutmish ( fa, شمس الدین ایلتتمش; died 30 April 1236, ) was the third of the Mamluk dynasty (Delhi), Mamluk kings who ruled the former Ghurid Empire, Ghurid territories in northern India. He was the first Muslim sove ...
in 1215 CE, but declared independence in the later years. Balhana's elder son Prahlada succeeded him, and died in a lion-hunt. Prahlada's son Viranarayana was invited to Delhi by Iltumish, but was poisoned to death there. Iltumish captured the fort in 1226 CE. Balhana's younger son Vagabhata then ascended the throne. He recaptured Ranthambore during the reign of the Delhi ruler
Razia (r. 1236-1240). He successfully defended the fort against the Delhi Sultanate's invasions in 1248 and 1253 CE.
Vagbhata's son
Jaitrasimha
Rawal Jaitrasimha also known as Rawal Jaitra Singh was the ruler of the Guhila dynasty from 1213 to 1252. During his rule, the Guhila Kingdom attained a high political status. ''Ekalinga Mahatmya'' mentions his title as ''Rajakula'' (''Rawal''), h ...
achieved military successes against
Paramaras of Malwa and other chiefs. He, however, lost his sovereignty to
Nasir-ud-din, and ended up paying tribute to the Delhi Sultanate.
Hammira-Deva, the last ruler of the dynasty, was also its most powerful ruler. He ascended the throne sometime between 1283 and 1289 CE. ''
Hammira Mahakavya
''Hammira Mahakavya'' (IAST: ''Hammīra-Mahākāvya'') is a 15th-century Indian Sanskrit epic poem written by the Jain scholar Nayachandra Suri. It is a legendary biography of the 13th century Chahamana king Hammira. While not entirely accurate fr ...
'', his biography by Nayachandra, is one of the few non-Muslim sources for the region's history from that period, and enables the historians to verify the accounts of the Muslim chronicles. The Balvan inscription of 1288 CE mentions that Hammira captured the elephant force of
Arjuna II, the Paramara king of Malwa. The ''Hammira-Mahakavya'' suggests that he also defeated Arjuna's successor
Bhoja II, marched to
Chitrakuta Chitrakoot may refer to:
* Chitrakoot, Madhya Pradesh, a municipality in Madhya Pradesh, India
* Chitrakoot, Madhya Pradesh Assembly constituency, Madhya Pradesh
* Chitrakoot division, a division in Uttar Pradesh, India
** Chitrakoot district
** ...
, conquered
Medapata
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 ...
, and forced the submission of 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 th ...
king of Abu. Afterwards, he sacked
Vardhamanapura
Wadhwan, also spelled Vadhwan, is a city and a municipality in Surendranagar district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Located on the banks of the Bhogavo River, around 3 km from Surendranagar and 111 km from Ahmedabad, Wadhwan is a kno ...
, conquered
Pushkara
In Hindu theology Pushkara was the brother of Nala to whom Nala lost his kingdom and all that he possessed in gambling. Shani got very angry when Damayanti chose Nala in the swayamvar. Shani possessed Nala
Nala (Sanskrit: नल) is a cha ...
,
Shakambari
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 ...
, and various other locations before returning to his capital. Hammira's wars with other Hindu chiefdoms made him unable to form an alliance against the Muslim
Delhi Sultanate
The Delhi Sultanate was an Islamic empire based in Delhi that stretched over large parts of the Indian subcontinent for 320 years (1206–1526). . He successfully resisted invasions by
Jalal-ud-din and
Ala-ud-din
Aladdin ( ar, علاء الدين, commonly ) (various spellings and transliterations) is a male given name which means "nobility of faith" or "nobility of creed/religion". It is one of a large class of names ending with ad-Din. The name may refer ...
's general
Ulugh Khan
Almas Beg (died c. 1302), better known by his title Ulugh Khan, was a brother and a general of the Delhi Sultanate ruler Alauddin Khalji. He held the iqta' of Bayana in present-day India.
Ulugh Khan played an important role in Alauddin's asce ...
, but was finally killed in a
1301 invasion led by Ala-ud-din Khalji.
List of rulers
References
Bibliography
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Dynasties of India
History of Rajasthan
12th-century establishments in India
13th-century disestablishments in India
Dynasties of the Rajputs