Kelhana-deva ( IAST: Kelhaṇadeva, r. c. 1163–1193 CE) was an Indian king belonging to the Naddula Chahamana dynasty. He ruled the area around

Naddula Nadol is a census town in Desuri tehsil of Pali district, India. Ashapura Mataji temple and Shri Nadol Tirth attract pilgrims. History Nadol was originally called Naddula. The Chahamanas of Naddula (called Chauhans of Nadol in vernacular leg ...

(present-day Nadol in

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 s ...

), as a

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 ...

vassal. He participated in the 1178 CE

Battle of Kasahrada The Battle of Kasahrada, also known as Battle of Kayadara or Battle of Gadararaghatta was fought in 1178 at modern Kayandra in Sirohi district near Mount Abu. It was fought between the Rajput Confederacy led by Mularaja II and the invading Ghu ...

, in which the Chaulukya forces defeated 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 th ...

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 ...

Reign

Kelhanadeva was a son of the Chahamana ruler

Alhanadeva Alhana-deva (IAST: Alhaṇadeva, r. c. 1148–1163 CE) was an Indian king belonging to the Naddula Chahamana dynasty. He ruled the area around Naddula (present-day Nadol in Rajasthan), as a vassal of the Chaulukya king Kumarapala. During his re ...

and queen Analladevi. As a prince, he assisted his father in the administration. Around 1163 CE, he succeeded his father as a

vassal on the throne of Naddula. Kelhanadeva seems to have made an attempt to assert his sovereignty, as indicated by his titles ''

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 ...

Parameshvara'' ("King of Great Kings, Supreme Lord"). However, the Chaulukya monarch Kumarapala forced him to acknowledge the Chaulukya suzerainty. After Kumarapala's death, he again attempted to assert independence. According to the Sundha Hill inscription, Kelhanadeva and his brother

Kirtipala Kirti-pala ( IAST: Kīrtipāla, r. c. 1160-1182 CE), also known as Kitu in vernacular legends, was an Indian king belonging to the Chahamana dynasty of Javalipura (modern Jalore). A member of the Naddula Chahamana family, he carved out a prin ...

defeated the Turushkas (Turkic people, that is, the

s). The legendary chronicle ''

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 ...

'' states that the Ghurid king

took possession of Naddula during his invasion of India. He was challenged by a Chaulukya force during the reign of

Bhima II Bhima II (r. c. 1178–1240 CE), also known as ''Bhola Bhima'', was an Indian king who ruled parts of present-day Gujarat. He was a member of the Chaulukya (also called Chalukya or Solanki) dynasty. During his reign, the dynasty's power decl ...

. This force included the troops of the three Chaulukya feudatories: the Naddula Chahamana ruler Kelhanadeva, the Javalipura Chahamana ruler Kirtipala, and the Abu Paramara ruler Dharavarsha. The joint force defeated the Ghurid army at the

in 1178 CE. As a result, Kelhana managed to regain control of Naddula. To celebrate this victory, he is said to have commissioned a golden

torana ''Torana'' ( sa, तोरण; '' awr-uh-nuh') is a free-standing ornamental or arched gateway for ceremonial purposes in Hindu, Buddhist and Jain architecture of the Indian subcontinent. Toranas can also be widely seen in Southeast Asia and ...

(gateway) at a shrine dedicated to the deity Somesha. During Kelhanadeva's reign, the southern

Yadava The Yadava (literally, descended from Yadu) were an ancient Indian people who believed to be descended from Yadu, a legendary king of Chandravamsha lineage. The community was formed of various clans, being the Abhira, Andhaka, Vrishni, and ...

ruler

Bhillama V Bhillama V (r. c. 1175-1191 CE) was the first sovereign ruler of the Seuna (Yadava) dynasty of Deccan region in India. A grandson of the Yadava king Mullagi, he carved out a principality in present-day Maharashtra by capturing forts in and around ...

raided

Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...

and

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 syn ...

regions, which were located to the south of Naddula. Kelhanadeva checked Bhillama's advance, and forced him to retreat. He probably fought this battle as a

feudatory.

Family

Kelhanadeva had at least two queens: Mahibala-devi (known from Lalrai inscription) and Jalhana-devi (known from Sanderao inscription). Kelhanadeva died around 1193 CE. He had at least two sons: Jayatasimha and Sodhaladeva. Jayatasimha assisted him in administration, and succeeded him on the throne of Naddula. Sodhaladeva was made governor of Mandavyapura province in 1184 CE. Chamundaraja, who governed Mandavyapura before him and held the title ''Maharajaputra'' ("Prince"), may also have been a son of Kelhanadeva. The king had at least two daughters: Shringara-devi and Lalhana-devi. Shringara married Dharavarsha, the ruler of the Paramara branch of

Abu Abu or ABU may refer to: Places * Abu (volcano), a volcano on the island of Honshū in Japan * Abu, Yamaguchi, a town in Japan * Ahmadu Bello University, a university located in Zaria, Nigeria * Atlantic Baptist University, a Christian university ...

. Lalhana married Vigraha, a Pratihara chief of

Gwalior Gwalior() is a major city in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh; it lies in northern part of Madhya Pradesh and is one of the Counter-magnet cities. Located south of Delhi, the capital city of India, from Agra and from Bhopal, the s ...

References

Bibliography

* * * {{Chahamanas of Naddula Chahamanas of Naddula 12th-century Indian monarchs