Ra Meliga, also known as Melaga or Maleka, was a

Chudasama The Chudasama are a Rajput clan found in the state of Gujarat in India. They are offshoot of the Samma tribe of Sind. The Chudasama dynasty of Junagadh once ruled Thatta of Sind and Chudachandra laid foundation in Gujarat with Junagadh ...

king of Saurashtra region of western India who reigned from 1400 CE to 1416 CE ( VS 1456 to VS 1472). He remove his capital from

Vanthali Vamansthli (Vanthli)is a city and a municipality in Junagadh district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Demographics India census, Vanthali had a population of 21,891. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Vanthali has an avera ...

back to

Junagadh Junagadh () is the headquarters of Junagadh district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Located at the foot of the Girnar hills, southwest of Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar (the state capital), it is the seventh largest city in the state. Literally ...

, from which place he expelled the ''thanadar'' appointed by Gujarat Sultan. Thus Gujarat Sultan

Ahmad Shah I Ahmad Shah I, born Ahmad Khan, was a ruler of the Muzaffarid dynasty, who reigned over the Gujarat Sultanate from 1411 until his death in 1442. He was the grandson of Sultan Muzaffar Shah who has been variously described as a Tank Rajput or a ...

sent an army against Junagadh. He captured Vanthali and later Junagadh was besieged. Meliga left to a fort on

Girnar Girnar is an ancient hill in Junagadh, Gujarat, India. Geology Mount Girnar is a major igneous plutonic complex which intruded into the basalts towards the close of the Deccan Trap period. The rock types identified in this complex are ga ...

hill which was inaccessible to the forces. So the forces left and placed two officers in Junagadh to collect tribute. Meliga died and was succeeded by his son Jayasimha II in 1416 CE.

Reign

Meliga succeeded his elder brother Mandalika II in 1400 CE. His father Mokalasimha had to move the capital from Junagadh to Vanthali due to order from the

Governor of Gujarat The governor of Gujarat Is a nominal head and representative of the president of india In the state of Gujarat. The governor is appointed by the president for a term of five years and resides in Raj Bhavan in Gandhinagar. Acharya Devvrat took ...

Zafar Khan on behalf of Delhi Sultan

Firuz Shah Tughluq Sultan Firuz Shah Tughlaq (1309 – 20 September 1388) was a Muslim ruler from the Tughlaq dynasty, who reigned over the Sultanate of Delhi from 1351 to 1388.

who placed a ''thanadar''. It seems that Meliga had played no role when Zafar Khan attacked Somnath temple in 1402 CE which was under repair. Meliga expelled the ''thanadar'' from Junagadh and again made it his capital. According to the ''Mandalika Kavya'', he had sheltered a

Jhala Jhala (Hindi: झाला, ) is a term in Hindustani classical music which denotes the fast-paced conclusions of classical compositions or raga A ''raga'' or ''raag'' (; also ''raaga'' or ''ragam''; ) is a melodic framework for improvisatio ...

chieftain (probably Satarsal) fleeing from Gujarat Sultan

. ''Mirat-i-Sikandari'' tells that, in 1413-14 CE, Ahmad Shah marched against Junagadh. On this occasion, Melinga fought a pitched battle with Ahmad Shah at Vanthali but was defeated and fled to Junagadh. Vanthali was taken by Ahmad Shah who then marched to Junagadh and took the lower fortress (the

Uparkot Uparkot is a fort located in east side of Junagadh, Gujarat, India. History A fort and town was established at the foothills of Girnar hill during reign of the Maurya Empire and continued to be used during Gupta period, but it lost its importanc ...

but the Raja escaped by fleeing to the upper fortress of Girnar. But the ''Mirat-i-Sikandri'' adds, 'The greater part of the ''zamindar''s of Sorath became submissive and obedient and consented to service.' Ahmad Shah left two officers, Sayad Ábûl Khair and Sayad Kásim, were left to collect the ''zamindars tribute, ''salami'' and returned to his capital, Ahmedabad. The inscriptions (VS 1469/1413 CE) on five ''

paliya The Paliya or Khambhi is a type of a memorial found in the western regions of the India subcontinent, especially Saurashtra and Kutch regions of Gujarat and also in Sindh region of Pakistan. They mostly commemorates the death of a person. These ...

''s (memorial stones) of people died in battle at Vanthali corroborate this event. The ''Mandalik Kavya'', however, omits all account of the fight at Vanthali and represents that Meliga defeated Ahmad Shah and plundered his baggage but this is probably an exaggeration based on the Meliga's escape to the Girnar fortress and his avoidance of capture. In the Uparkot inscription (VS 1507/1451 CE), Meliga is styled the Yadav Rana of Jirandurg. He was succeeded by his son Jayasimha II in 1416 CE. Other inscriptions on ''paliya''s mentioning his name are located at Mesavana (VS 1470/1414 CE), Vaghelana (VS 1471/1415 CE) as well as on a stone in well at Vanthali dated VS 1472/1416 CE. He is also mentioned in genealogy of Revati Kund near

Damodar Kund Damodar Kund ( gu, દામોદર કુંડ) is one of the sacred lakes as per Hindu beliefs, which is located at the foothills of Girnar hills, near Junagadh in Gujarat, India. It is considered holy, as per Hindu mythology and many Hind ...

, Junagadh (VS 1472/1417 CE) and Neminath Temple inscription (c. VS 1510/c. 1454 CE) on Girnar.

References

{{Chudasama dynasty Chudasama dynasty 15th-century Indian monarchs