The Tomara dynasty (also called Tomar in modern vernaculars because of
schwa deletion) dynasty ruled parts of present-day
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 ...
and
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 a ...
in India during 8th-12th century. Their rule over this region is attested to by multiple inscriptions and coins. In addition, much of the information about them comes from medieval
bardic legends. They belonged to the
Tomar clan
Tomar (also called/spelt Tomara, Tanwar) is a clan, some members of which ruled parts of North India at different times. People belonging to the Tomara clan are found among the Rajputs of Northern India.
Most of their population is primarily co ...
of the
Rajputs
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 ...
.
They were displaced by the
Chahamanas of Shakambhari in the 12th century, who took over their capital in Delhi, but who were themselves soon displaced 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 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 ...
in 1192 CE.
Territory
The Tomara territory included parts of the present-day
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 ...
and
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 a ...
. A 13th century inscription states that the Tomaras ruled the Hariyanaka (Haryana) country before the
Chahamanas and the Shakas (
Muslims
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
in this context). A 14th century inscription states that they built Dhillika (modern day Delhi) a city in the Haryana region. Around that city is a fortified wall called
Lal Kot
Lal ( fa, لعل, hi, लाल, bn, লাল, ur, لال, ps, Lāl) is an Indo-Iranian surname and given name, which means "darling", "precious", or "beloved", from the Sanskrit ''lala'' ("cajoling").''Dictionary of American Family Names''F ...
built by
Anangpal Tomar
Anangpal II, popularly known as Anangpal Tomar, was a ruler from the Tomar Rajput dyansty. He is known to have established and populated Delhi in the 11th century.
He is often confused with Anangpal I, the founder of Tomar Dynasty of Delhi, w ...
. It is also known that the Tomara kingdom stretched to
Asigarh Fort
Asigarh Fort, also called Hansi Fort, is located on the eastern bank of ''Amti lake'' in Hansi town of Haryana, India, about 135 km from Delhi on NH9. Spread over 30 acres, in its prime days this fort used to be in control of 80 forts in ...
and areas at
Thanesar
Thanesar city or old Kurukshetra city is a historic town and an important Hindu pilgrimage centre in Kurukshetra district of the state of Haryana in northern India. It is located in Kurukshetra district, approximately 160 km northwest of D ...
. The Tomara's rule was followed by that of the Chahamanas and the
mlechchha
Mleccha (from Vedic Sanskrit ', meaning "non-Vedic", "foreigner" or "barbarian") is a Sanskrit term, initially referring to those of an incomprehensible speech, later foreign or barbarous invaders as contra-distinguished from elite groups.
The ...
Sahavadina (
Shihab ad-Din).
History
The Tomaras are known from some inscriptions and coins. However, much of the information about the dynasty comes from medieval bardic legends, which are not historically reliable. Because of this, the reconstruction of Tomara history is difficult.
As feudatories
The earliest extant historical reference to the Tomaras occurs in the
Pehowa inscription issued during the reign of the
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 ...
king
Mahendrapala I
Mahendrapala I (885–910) was a ruler of Pratihara dynasty, the son of Mihir Bhoja I and queen ''Candra-Bhatta-Rika-Devi''. He was also mentioned on various inscriptions in Kathiawar, Punjab and Madhya Pradesh by names ''Mahindrapala'', '' ...
(r. c. 885-910 CE). This undated inscription states that Jaula of the Tomara family became prosperous by serving an unnamed king. His descendants included Vajrata, Jajjuka, and Gogga. The inscription suggests that Gogga was a vassal of Mahendrapala I. It records the construction of three
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" withi ...
temples by Gogga and his step-brothers Purna-raja and Deva-raja. The temples were located at Prithudaka (
IAST: Pṛthūdaka;
Pehowa), on the banks of the
Sarasvati river
The Sarasvati River () is a deified river first mentioned in the Rigveda and later in Vedic and post-Vedic texts. It played an important role in the Vedic religion, appearing in all but the fourth book of the Rigveda.
As a physical river, i ...
.
No information is available about the immediate successors of Gogga. The Pehowa inscription suggests that this particular Tomara family was settled around the
Karnal area. However,
F. Kielhorn
Lorenz Franz Kielhorn (31 May 1840, Osnabrück - 19 March 1908, Göttingen) was a German Indologist.
He studied under Theodor Benfey at the University of Göttingen, where he became member of Burschenschaft Hannovera (fraternity), and under Ad ...
suggested that this Tomara family actually resided in Delhi: they may have visited Pehowa on pilgrimage, and built a temple there.
As sovereigns
As the Pratihara power declined, the Tomaras established a sovereign principality around Delhi by the 10th century. According to the bardic tradition, the dynasty's founder Anangapal Tuar (that is Anangapala I Tomara) founded Delhi in 736 CE. However, the authenticity of this claim is doubtful. A 1526 CE source names the successors of Anangapala as Tejapala, Madanapala, Kritapala, Lakhanapala and Prithvipala. The ''Dravya-Pariksha'' (1318 CE) of
Thakkura Pheru
Thakkar Pheru (IAST: Ṭhakkura Pherū) was an author of books on mathematics, coins, and gems in Delhi. He was active between 1291 and 1347.
Alauddin Khalji recruited Ṭhakkura Pherū, a Shrimal Jain from Kannāṇā (modern Kalpana) in Harya ...
mentions the coins of Madanapala, Prithvipala and another ruler, Chahadapala.
Soon after gaining independence, the Tomaras became involved in conflicts with their neighbours, the
Chahamanas of Shakambhari and later on the
Gahadavala dynasty
The Gahadavala dynasty (IAST: Gāhaḍavālas), also Gahadavalas of Kanauj, was a Rajput dynasty that ruled parts of the present-day Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, during 11th and 12th centuries. Their capital was located at Varanas ...
. According to a 973 CE inscription of the Chahamana king
Vigraharaja II, his ancestor
Chandana (c. 900 CE) killed the Tomara chief Rudrena (or Rudra) in a battle. The
Harsha
Harshavardhana ( IAST Harṣa-vardhana; c. 590–647 CE) was a Pushyabhuti emperor who ruled northern India from 606 to 647 CE. He was the son of Prabhakaravardhana who had defeated the Alchon Huna invaders, and the younger brother of Rajy ...
stone inscription states that Chandana's descendant
Simharaja (c. 944-971 CE) defeated a Tomara leader called Lavana or Salavana. Historian R. B. Singh identifies the defeated ruler as Tejapala. Another fragmentary Chahamana ''
prashasti
''Prashasti'' (IAST: Praśasti, Sanskrit for "praise") is an Indian genre of inscriptions composed by poets in praise of their rulers. Most date from the 6th century CE onwards. Written in the form of poetry or ornate prose, the ''prashastis'' s ...
'' (eulogistic inscription), now at the
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 "' ...
museum, mentions that the Chahamana king
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 ...
(c. 1135-1150 CE) invaded the
Haritanaka country. This country is identified with the Tomara territory. According to the inscription, Arnoraja's army rendered the waters of the Kalindi river (
Yamuna
The Yamuna ( Hindustani: ), also spelt Jumna, is the second-largest tributary river of the Ganges by discharge and the longest tributary in India. Originating from the Yamunotri Glacier at a height of about on the southwestern slopes of B ...
) muddy and the women of Hartinaka tearful, but Arnoraja's victory over the Tomaras was not decisive and as his 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 ...
had to fight the Tomaras. This may have been because Anoraja was unsuccessful of getting through the fort
Lal Kot
Lal ( fa, لعل, hi, लाल, bn, লাল, ur, لال, ps, Lāl) is an Indo-Iranian surname and given name, which means "darling", "precious", or "beloved", from the Sanskrit ''lala'' ("cajoling").''Dictionary of American Family Names''F ...
which had been built by the Tomara rulers.
The writings of the medieval Muslim historians suggest that a king named Mahipala was ruling Delhi in the 11th century. Although these medieval historians do not mention the dynasty of this king, he is identified as a Tomara ruler by some modern historians. Some coins featuring crude depictions of a horseman and a bull, and bearing the name "Mahipala", have been attributed to this king. These coins are similar to those of
Mawdud of Ghazni
Shahāb-ud-Dawla Mawdūd ( fa, شهابالدوله مودود; died 1050), known as Mawdud of Ghazni (), was a sultan of the Ghaznavids from 1041 – 1050. He seized the throne of the sultanate from his uncle, Muhammad of Ghazni, in revenge fo ...
(r. 1041-50 CE), confirming that Mahipala must have ruled in the 11th century. The horseman-and-bull were a characteristic of the
Kabul Shahi Kabul Shahi is a term used to denote two former non-Muslim dynasties in Kabul:
*Turk Shahis (665–850 CE)
*Hindu Shahi
The Hindu Shahis (also known as Odi Shahis, Uḍi Śāhis, or Brahman Shahis, 822–1026 CE) were a dynasty that held sway ...
coinage; Mawdud probably adopted this style after capturing the Shahi territories. Mahipala probably imitated the same style after capturing
Asigarh Fort
Asigarh Fort, also called Hansi Fort, is located on the eastern bank of ''Amti lake'' in Hansi town of Haryana, India, about 135 km from Delhi on NH9. Spread over 30 acres, in its prime days this fort used to be in control of 80 forts in ...
in
Hansi and
Thaneshvara regions from Mawdud. Some fragmentary Tomara inscriptions have been discovered from Mahipalpur near Delhi. Historian Y. D. Sharma theorizes that Mahipala established a new capital at Mahipalapura (now Mahipialpur).
The
Suraj Kund reservoir is said to have been commissioned by a Tomara king named Surajpala.
Multiple (three) Tomara kings seem to have shared the name "Anangapala" (
IAST: Anaṅgapāla). One of these is said to have established the
Lal Kot
Lal ( fa, لعل, hi, लाल, bn, লাল, ur, لال, ps, Lāl) is an Indo-Iranian surname and given name, which means "darling", "precious", or "beloved", from the Sanskrit ''lala'' ("cajoling").''Dictionary of American Family Names''F ...
citadel in the
Mehrauli
Mehrauli is a neighbourhood in South Delhi, a district of Delhi in India. It represents a constituency in the legislative assembly of Delhi. The area is close to Gurgaon and next to Vasant Kunj.
History
Mehrauli is one of the seven mediev ...
area. The construction of the Anang Tal tank and the
Anangpur Dam
The Anangpur Dam is an Indian hydraulic engineering structure built during the reign of the King Anangpal I of the Tomara dynasty in the 8th century. It is located near the Anangpur village in Faridabad district, Haryana, India.
History
The ki ...
is also attributed to him. His coins also feature the horseman-and-bull figure, and bear the title "Shri Samanta-deva". These coins are very similar to those of the Shakambhari Chahamana kings
Someshvara and
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- ...
, indicating that Anangapala was a contemporary of these 12th century kings. One of the several inscriptions on the
Iron Pillar of Delhi
The iron pillar of Delhi is a structure high with a diameter that was constructed by Chandragupta II (reigned c. 375–415 AD), and now stands in the Qutb complex at Mehrauli in Delhi, India.Finbarr Barry Flood, 2003"Pillar, palimpsets, and pr ...
mentions Anangapala. A medieval legend mentioned in a copy of ''
Prithviraj Raso'' mentions a legend about the pillar: a
Brahmin
Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests (purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers (gur ...
once told Anangapala (alias Bilan Deo) that the base of the pillar rested on the head of the
Vasuki
Vasuki (IAST: ) is the second king of the nagas in Hinduism. He is described as having a gem called ''Nagamani'' (serpent's ornament) on his head. Adishesha, the first king of the serpents and the mount of Narayana, is his elder brother, and ...
serpent, and that his rule would last as long as the pillar stood upright. Out of curiosity, Anangapala dug out the pillar, only to find it smeared with the blood of Vasuki. Realizing his mistake, the king ordered it to be re-instated, but it remained loose ("dhili"). Because of this, the area came to be known as "Dhilli" (modern
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 ...
). This legend is obviously a myth.
Decline
The bardic legends state that the last Tomar Rajput
king,
Anangpal Tomar
Anangpal II, popularly known as Anangpal Tomar, was a ruler from the Tomar Rajput dyansty. He is known to have established and populated Delhi in the 11th century.
He is often confused with Anangpal I, the founder of Tomar Dynasty of Delhi, w ...
(also known as Anangapala), handed over the throne of Delhi to his son-in-law
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 presen ...
(Prithviraja III of the Chahamana dynasty of Shakambhari; r. c. 1179-1192 CE). However, this claim is not correct: the historical evidence shows that Prithviraj inherited Delhi from his father
Someshvara. According to the
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 ...
inscription of Someshvara, his brother
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 ...
had captured Dhillika (Delhi) and
Ashika (Hansi). He probably defeated the Tomara ruler Anangapala III.
List of rulers
Various historical texts provide different lists of the Tomara kings:
* Khadag Rai's history 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 ...
(''
Gopācala ākhyāna'') names 18 Tomara kings, plus Prithvi Pala (who is probably the
Chahamana
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 ...
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- ...
). According to Khadag Rai, Delhi was originally ruled by the legendary king
Vikramaditya
Vikramaditya (IAST: ') was a legendary king who has been featured in hundreds of traditional stories including those in ''Baital Pachisi'' and '' Singhasan Battisi''. Many describe him as ruler with his capital at Ujjain (Pataliputra or Prati ...
. It was deserted for 792 years after his death, until Bilan Dev
eer Mahadev or Birmahaof Tomara dynasty re-established the city (in 736 CE).
* The Kumaon-Garhwal manuscript names only 15 rulers of "Toar" dynasty, and dates the beginning of their rule to 789 CE (846
Vikram Samvat
Vikram Samvat (IAST: ''Vikrama Samvat''; abbreviated VS) or Bikram Sambat B.S. and also known as the Vikrami calendar, is a Hindu calendar historically used in the Indian subcontinent. Vikram Samvat is generally 57 years ahead of Gregorian Calend ...
).
*
Abul Fazl Abul is an Arabic masculine given name. It may refer to:
* Abul Kalam Azad
* Abul A'la Maududi
* Abul Khair (disambiguation), several people
* Abul Abbas (disambiguation), several people
* Abul Hasan
* Abul Hasan Ali Hasani Nadwi
* Abu'l-Fazl ibn ...
's ''
Ain-i-Akbari'' (Bikaner manuscript, edited by
Syed Ahmad Khan
Sir Syed Ahmad Khan KCSI (17 October 1817 – 27 March 1898; also Sayyid Ahmad Khan) was an Indian Muslim reformer, philosopher, and educationist in nineteenth-century British India. Though initially espousing Hindu-Muslim unity, h ...
) names 19 Tomara kings. It places the first Tomara king in 372 CE (429 Vikram Samvat). It might be possible that the era mentioned in the original source used by Abul Fazl was
Gupta era
The Gupta era is a historical calendar era that begins from c. 318–319 CE. It was used by the Gupta emperors, as well as their vassals and their successors in present-day northern India and Nepal. It is identical to the Vallabhi era (or Valabh ...
, which starts from 318 to 319 CE; Abul Fazl might have mistaken this era to be Vikrama Samvat. If this is true, then the first Tomara king can be dated to 747 CE (429+318), which is better aligned with the other sources.
As stated earlier, the historians doubt the claim that the Tomaras established Delhi in 736 CE.
See also
*
History of Delhi
Delhi has a long history, and has been an important political centre of India as the capital of several empires. Earliest coverage of Delhi's history is in the onset of the Tomar's kingdom in the 8th century. It is considered to be a city bui ...
*
History of Haryana
Haryana is a state in India. The state houses several sites from the Indus Valley Civilization, which was a cradle of civilization. In the Mahabharata, Haryana is mentioned as Bahudanayak Region.
Haryana has been ruled by various non-native ...
*
Tomar clan
Tomar (also called/spelt Tomara, Tanwar) is a clan, some members of which ruled parts of North India at different times. People belonging to the Tomara clan are found among the Rajputs of Northern India.
Most of their population is primarily co ...
References
Bibliography
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*
* {{cite book , author=Roma Niyogi , title=The History of the Gāhaḍavāla Dynasty , publisher=Oriental , year=1959 , url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EJQBAAAAMAAJ , oclc=5386449
Dynasties of India
History of Delhi
Dynasties of the Rajputs