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Kanhadadeva ( IAST: Kānhaḍa-deva, r. c. 1292-1311 CE) was a king belonging to the Chahamana dynasty, who ruled the area around Javalipura (present-day
Jalore Jalore () ( ISO 15919 : ''Jālora'' ), also known as ''Granite City'', is a city in the western Indian state of Rajasthan. It is the administrative headquarters of Jalore District. It has a river known as Jawai Nadi. Jalore lies to south of ...
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 ...
). Initially, he ran the administration jointly with his father
Samantasimha Samantasimha (IAST: Sāmantasiṃha, r. c. 1282-1305 CE) was a king belonging to the Chahamanas of Jalor, Chahamana dynasty, who ruled the area around Javalipura (present-day Jalore in Rajasthan). During the later half of his reign, he and his so ...
, and helped ward off invasions from the Delhi Sultanate. After the Delhi ruler
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 in the Indian subcontinent. Alauddin instituted a number of significant administrativ ...
conquered the neighbouring fort of
Siwana Siwana is a Tehsil in Barmer district in Indian state of Rajasthan, located 151 km from Barmer. The place is known for its fort which is locally known as Gadh Siwana, Gadh means Fort. Siwana have 130 villages. total Population as peris 213 ...
, Kanhadadeva's armies fought several skirmishes with him. In 1311, Kanhadadeva was defeated and killed in an attack led by Alauddin's general Malik Kamaluddin. He is celebrated as a hero in '' Kanhadade Prabandha'', a 1455 poem by Padmanābha.


Early life

Kanhadadeva was a son of his predecessor
Samantasimha Samantasimha (IAST: Sāmantasiṃha, r. c. 1282-1305 CE) was a king belonging to the Chahamanas of Jalor, Chahamana dynasty, who ruled the area around Javalipura (present-day Jalore in Rajasthan). During the later half of his reign, he and his so ...
. He was also known as "Dasam Saligrama" and "Gokulanatha". According to the 17th century chronicler Munhot Nainsi, he had a brother named Maladeva.


Joint administration with Samantasimha

As the
heir apparent An heir apparent, often shortened to heir, is a person who is first in an order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person; a person who is first in the order of succession but can be displaced by the b ...
, Kanhadadeva assisted his father in administration from at least 1296 CE onwards. A 1296 pillar inscription discovered at Topkhana in Jalore states that Kanhadadeva shared the burden of administration during his father's reign. The 1299 CE
Chohtan Chohtan is a village and tehsil headquarters in Barmer district of 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 ...
inscription also refers to the joint reign of the father-son duo. No inscription from Kanhadadeva's reign has been discovered, but the last extant inscription from his father's reign is dated 1305. Therefore, Kanhadadeva appears to have ascended the throne sometime around 1305.


Delhi Sultanate's Gujarat campaign

In 1299, the Delhi Sultanate ruler
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 in the Indian subcontinent. Alauddin instituted a number of significant administrativ ...
sent an expedition to Gujarat led by his generals
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 a ...
and Nusrat Khan. The ''Kanhadade Prabandha'' claims that Kanhadadeva (then a prince) did not permit the Delhi forces to pass through his territory, concerned that they would "sack villages, take prisoners, molest women, oppress Brahmanas and slay cows". The Khalji army reached Gujarat via another route in Mewar, defeated its king
Karna Karna (Sanskrit: कर्ण, IAST: ''Karṇa''), also known as Vasusena, Anga-raja, and Radheya, is one of the main protagonists of the Hindu epic '' Mahābhārata''. He is the son of the sun god Surya and princess Kunti (mother of the ...
, and ransacked Gujarat. After its victorious campaign in Gujarat, the Delhi army passed through Jalore on its way back to Delhi. According to the 17th century chronicle
Nainsi ri Khyat Nainsi ri Khyat (or 'Khyat of Nainsi') is a late 17th-century Marwari & Dingal text chronicling the history of Marwar. It's author Muhnot Nainsi, an official of Marwar State, based the Khyat (or chronicle) on the Charan accounts and the tradi ...
, the Delhi army encamped at "Sakarana" near Jalore. The ''Kanhadade Prabandha'' names the place as "Sirana": it can be identified with modern Sankarna. Kanhadadeva sent Kandhala Olecha and four other messengers to the Delhi commander, expressing his displeasure over their stay in his territory, after they had imprisoned Hindus and desecrated the Somanatha temple in Gujarat. These messengers came in contact with the neo-Muslim leader Mammunshah (Muhammad Shah) and his brothers, who were planning a mutiny against the Delhi generals. Three days later, these rebel generals attacked the Delhi army's camp from one side, while Kanhadadeva's army attacked it from the other side. The rebels killed a brother of Nusrat Khan and a nephew of Alauddin, but the mutiny was completely suppressed within 4 days. The ''Kanhadade Prabandha'' does not mention any mutiny by the Delhi soldiers, and states that the attack on the Delhi camp was led by Kanhadadeva's minister Jaita Devada. The Delhi chronicles, such as
Ziauddin Barani Ziauddin Barani (1285–1358 CE) was a Muslim political thinker of the Delhi Sultanate located in present-day Northern India during Muhammad bin Tughlaq and Firuz Shah's reign. He was best known for composing the ''Tarikh-i-Firoz Shahi'' (also c ...
's ''Tarikh-i-Firuz Shahi'', describe the mutiny, but do not mention any Chahamana participation in the unsuccessful mutiny. Historian
Dasharatha Sharma Dasharatha Sharma (1903–1976) was an Indologist with particular interest in the history of the Rajasthan region of India. Born in the Rajasthani city of Churu, he studied in the city of Bikaner and at the University of Delhi. He had degrees ...
believes that Nainsi's account, which mentions collaboration between Kanhadadeva's forces and the mutineers, is an accurate representation of the conflict. However, Nainsi inaccurately states that Alauddin personally led the Delhi army during this campaign, and that he was present at the time of the mutiny. Therefore, historian
Kishori Saran Lal Kishori Saran Lal (1920–2002), better known as K. S. Lal, was an Indian historian. He is the author of several works, mainly on the medieval history of India. Career He obtained his master's degree in 1941 at the University of Allahabad. In ...
doubts the veracity of Nainsi's account and the claim that the Jalore army aided the mutiny.


Somanatha idol

The ''Kanhadade Prabandha'' and
Nainsi ri Khyat Nainsi ri Khyat (or 'Khyat of Nainsi') is a late 17th-century Marwari & Dingal text chronicling the history of Marwar. It's author Muhnot Nainsi, an official of Marwar State, based the Khyat (or chronicle) on the Charan accounts and the tradi ...
also credit Kanhadadeva with rescuing the Somnath temple idol from desecration by the Delhi army. This claim also occurs in ''Ranamalla Chhanda'' (1408-1411) by Shridhara Vyasa. According to these texts, Kanhadadeva's army liberated several Hindu prisoners, and recovered the Somnath idol, which was being taken to Delhi to be desecrated. Kanhadadeva is said to have installed the five fragments of this idol at
Prabhas Patan Prabhas Patan, also known as Somnath Patan or Prabhas Kshetra, historically named Dev Patan, is an area situated in Veraval, Gir Somnath district in Saurashtra region of Gujarat, India. Somnath temple, a place of pilgrimage due to its importance ...
, Bagada,
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 ...
, Jalor and his personal garden. The ''Kanhadade Prabandha'' hails him an incarnation of
Krishna Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one ...
for this act. However, other sources state that the idol was taken to Delhi; these sources include Amir Khusrau's ''Khazainul-Futuh'', Barani's ''Tarikh-i-Firuz Shahi'' and Jinaprabha's ''Vividha-tirtha-kalpa''. It is possible that the story of Kanhadadeva's rescue of the Somnath idol is a fabrication by the later writers. Alternatively, it is possible that the Khalji army was taking multiple idols to Delhi, and Kanhadadeva's army retrieved one of them.


Asylum to the rebels

''Nainsi ri Khyat'' further claims that Mammushah (Muhammad Shah) and his brother Gabharu, who had rebelled against the Delhi generals, took asylum with Kanhadadeva. However, Kanhadadeva disapproved of their killing of cows (which are sacred to Hindus). Therefore, the two rebels left Jalore, and sought shelter with
Hammiradeva Hammiradeva (IAST: Hammīra-deva; r. c. 1283–1301) was the last ruler from the Ranthambore branch of the Chauhans (Chahamanas). He is also known as Hamir Dev Chauhan in the Muslim chronicles and the vernacular literature. Hammiradeva ruled a ...
at Ranthambore.


Defeat against Alauddin Khalji

At the beginning of the 14th century, the Delhi Sultanate ruler
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 in the Indian subcontinent. Alauddin instituted a number of significant administrativ ...
captured the forts of Ranthambore (1301) and
Chittor Chittorgarh (also Chittor or Chittaurgarh) is a major city in Rajasthan state of western India. It lies on the Berach River, a tributary of the Banas, and is the administrative headquarters of Chittorgarh District. It was a major stronghold ...
(1303), which made him a neighbour of Kanhadadeva. Different medieval writers give different accounts of the events leading up to Alauddin's invasion of Jalore. The 15th century '' Kanhadade Prabandha'' claims that Alauddin's daughter Piroja fell in love with Kanhadade's son. Alauddin offered to marry her to the Chahamana prince, stating the couple had also been married in several previous births. He even visited Jalor, where he was treated well because he behaved like a Hindu. However, the Chahamana prince rejected the offer as an insult. The prince was later killed in a battle. His head was brought to Alauddin, but it miraculously turned away when the Sultan turned towards it. Princess Piroja, who loved the Chahamana prince, immolated herself while holding his head. The text names the
Siwana Siwana is a Tehsil in Barmer district in Indian state of Rajasthan, located 151 km from Barmer. The place is known for its fort which is locally known as Gadh Siwana, Gadh means Fort. Siwana have 130 villages. total Population as peris 213 ...
ruler Sataladeva (Sitaladeva) as Kanhadadeva's general and nephew. It claims that when the Delhi army invaded the Chahamana kingdom, Sataladeva raided their camp at Mandore. The Khaljis next invaded the Siwana fort, but Sataladeva repulsed them with help of an army sent by Kanhaddeva. The invaders lost their commanders Nahar Malik and Khandadhara Bhoja in this battle. Alauddin later personally led an army to Siwana, and defeated Sataladeva. Following this victory, Alauddin's generals started ransacking the neighbouring territory, bringing them into conflict with Kanhadadeva's forces. According to the 16th century '' Tarikh-i-Firishta'', Alauddin sent an army to besiege Jalore in 1305. Samantasimha was probably dead by this time, and Kanhaddeva had become the sole ruler of the kingdom. The Khalji commander Ain-ul-Mulk Multani convinced Kalhanadeva to visit Delhi and to become an ally of the Khaljis. Kanhadadeva visited Delhi, but he was not satisfied with the terms offered to him, and returned to Jalore. A few years later, Kanhadadeva heard Alauddin boasting that no Hindu ruler could challenge him. This rekindled Kanhadadeva's sense of pride, and he decided to fight with Alauddin, resulting in an invasion of Jalore. This narrative is also repeated by the 17th century historian Hajiuddabir. The 17th century writer Munhot Nainsi does not mention Kanhadadeva's visit to Delhi, but states that his son Viramadeva stayed at the court of Delhi for some time. Once, Alauddin offered to marry his daughter to Viramadeva. The Chahamana prince did not want to marry the Khalji princess, but could not openly refuse the offer. He asked for Alauddin's permission to return to Jalore, promising to return with a marriage party. When he did not return, Alauddin sent a 500,000-strong force to Jalor. This force, led by Mudfar (Muzaffar) Khan and Dauda Khan, besieged the Jalor fort for 12 years. None of these accounts are historically reliable. By 1310, Alauddin had subjugated the kingdoms surrounding Jalore, including
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 ...
,
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 ...
,
Chittor Chittorgarh (also Chittor or Chittaurgarh) is a major city in Rajasthan state of western India. It lies on the Berach River, a tributary of the Banas, and is the administrative headquarters of Chittorgarh District. It was a major stronghold ...
, Ranthambore and Siwana. It appears that he attacked Jalore simply because he wanted to put an end to Jalore's independent status. The forces sent by Alauddin against Jalore initially failed to capture the fort. In 1311, Alauddin dispatched a stronger army led by Malik Kamaluddin Gurg, which defeated and killed Kanhadadeva. Nainsi's ''Khyat'' suggests that many people believed that Kanhadadeva managed to survive and disappeared. His son Viramadeva is said to have died 2.5 days after the coronation.


Legacy

Kanhadadeva is eulogized as "Kanhadade" in '' Kanhadade Prabandha'' (1455), an epic authored by Padmanabha, who was a court poet employed by the later rulers of Jalore. The text is written in
Prakrit The Prakrits (; sa, prākṛta; psu, 𑀧𑀸𑀉𑀤, ; pka, ) are a group of vernacular Middle Indo-Aryan languages that were used in the Indian subcontinent from around the 3rd century BCE to the 8th century CE. The term Prakrit is usu ...
language with Old Rajasthani and some Gujarati influences. It mentions Kanhadade as a
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 ...
king and describes his struggles against
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 in the Indian subcontinent. Alauddin instituted a number of significant administrativ ...
, the Sultan of Delhi. The text demonizes Muslims, and hails Kanhadade as a saviour who defeated the Muslims responsible for desecrating the Somnath temple.


References


Bibliography

* * * * * {{Chahamanas of Jalor Chahamanas of Jalor 1311 deaths