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Mularaja () was the founder of the
Chaulukya dynasty 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 extend ...
of India. Also known as the Chalukyas of Gujarat or Solanki, this dynasty ruled parts of present-day
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 ...
. Mularaja supplanted the last Chavda king, and founded an independent kingdom with his capital in
Anahilapataka Patan () is the administrative seat of Patan District in the Indian state of Gujarat and is an administered municipality. It was the capital of Gujarat's Chavda and Chaulukya dynasties in medieval times, and is also known as Anhilpur-Patan ...
in 940-941 CE.


Ancestry

The ''Kumarapala-Bhupala-Charita'' of Jayasimha Suri provides a legendary genealogy of Mularaja. It states that the mythical progenitor of the Chaulukya dynasty was Chulukya, a great warrior. He established his capital at Madhupadma, and the dynasty came to be known as the Chaulukyas after him. His successors included several kings including Simha-Vikrama and Hari-Vikrama. After 85 descendants of Hari-Vikrama came Rama. Bhata or Sahajarama, the son of Rama, defeated the
Shakas The Saka (Old Persian: ; Kharoṣṭhī: ; Ancient Egyptian: , ; , old , mod. , ), Shaka (Sanskrit ( Brāhmī): , , ; Sanskrit (Devanāgarī): , ), or Sacae ( Ancient Greek: ; Latin: ) were a group of nomadic Iranian peoples who histo ...
. Bhata's son Dadakka defeated the Gaja kings of Pipasa. Dadakka's kingdom occupied by Kanchikavyala, who was succeeded by the king Raji. Mularaja was the son of Raji and his queen Liladevi. The Vadasma (Varunasarmaka) grant inscription of Mularaja's son Chamundaraja states that Mularaja was a descendant of one Vyalakanchi-Prabhu. This Vyalakanchi is probably same as the Kanchikavyala mentioned by Jayasimha Suri. Based on this, historian Asoke Majumdar believes that Suri's legendary account seems to be at least partially accurate: Rama and his successors appear to be historical figures. It is possible that they were small princes of a place called Madhupadma. V. V. Mirashi speculated that this place might have been situated on the banks of the river Madhuveni (present-day Mahuwar), which is a tributary of Betwa. Majumdar, on the other hand, identifies it with modern
Mathura Mathura () is a city and the administrative headquarters of Mathura district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is located approximately north of Agra, and south-east of Delhi; about from the town of Vrindavan, and from Govardhan. ...
. The 14th century chronicler Merutunga states that Mularaja was so named, because he was born under the auspices of the Mula nakshatra. According to this legend, Raji (or Raja), Bija and Dandaka (or Dadakka) were three brothers. Raji's knowledge of horse-riding greatly impressed Samanta-simha, the
Chapotkata The Chavda (IAST:Chávaḍá), also spelled Chawda or Chavada was a dynasty which ruled the region of modern-day Gujarat in India, from c. 690 to 942. Variants of the name for the dynasty include Chapotkatas, Chahuda and Chávoṭakas. During ...
(Chavda) king of
Anahilapataka Patan () is the administrative seat of Patan District in the Indian state of Gujarat and is an administered municipality. It was the capital of Gujarat's Chavda and Chaulukya dynasties in medieval times, and is also known as Anhilpur-Patan ...
. He became a close friend of the king, and married Liladevi, the king's sister. Liladevi died while she was pregnant; her womb was cut open and the infant Mularaja was taken out. Three other chroniclers — Arisimha, Udayaprabha and Krishnaji — also describe Mularaja as the son of sister of the last Chapotkata ruler.


Ascension

Find spot Provenance (from the French ''provenir'', 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody or location of a historical object. The term was originally mostly used in relation to works of art but is now used in similar senses i ...
s of inscriptions issued during the reign of Mularaja " width="400" height="400" zoom="6" longitude="72.37" latitude="23.44"> In the mid-tenth century CE, Mularaja supplanted the last
Chavada The Chavda (IAST:Chávaḍá), also spelled Chawda or Chavada was a dynasty which ruled the region of modern-day Gujarat in India, from c. 690 to 942. Variants of the name for the dynasty include Chapotkatas, Chahuda and Chávoṭakas. During ...
(Chapotkata) king of
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 established the Chaulukya or
Chaulukya dynasty 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 extend ...
. According to Merutunga's legend, Mularaja gained reputation as a warrior. His uncle Samanta-simha would often appoint him as the king when drunk, and depose him when he became sober. Mularaja, who was an ambitious man, was regularly disappointed in this way. One day, when a drunk Samanta-simha appointed him as the king, Mularaja killed his uncle, and became the permanent king. However, Merutunga's legend doesn't seem to be chronologically consistent: it claims that Samanta-simha ruled for 7 years. If Samanta-simha's sister married Raji during his reign, as the legend states, Mularaja would have been less than 7 years old at the time of Samanta-simha's death. This absurdity, coupled with other evidence, has prompted some scholars such as
Georg Bühler Professor Johann Georg Bühler (July 19, 1837 – April 8, 1898) was a scholar of ancient Indian languages and law. Early life and education Bühler was born to Rev. Johann G. Bühler in Borstel, Hanover, attended grammar school in Hanover, whe ...
to dismiss Merutunga's legend as unhistorical. One of Mularaja's own inscriptions states that he conquered the region watered by
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, ...
with the strength of his arms. The
Vadnagar Vadnagar is a town and municipality in the Mehsana district of the state of Gujarat in India. It just about 35 km from Mehsana city. Its ancient name was Anartapura, and was also known as Anandapura. It was a Buddhist location visited by X ...
''prashasti'' inscription of his descendant Kumarapala states that he took the Chapotkata princes captive. Bühler theorized that Mularaja was an outsider who captured Samanta-simha's kingdom. However, Asoke Majumdar proposed that he was indeed a relative of the king, based on the following facts: The Vadnagar inscription as well as the writings of
Hemachandra Hemachandra was a 12th century () Indian Jain saint, scholar, poet, mathematician, philosopher, yogi, grammarian, law theorist, historian, lexicographer, rhetorician, logician, and prosodist. Noted as a prodigy by his contemporaries, he gain ...
suggest that Mularaja reduced the tax burden on the citizens. The inscription also states that he shared the wealth of the Chapotkata kings with his relatives, Brahmins, bards, and servants. Majumdar argues that if Mularaja had captured the Chapotkata kingdom with an army, he would not have felt the need to resort to such appeasement. Therefore, Majumdar theorizes that Mularaja indeed murdered his uncle and then consolidated power with 'soft' measures such as reduced tax burden and sharing of wealth. However, there is no doubt that Mularaja dethroned the Chapotkata king. One of Mularaja's own inscriptions states that he conquered the region watered by Sarasvati river with the strength of his arms. The
Vadnagar Vadnagar is a town and municipality in the Mehsana district of the state of Gujarat in India. It just about 35 km from Mehsana city. Its ancient name was Anartapura, and was also known as Anandapura. It was a Buddhist location visited by X ...
''prashasti'' inscription of his descendant Kumarapala states that he took the Chapotkata princes captive, took their fortune for his own enjoyment, and became popular among his subjects because of excessively light taxation. According to the later Chaulukya court poet Someshvara's ''Surathotsava'', Mularaja appointed Sola as his family priest. According to Bühler, such changes to the royal household would have not happened, if Mularaja had ascended the throne by the right of succession after the death of the last Chapotkata king. Therefore, Bühler theorized that Mularaja was an outsider who captured Samanta-simha's kingdom. However, historian Asoke Majumdar proposed that he was indeed a relative of the king, based on the following facts: The Vadnagar inscription as well as the writings of
Hemachandra Hemachandra was a 12th century () Indian Jain saint, scholar, poet, mathematician, philosopher, yogi, grammarian, law theorist, historian, lexicographer, rhetorician, logician, and prosodist. Noted as a prodigy by his contemporaries, he gain ...
suggest that Mularaja reduced the tax burden on the citizens. The inscription also states that he shared the wealth of the Chapotkata kings with his relatives, Brahmins, bards, and servants. Majumdar argues that if Mularaja had captured the Chapotkata kingdom with an army, he would not have felt the need to resort to such appeasement. Therefore, Majumdar theorizes that Mularaja indeed murdered his uncle and then consolidated power with 'soft' measures such as reduced tax burden and sharing of wealth.


Military conflicts

At the time of his ascension, Mūlarāja's kingdom was probably limited to the territory called Sarasvata-''mandala'', which included present-day
Mehsana Mehsana (), also spelled Mahesana, is a city and municipality in Mehsana district, in the Indian state of Gujarat. Established in 14th century, the city was under Gaekwads of Baroda State from 18th century to the independence of India in 1947 ...
,
Radhanpur Radhanpur is a town and a municipality in Patan district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Origin of name According to the tradition, the city is named after Radhan Khan, a descendant of Fateh Khan Baloch. Fateh Khan Baloch received a freedom fro ...
, and
Palanpur Palanpur is a city and a municipality of Banaskantha district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Palanpur is the administrative headquarters of Banaskantha district. Palanpur is the ancestral home to an industry of Indian diamond merchants. Ety ...
. By the end of his reign, his kingdom extended from
Mount Abu Mount Abu () is a hill station in the Aravalli Range in Sirohi district of the state of Rajasthan in western India.The mountain forms a rocky plateau 22 km long by 9 km wide. The highest peak on the mountain is Guru Shikhar at abov ...
in the north to Lata region in the south.


War against Grāharipu and Lakṣa

Hemacandra Hemachandra was a 12th century () Indian Jain saint, scholar, poet, mathematician, philosopher, yogi, grammarian, law theorist, historian, lexicographer, rhetorician, logician, and prosodist. Noted as a prodigy by his contemporaries, he gai ...
's writings state that Mūlarāja defeated Grāharipu, the "Ābhīra" (that is,
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. However, no other Chaulukya-era accounts mention this victory. According to Hemacandra, one night, the god Mahādeva appeared in Mūlarāja's dream, and ordered him to vanquish Grāharipu. In the morning, Mūlarāja consulted his ministers Jambaka and Jehula, as he was apprehensive of causing troubles to the pilgrims who visited Prabhasa in Saurashtra. According to Hemacandra's commentator Abhayatilaka Gaṇi, Jambaka was his Mahāmantrin (chief minister) while Jehula, the Rānaka of Khairalu (now
Kheralu Kheralu is a city and a municipality in Mehsana district in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is a little north of Mahesana Proper town and it is approximately half the size of Mehsana. History A Bodhisattva sculpture from 3rd-4th century CE was ...
), was his Mahāpradhāna (prime minister). Jehula told Mūlarāja that Graharipu was a tyrant who tortured pilgrims and indulged in vices such as eating flesh, drinking wine and hunting deer on Mt. Ujjayanta. Jambaka described Grāharipu as a very strong king, and declared that only Mularaja was capable of defeating him. Both the ministers urged Mularaja to attack Graharipu. Mūlarāja launched a campaign against Graharipu on the day of Vijayādaśamī. When the Chalukya army reached the Jambumāli forest, Grāharipu attempted a peaceful resolution by sending his messenger, who asked Mūlarāja to retreat, stating that there was no enmity between the two kings. However, Mūlarāja refused to do so, declaring that Mularaja was a despicable person whose vices could be attributed to he being the son of a ''mleccha'' woma. When Mularaja continued his march, Graharipu started his war preparations. His allies included Medas ( Bhillas according to Abhayatilaka-Gaṇi), his friend Lakṣa (who had freed Kaccha from the Turuṣkas), and a king named Sindhurāja. After the war began, he was joined by a mlechchha chief (a Turuṣka, according to Abhayatilaka-Gaṇi). Mūlarāja was supported by the kings Mahitrāta, Śailaprastha, Revatimitra, Gaṅgamaha of Gaṅgadvāra and his brother Gaṅgāmahā. The Paramāra king 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 ...
, who lived at Śrīmāla, also joined him. In addition, Mularaja was supported by the Bhillas and the Kauravas. After the battle began, several others including the king of Saptakāśī and a number of Gujarati soldiers, joined him. Most of the allies named by Hemacandra appear to be fictional, but Lakṣa appears to be a historical personage, as he has been mentioned in several other chronicles including ''Kīrti-Kaumudī'', ''Vasanta-Vilāsa'', and ''Sukṛta-Saṅkīrtana''. He may be same as Lākhā Phulāni, whom the Jāḍejā princes of Kutch count among their ancestors, and whom the bardic chronicles variously date between 841 and 1144 CE. The battle took place on the river Jambumāli (identified as Bhogavo River in Saurashtra; a village named Jambu near Limbdi is located on the banks of this river). The battle continued for two days indecisively. On third day, Mūlarāja entered battle on an elephant and Grāharipu mounted on his elephant in rage. Mūlarāja overpowered Grāharipu in a
single combat Single combat is a duel between two single warriors which takes place in the context of a battle between two armies. Instances of single combat are known from Classical Antiquity and the Middle Ages. The champions were often combatants who repre ...
and throw him down from his elephant, and had him tied up with ropes. Lakṣa, wearing white clothes, rushed in and abused Mūlarāja calling him Mula. He asked Mūlarāja to release Grāharipu, but Mūlarāja refused to comply, on the grounds that the captive was a beef-eater. This led to another single combat, in which Mūlarāja killed Lakṣa with a spear. The men of Sauraṣṭra then made a submission before Mūlarāja, dressed as women. The king then released the prisoners and visited the holy Prabhāsa city in Saurashtra. The fight between Mūlarāja and Lakṣa has also been mentioned by the 14th century writer Merutuṅga in '' Prabandha-Cintamaṇi''. According to this version, Lakṣa (or Lākhā) was the son of Phulaḍa, who was a meat-herd. Phulada married Kāmalatā, a daughter of Paramāra king Kīrtirāja. Lakṣa repulsed Mularaja's attacks 11 times. However, in their 12th fight, Mularaja besieged his fort Kapilkot (now Kera, Kutch), killed him, and trod him on his beard. Enraged by his insulting action, Laksha's mother cursed Mularaja's family to be afflicted with
leprosy Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease (HD), is a long-term infection by the bacteria '' Mycobacterium leprae'' or '' Mycobacterium lepromatosis''. Infection can lead to damage of the nerves, respiratory tract, skin, and eyes. This nerve d ...
. A similar account is also given in ''Kumarapalacharita''. Historian Asoke Majumdar theorizes that Mularaja attacked Graharipu on "some flimsy pretext", as Mahadeva's-order-in-a-dream was a popular device used by Sanskrit authors to justify the otherwise inexcusable actions of their heroes. Mularaja's descendants fought against the kings of Kachchha and Saurashtra, so it appears that he managed to annex some parts of these kingdoms, but could not completely subjugate them.


Conflict with Vigraharaja II and Bārapa

Merutuṅga states that Mūlarāja once faced simultaneous invasions at the northern and southern frontiers of his kingdom. The northern invader was the king of Sapādalakṣa, who can be identified as the Śākambharī Cāhamāna ruler Vigraharāja II. This invasion finds a mention in the later Chahamana accounts, but is not mentioned in Vigraharaja's 973 CE inscription, so it must have happened sometime after 973 CE. The southern invader was the Lata Chalukya ruler Bārapa, a vassal of the Kalyani Chalukya ruler
Tailapa II Tailapa II (r. c. 973-997), also known as Taila II and by his title ''Ahavamalla'', was the founder of the Western Chalukya dynasty in southern India. Tailapa claimed descent from the earlier Chalukyas of Vatapi, and initially ruled as a Rashtr ...
. According to Merutuṅga, Mūlarāja's ministers advised him to take shelter in the Kanthā-durga fort until Navarātri, when Vigraharāja would depart to perform the traditional worship of his family deity, and then attack Bārapa. Mūlarāja agreed to this suggestion, but unexpectedly, Vigraharāja did not depart on Navaratri. Mūlarāja then collected a large number of soldiers from different parts of his kingdom, and led an army to the Cāhamāna camp. He managed to enter the royal pavallion of Vigraharāja, who, after a short conversation, was impressed with his bravery. Mūlarāja asked Vigraharāja not to attack him while he was engaged in a war with Bārapa, and the Cāhamāna agreed to the demand. Vigraharāja also promised to maintain friendly relations with Mūlarāja, who subsequently attacked and killed Bārapa. '' Pṛthvīrāja Vijaya'', which was composed under Cāhamāna patronage, states that Vigraharāja forced Mūlarāja to take shelter in Kanthā-durga, and advanced as far as Bhṛgukaccha (modern
Bharuch Bharuch (), formerly known as Broach, is a city at the mouth of the river Narmada in Gujarat in western India. Bharuch is the administrative headquarters of Bharuch District. The city of Bharuch and surroundings have been settled since ti ...
), where he built a temple dedicated to the goddess Aśapuri. The 15th century ''
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 f ...
'', which glorifies the Chahamana lineage, inaccurate claims that Vigraharaja killed Mularaja. It is hard to determine the historical truth from these different accounts. Historian R. B. Singh theorizes that Mūlarāja ceded a part of his territory to the Cāhamānas. 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 ...
also believes that the conflict ended with some advantage for Vigraharāja, who allied with Bārapa and helped him achieve independence. Historian Asoke Kumar Majumdar theorizes that Mūlarāja may have paid Vigraharāja money to win him over, and the two kings may have then jointly marched up to Bhṛgukaccha against Bārapa.


Religion

The Jain authors present Mularaja as fully involved in
Vedic upright=1.2, The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the '' Atharvaveda''. The Vedas (, , ) are a large body of religious texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute th ...
and
Brahmanical The historical Vedic religion (also known as Vedicism, Vedism or ancient Hinduism and subsequently Brahmanism (also spelled as Brahminism)), constituted the religious ideas and practices among some Indo-Aryan peoples of northwest Indian Subco ...
notions of kingship, while at the same time extensively supporting the Jains as a matter of royal policy. Although he was a
Shaivaite Shaivism (; sa, शैवसम्प्रदायः, Śaivasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu traditions, which worships Shiva as the Supreme Being. One of the largest Hindu denominations, it incorporates many sub-traditions rang ...
, he built Mulavasatika (Mula's residence) temple for
Digambara ''Digambara'' (; "sky-clad") is one of the two major schools of Jainism, the other being '' Śvētāmbara'' (white-clad). The Sanskrit word ''Digambara'' means "sky-clad", referring to their traditional monastic practice of neither possessing ...
s and the Mulanatha-jinadeva (the Jina who is Mula's lord) temple for the Svetambaras. ''Surathotsava'' of ''Someshvara'', a thirteenth century Brahmana, describes Mularaja being consecrated as king through the performance of a Vedic ''Vajapeya'' sacrifice.


Temples

The original
Rudra Mahalaya Temple The Rudra Mahalaya Temple, also known as Rudramal, is a destroyed/desecrated Hindu temple complex at Siddhpur in the Patan district of Gujarat, India. Its construction was started in 943 AD by Mularaja and completed in 1140 AD by Jayasimha S ...
at Shristhala (now Siddhpur) is ascribed to him traditionally. According to Kadi copperplate grant, Rudra Mahalaya was already there in 987 CE. He had constructed Munjaladevaswami and Tripurushaprasada temples in Anahilapataka (now Patan). He had also built Mulnarayana-prasada at Siddhpur. The Mulavasahika Jain temple is ascribed to him. Jinaprabha mentions the temple of Mulanathjinadeva which is probably same as Munjaladevaswami. In 954 CE, Minister Kunkana built a Jain temple at Chandravati which was consecrated by Sarvadevasuri. The Mulavastika temple in Patan constructed by Mularaja is also mentioned in an Digambara Jain inscription dated Samvat 1250s 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 ...
rule. Merutunga's '' Prabandha-Chintamani'' mentions building of Muleshwara temple at Mandali (now
Mandal A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluka, or taluk) is a local unit of administrative division in some countries of South Asia. It is a subdistrict of the area within a district including the designated populated place that serves as its administr ...
) which is the same as Mulanathadeva temple mentioned in Kadi copperplate grants. This is last temple built before 987 CE. After defeating Graharipu, he had probably rebuilt large temple at Somnath. H. P. Shastri and M. A. Dhaky had concluded this based on paleographic and stylistic evidences. He had settled Brahmans in
Vadnagar Vadnagar is a town and municipality in the Mehsana district of the state of Gujarat in India. It just about 35 km from Mehsana city. Its ancient name was Anartapura, and was also known as Anandapura. It was a Buddhist location visited by X ...
migrated from North India. He probably had built Hatakeshwara temple for them but the original temple is obscured following major renovation in 19th century. Muni Bawa Temple near
Thangadh Thangadh (Than) is an industrial city of Surendranagar district in the state of Gujarat, India. The municipality is functioning in Than. Saurashtra was once called Patad region by snake worshipers, an example of which is the Vasuki temple in Tha ...
is an extant temple of this period. The older part of Adinath temple at Vadnagar and ruins of Khokhra-dera at
Kanthkot Kanthkot fort is located near Kanthkot village, Bhachau Taluka of Kutch, Gujarat kutch kanthkot जाम श्री रायधन जी के पाटवी कुमार विक्रम संवत १२५६.मै आये ...
were built during later period of his reign. The temple of Harishchandra-ni-Chori in
Shamlaji Shamlaji, also spelled Shamalaji, is a major Hindu pilgrimage centre in Aravalli district of Gujarat state of India. The Shamlaji temple is dedicated to Vishnu. Several other Hindu temples are located nearby. The present temple dedicated to Sham ...
also belongs to this period.


References


Bibliography

* * * * * {{Authority control 10th-century Indian monarchs Chaulukya dynasty