Gahadvala
Encyclopedia
The Gahadvala or Gaharwar is a Hindu
Rajput
dynasty that ruled the kingdom of Kannauj
for around a hundred years, beginning the late 11th century.
Many temples built in this former capital city of Champawat, during the 11th and 12th century exist today, this include the Baleshwar and Nagnath temples.
’Bhimeshwara Mahadev Temple’, at Bhim Tal, built by Baz Bahadur.
at the end of the 11th century (1090A.D.), filling the political vacuum that had been created after that city was sacked by Mahmud of Ghazni
in 1018. Chandradeva soon expanded the kingdom to include Delhi
, Ayodhya, and Varanasi
(Benares). During the rule of his successor Govindachandra (1114–1154), the Gahadvala state reached the pinnacle of its power, occupying much of present-day Uttar Pradesh
and Bihar
. Govindachandra moved his capital from Kannauj
to Varanasi
. His queen Kumaradevi was a devout Buddhist, and Govindachandra was a patron of both Hindu temples and Buddhist monasteries.
Delhi was under Pratihara rule at that time and was under constant attack from Rastrakuta. Chandradev attacked both Rashtrakuta and Pratihara amid their battle with each other and defeated the unified enemies and took over the state of Delhi. After the dismemberment of the Pratihara empire, there were repeated incursions in this region that Chandradev fought off, which laid down the foundation of the renaissance era in Delhi.
The rule of the Gahadavala dynasty over the district is incontestably proved by the discovery at Kudarkot of a copper plate grant dated in the reign of Chandradeva. Chandradeva founded the Gahadavala dynasty at Kanyakubja after defeating a chief named Gopala. His jurisdiction extended almost over the whole of the present Uttar Pradesh including this district.
Chandradeva was succeeded by Madanpala. However, he ruled for a very short period. Madanpala was succeeded by hit son Govindachandra. Two copper plate grants of Govindachandra, dated respectively Samvat 1161, or A. D. 1104, and Samvat 1174 or 1117 A. D. have been found in Bisahi, two miles north-east of Tahsil Bidhuna of the district. Another copper plate grant of this king dated Samvat 1166 or A. D. 1109 has been found at Rahan in the district.
Govindachandra seems to have wielded substantial power in the State while he was only a "Yuvaraja" or Crown Prince. He defeated the invading bands of Muslims sometimes before 1109 A.D., for the Rahan plate records that he "again and again by the play of his matchless fighting" compelled the Hammira (i.e. Amir) to "lay aside his enmity". The Rahan plate further described Govindachandra as "terrific" in cleaving the frontal gloves of arrays of irresistible mighty large elephants from Gauda", which shows that Govindachandra must have made some encroachments in to Magadha. In short, Govindachandra made himself a considerable power and under him the glories of this region were revised.
Govindachandra was succeeded by his son Vijayachandra sometime in 1155 A. D. Like his father, Vijayachandra also successfully faced Muslim aggressions. By the very beginning of the reign of Vijayachandra, an unmistakable symptom of decline of the Gahadavala power manifested itself in the loss of Delhi. The full significance of this loss was realised when, about a generation later, the Muslims attacked Delhi region and occupied it, rendering the Gahadavala frontier practically defenceless. Vijayachandra was succeeded by his son Jaichandra in 1170 A. D. He may be described as the last great king of the Gahadavala dynasty, whose power and extensive jurisdiction struck even Muslim historians.
During the reign of Jaichandra, the Chauhans, who starting from their territories in Ajmer had annexed Delhi and were at this time bidding for supremacy in the North under the vigorous rule of Prathviraja III. Towards the south there were the Chandellas whose power at this time was at its height. Apart from this, there were repeated Muslim invasions in North-western India which had already threatened the unity of India. The most important event of this region was the celebration of the Swayamvara
of his daughter Samyukta
, who was however, carried away by force, in the midst of the ceremonies by Prithviraja. Samyukta
's elopement with Prithviraj III
, heir to the rival Chauhan
Rajput kingdom to the west, is the subject of many romantic tales. Perhaps, this abduction was the cause which sowed the seed of enemity between these two northern monarrmes. Though there is no reliable evidence of conflict between these two kings, it is quite probable that they were positively hostile to each other; lack of sympathy between these two kings is shown by their mutual non-cooperation on the eve of the final conquest of India by the Muslims, led by Mohammad Gohori. Jaichand
was destined to be the last Gahadvala king of Kannauj
. The city was attacked by Muhammad of Ghor
in 1194; Jaichandra drowned in the Ganges fighting the battle; his kingdom was conquered and sacked by Muhammad's armies.
Some survivors, led by Jaichand's son or grandson Siyaji (Shiv ji), fled west to the Marwar
desert region of Rajasthan
, where they established themselves as rulers in the early 13th century, founding the Rathore
clan which ruled the princely state
of Jodhpur
.
Another branch consisting of men, royal women and children escaped to Kumaon
hills. His descendants 300 years later upsurped power in kumaon hills by defeating the ruling Katyuri dynasty. The Chand Kings
mention Rathore
as their kul
.
Another grandson, Bijai Chand, fled to Kantit in the Mīrzāpur District and, overcoming the Bhar Rāja of that place, founded the family of the Gaharwār Rājas of Bijaipur-Kantit. All the other Gaharwārs trace their lineage to Benāres or Bijaipur.
Another group of warriors that had migrated southward from Kannauj came to occupy territory immediately west to Dahiya, Manda, and Vijaypur. This line came to be known as Bundela
and gave name to the erstwhile Bundelkhand
that comprises parts of both current Madhya Pradesh and Uttar-pradesh.
Gaharwar, Rathore and Bundela share common Gautra, namely Gautam and Gaharwar, and are considered the original bloodline for both Bundela and Rathore whereas the Gahlot are pronounced as Gaharwar. Gaharwars are the fiercest of the Rajput yet refined statesmen, philosophers, and patrons of arts and science. The Gaharwar era in India was brief, but its impact has lasted through the era of renaissance in India.
[edit]Geography
Kannauj is located at 27.07°N 79.92°E[2]. It has an average elevation of 139 metres (456 feet)
mention rathore
as their kul
.
Their capitol was shifted to Almora by Raja Kalyan Chand in 1563, when he laid the foundation of a town named 'Alam Nagar', which was also called, 'Rajapur' [2][3], a name that is still used and has been found inscribed on a number of copper plates of the time [4].
Mughal historians mention that Chand ruler, Gyan Chand, visited Delhi Sultanate and received the regions of Bhabhar- Terai up to the Ganges as a grant from the Sultan. The lower hills remained under local chieftains; it was Kirti Chand (1488–1503), who first ruled the entire of Nainital district, along with the rest of Kumaon.
In 1581, the Chand King, Rudra Chand (1565–1597), son of Raja Kalyan Chand seized Sira defeating the Raika king Hari Malla and attacked the Garhwal Kingdom for the first time, though this attack was repulsed by the king, Dularam Sah [5], his subsequent attacks were also thwarted. Rudra Chandra was a contemporary of Akbar, and even paid him a visit in Lahore in 1587, as a mark of his obeisance. Akbarnama mentions him as "one of the great landlords of India", and further talks about his initial hesitation in approaching the court of Akbqr, it was Raja Todar Mal himself, who sent his son Kalyan Das to assure him to proceed to meet Akbar. Subsequently, the two met and agreed on a concord [6], and thus Ain-e-Akbari, written during period of Akbar, also mentions the Sarkar of Kumaon, containing 21 Mahals (a geographical unit of the times) and the revenue collected [7].
After the death of Rudra Chand in 1597, his son, Lakshmi Chand, also continued the attacks on Garhwal for many years, though he too was repulsed. He also constructed the ‘Bagnath temple’ at Bageshwar, Bagheshwar in 1602 [8].
One of most powerful rulers of the Chand dynasty was Baz Bahadur (1638–78) AD., who met Shahjahan in Delhi, and in 1655 joined forces with him to attack Garhwal, which was under rule of its king, Pirthi Sah, and subsequently captured the Terai region including Dehradun, which was hence separated from the Garhwal kingdom. Baz Bahadur extended his territory east to the karnali river.
In 1672, Baz Bahadur, started a poll tax, and its revenue was sent to Delhi as a tribute. Baz Bahadur also built the Golu Devata Temple, at Ghorakhal, near Bhimtal [1], after Lord Golu, a general in his army, died valiantly during battle [9]. He also built the famous Bhimeshwara Mahadev Temple at Bhimtal [10].
Towards the end of the 17th century, Chand Rajas again attacked the Garhwal kingdom, and in 1688, Udyot Chand, erected several temples at Almora, including Tripur Sundari, Udyot Chandeshwer and Parbateshwer, to mark his victory over Garhwal and Doti, the Pabateshwar temple was renamed twice, becoming the present day Nanda Devi temple [11]. Later, Jagat Chand (1708–20), defeated the Raja of Garhwal and pushed him away from Srinagar, and his kingdom was given to a Brahmin [12]. However, a subsequent king of Garhwal, Pradip Shah (1717–72), regained control over Garhwal and retained Doon till 1757, when Rohilla leader, Najib-ul-Daula, established himself there, though he was ousted soon after by Pradip Shah.
The Chand kings also defeated the Rajwars of Askot, though the latter were allowed to hold their land on the payment of a tribute [13].
The hill station of Binsar, 30 km from Almora was the summer retreat of the Chand kings.
In the coming years, Jagat Chand’s successor, Debi Chand (1720-6) took part in the wars of Rohillas of Rohilkhand, and was defeated by the British troops [1].
This peace did not last long; as after just three months, unhappy with his lieutenants, Ali Mohammed Khan attacked again, though this time, he was stopped right at the entrance to the hills, at Barakheri, and was defeated. He made no further attempts to conquer the Kumaon kingdom, nor did the Muslim rulers of Delhi, and this remains the first and the last attack by Muslim rulers on the region. Reconciliation subsequently came into effect; troops from the hills, under Dip Chand, fought side by side with the Rohillas at the Third Battle of Panipat
in 1761 [1].
In 1760, he renamed the old Parbateshwer temple to Dipchandeshwar temple [11]
During British rule, then divisional commissioner of Kumaon, George William Trail, got the statue of the Nanda Devi and relocated it to the ‘Udyot Chandeshwar’ temple, from the 'Malla Mahal' (Upper Court) of Chand kings, where present collectorate exists, and in time, the temple started being called the ‘Nanda Devi temple’. The 'Talla Mahal' (Lower Court) of Chand rulers, now houses the District Hospital [15].
Due to internal strife, in the ensuing thirty years the kings lost most of the land they had previously ruled in the plains, and retained only the Bhabhar region.
In 1779, a subsequent Garhwal king, Lalit Shah, also captured the Kumaon region from a usurper who was then ruling Kumaon. Lalit Shah made his son Parduman Shah, the king of the Kumaon territory, and after a few years, on the death of his brother in Srinagar, Parduman Shah even held the seat of a combined kingdom of Kumaon and Garhwal for a year, before choosing to go back to Srinagar, the familiar grounds of the Garhwal.
In early 1790, the Gurkhas invaded the Kumaon hills and Almora, under their powerful chief ‘Prithvi Narayan’; they advanced by crossing River Kali, through Gangoli; and the Chands, under the titular Chand Raja, were driven to the Bhabhar and finally expelled.
The Tarai and Kashipur were ceded to the British by the Nawab of Awadh in 1801, along with the rest of Rohilkhand.
The Nepalese rule last for a ruthless [16] twenty-four years, the end came because of their repeated intrusion into the British territories in the Tarai since early 1800. Which led Lord Moira, the Governor-General of India, to attack Almora in December 1814, which marked the beginning of the Anglo-Nepalese War [3]. After the war, the old Lal Mandi fort, near Almora (present cantonment), was renamed ‘Fort Moira’ [17].
Harak Deo Joshi, the minister of the last Chand Raja[18], took the side of the British, and with a force of 4,500 men marched from Kashipur in February, 1815. Champawat was first taken in March from the Pilibhit side through the Kali river, and within two months, a strong British army under Colonel Nichols, attacked and captured Almora, on April 26, 1815 [19]. A truce was called the same day, and with the ratification of the Treaty of Sugauli on 4 March 1816, Kumaon and Garhwal, thus became a British territory.
, now a district headquarter town, holds many remnants of the once powerful Chand reign, including a medieval fort, Baleshwar temple, Nagnath Temple, etc. Other temples of their reign are the Golu Devata Temple, at Ghorakhal, near Bhimtal, and Bhimeshwara Mahadev Temple at Bhimtal.
The late Prime Minister of India Maharaja Vishwanath Pratap Singh, belonged to this dynasty ruling from the State of Manda.
The dynasty today is represented by three bloodlines ruling following three states in Eastern Uttar Pradesh:
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
Rajput
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
dynasty that ruled the kingdom of Kannauj
Kannauj
Kannauj , also spelt Kanauj, is a city, administrative headquarters and a municipal board or Nagar Palika Parishad in Kannauj district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The city's name is traditionally derived from the term Kanyakubja . Kannauj is an ancient city, in earlier times the capital...
for around a hundred years, beginning the late 11th century.
Rebuilding of Kannauj Kingdom
The Kannauj kingdom was established by Som Chand, who came here from Kannuaj near Allahabad, sometime in the 10th century [1], and displaced the Katyuri Kings (कत्यूरी नरेश), originally from Katyur valley near Joshimath, who had been ruling the area from the 7th century AD. He continued to call his state Kurmanchal and his people Kurm (second avtar of Lord Vishnu), and established its capital in Champawat. Kurmanchal gave rise to name Kumaon to this region.Many temples built in this former capital city of Champawat, during the 11th and 12th century exist today, this include the Baleshwar and Nagnath temples.
’Bhimeshwara Mahadev Temple’, at Bhim Tal, built by Baz Bahadur.
Foundation of the Gaharwar dynasty at Kannauj
The founder of the Kannauj Gahadvala dynasty was Chandradeva, who took control of KannaujKannauj
Kannauj , also spelt Kanauj, is a city, administrative headquarters and a municipal board or Nagar Palika Parishad in Kannauj district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The city's name is traditionally derived from the term Kanyakubja . Kannauj is an ancient city, in earlier times the capital...
at the end of the 11th century (1090A.D.), filling the political vacuum that had been created after that city was sacked by Mahmud of Ghazni
Mahmud of Ghazni
Mahmud of Ghazni , actually ', was the most prominent ruler of the Ghaznavid dynasty who ruled from 997 until his death in 1030 in the eastern Iranian lands. Mahmud turned the former provincial city of Ghazni into the wealthy capital of an extensive empire which covered most of today's Iran,...
in 1018. Chandradeva soon expanded the kingdom to include Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
, Ayodhya, and Varanasi
Varanasi
-Etymology:The name Varanasi has its origin possibly from the names of the two rivers Varuna and Assi, for the old city lies in the north shores of the Ganga bounded by its two tributaries, the Varuna and the Asi, with the Ganges being to its south...
(Benares). During the rule of his successor Govindachandra (1114–1154), the Gahadvala state reached the pinnacle of its power, occupying much of present-day Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
and Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
. Govindachandra moved his capital from Kannauj
Kannauj
Kannauj , also spelt Kanauj, is a city, administrative headquarters and a municipal board or Nagar Palika Parishad in Kannauj district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The city's name is traditionally derived from the term Kanyakubja . Kannauj is an ancient city, in earlier times the capital...
to Varanasi
Varanasi
-Etymology:The name Varanasi has its origin possibly from the names of the two rivers Varuna and Assi, for the old city lies in the north shores of the Ganga bounded by its two tributaries, the Varuna and the Asi, with the Ganges being to its south...
. His queen Kumaradevi was a devout Buddhist, and Govindachandra was a patron of both Hindu temples and Buddhist monasteries.
Expansion to include Delhi
During the prime of Rajput Raaj in India, the Gaharwar king Chandradeva successfully commanded Delhi and annexed it to his State of Kannauj.Delhi was under Pratihara rule at that time and was under constant attack from Rastrakuta. Chandradev attacked both Rashtrakuta and Pratihara amid their battle with each other and defeated the unified enemies and took over the state of Delhi. After the dismemberment of the Pratihara empire, there were repeated incursions in this region that Chandradev fought off, which laid down the foundation of the renaissance era in Delhi.
The rule of the Gahadavala dynasty over the district is incontestably proved by the discovery at Kudarkot of a copper plate grant dated in the reign of Chandradeva. Chandradeva founded the Gahadavala dynasty at Kanyakubja after defeating a chief named Gopala. His jurisdiction extended almost over the whole of the present Uttar Pradesh including this district.
Chandradeva was succeeded by Madanpala. However, he ruled for a very short period. Madanpala was succeeded by hit son Govindachandra. Two copper plate grants of Govindachandra, dated respectively Samvat 1161, or A. D. 1104, and Samvat 1174 or 1117 A. D. have been found in Bisahi, two miles north-east of Tahsil Bidhuna of the district. Another copper plate grant of this king dated Samvat 1166 or A. D. 1109 has been found at Rahan in the district.
Govindachandra seems to have wielded substantial power in the State while he was only a "Yuvaraja" or Crown Prince. He defeated the invading bands of Muslims sometimes before 1109 A.D., for the Rahan plate records that he "again and again by the play of his matchless fighting" compelled the Hammira (i.e. Amir) to "lay aside his enmity". The Rahan plate further described Govindachandra as "terrific" in cleaving the frontal gloves of arrays of irresistible mighty large elephants from Gauda", which shows that Govindachandra must have made some encroachments in to Magadha. In short, Govindachandra made himself a considerable power and under him the glories of this region were revised.
Govindachandra was succeeded by his son Vijayachandra sometime in 1155 A. D. Like his father, Vijayachandra also successfully faced Muslim aggressions. By the very beginning of the reign of Vijayachandra, an unmistakable symptom of decline of the Gahadavala power manifested itself in the loss of Delhi. The full significance of this loss was realised when, about a generation later, the Muslims attacked Delhi region and occupied it, rendering the Gahadavala frontier practically defenceless. Vijayachandra was succeeded by his son Jaichandra in 1170 A. D. He may be described as the last great king of the Gahadavala dynasty, whose power and extensive jurisdiction struck even Muslim historians.
During the reign of Jaichandra, the Chauhans, who starting from their territories in Ajmer had annexed Delhi and were at this time bidding for supremacy in the North under the vigorous rule of Prathviraja III. Towards the south there were the Chandellas whose power at this time was at its height. Apart from this, there were repeated Muslim invasions in North-western India which had already threatened the unity of India. The most important event of this region was the celebration of the Swayamvara
Swayamvara
Swayamvara , in ancient India, was a practice of choosing a husband, from among a list of suitors, by a girl of marriageable age. Swayam in Sanskrit means self and vara means choice or desire ....
of his daughter Samyukta
Samyukta
Sanyukta, Sanyogita, Sanjukta or Samyukta, was the daughter of Raja Jaichand of Kannauj. She became the wife of Prithviraj Chauhan, the king of Delhi. Prithiviraj was a Rajput who ruled from his twin capitals of Delhi and Ajmer...
, who was however, carried away by force, in the midst of the ceremonies by Prithviraja. Samyukta
Samyukta
Sanyukta, Sanyogita, Sanjukta or Samyukta, was the daughter of Raja Jaichand of Kannauj. She became the wife of Prithviraj Chauhan, the king of Delhi. Prithiviraj was a Rajput who ruled from his twin capitals of Delhi and Ajmer...
's elopement with Prithviraj III
Prithviraj III
Prithvi Raj III, commonly known as Prithviraj Chauhan , was a king of the Hindu Chauhan dynasty, who ruled the kingdom of Ajmer and Delhi in northern India during the latter half of the 12th century....
, heir to the rival Chauhan
Chauhan
Chauhan, Chouhan or Chohan , , - is a clan who ruled parts of northern India in the Middle Ages. The clan is most famous for Rajput King Maharaja Prithviraj Chauhan...
Rajput kingdom to the west, is the subject of many romantic tales. Perhaps, this abduction was the cause which sowed the seed of enemity between these two northern monarrmes. Though there is no reliable evidence of conflict between these two kings, it is quite probable that they were positively hostile to each other; lack of sympathy between these two kings is shown by their mutual non-cooperation on the eve of the final conquest of India by the Muslims, led by Mohammad Gohori. Jaichand
Jaichand of Kannauj
Jaichand was the Rajput ruler of Kannauj. He was the father of Sanyogita, Prithvi Raj Chauhan's wife. Jaichand was the name of the last ruler of Kannauj belonging to the Rathore dynasty.-Sources:...
was destined to be the last Gahadvala king of Kannauj
Kannauj
Kannauj , also spelt Kanauj, is a city, administrative headquarters and a municipal board or Nagar Palika Parishad in Kannauj district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The city's name is traditionally derived from the term Kanyakubja . Kannauj is an ancient city, in earlier times the capital...
. The city was attacked by Muhammad of Ghor
Muhammad of Ghor
Sultan Shahāb-ud-Din Muhammad Ghori , originally called Mu'izzuddīn Muḥammad Bin Sām , was a ruler of the Ghurid dynasty who reigned over a territory spanning present-day Afghanistan, Pakistan and northern India.Shahabuddin Ghori reconquered the city of Ghazna Sultan Shahāb-ud-Din Muhammad Ghori...
in 1194; Jaichandra drowned in the Ganges fighting the battle; his kingdom was conquered and sacked by Muhammad's armies.
Some survivors, led by Jaichand's son or grandson Siyaji (Shiv ji), fled west to the Marwar
Marwar
Marwar is a region of southwestern Rajasthan state in western India. It lies partly in the Thar Desert. In Rajasthani dialect "wad" means a particular area. The word Marwar is derived from Sanskrit word 'Maruwat'. English translation of the word is 'The region of desert'., The Imperial Gazetteer...
desert region of Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
, where they established themselves as rulers in the early 13th century, founding the Rathore
Rathore
The Rathore is a Suryavanshi Rajput clan same caste as Lohana. Their Kuldevi is Nagnechiya Mata and "Karani Mata". Rathores are originally from Kannauj in Uttar Pradesh. Rathores are historically considered the samurais of India...
clan which ruled the princely state
Princely state
A Princely State was a nominally sovereign entitity of British rule in India that was not directly governed by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule such as suzerainty or paramountcy.-British relationship with the Princely States:India under the British Raj ...
of Jodhpur
Jodhpur
Jodhpur , is the second largest city in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is located west from the state capital, Jaipur and from the city of Ajmer. It was formerly the seat of a princely state of the same name, the capital of the kingdom known as Marwar...
.
Another branch consisting of men, royal women and children escaped to Kumaon
Kumaon Division
For Kumaoni/Kumauni People see Kumauni PeopleKumaon or Kumaun is one of the two regions and administrative divisions of Uttarakhand, a mountainous state of northern India, the other being Garhwal. It includes the districts of Almora, Bageshwar, Champawat, Nainital, Pithoragarh, and Udham Singh Nagar...
hills. His descendants 300 years later upsurped power in kumaon hills by defeating the ruling Katyuri dynasty. The Chand Kings
Chand Kings
Chand Kings were a medieval Raghuvanshi Rajput ruling clan of Kumaon region of the Uttarakhand state of India, which ruled the region after the decline of Katyuri Kings in 11th century AD., and continued till the rise of the British in 18th century....
mention Rathore
Rathore
The Rathore is a Suryavanshi Rajput clan same caste as Lohana. Their Kuldevi is Nagnechiya Mata and "Karani Mata". Rathores are originally from Kannauj in Uttar Pradesh. Rathores are historically considered the samurais of India...
as their kul
Kul
Kul may refer to:* KUL refers to rising recording artist and producer Julian White* KUL is also the abbreviation of Kumar Urban Development Limited, a leading real estate development and construction company in India...
.
Another grandson, Bijai Chand, fled to Kantit in the Mīrzāpur District and, overcoming the Bhar Rāja of that place, founded the family of the Gaharwār Rājas of Bijaipur-Kantit. All the other Gaharwārs trace their lineage to Benāres or Bijaipur.
- Not too long ago, V.P. singh of this dynasty (Manda princely town) became the Prime Minister of India. His brother Chief Justice C.S.P. Singh was assassinated by bandits of Chambal in 1981.
Another group of warriors that had migrated southward from Kannauj came to occupy territory immediately west to Dahiya, Manda, and Vijaypur. This line came to be known as Bundela
Bundela
The Bundelas are a Rajput clan of Chattari lineage who ruled several states in central India, in Bundelkhand region from the 16th century.The Bundelas are the most prominent Rajputs hailing from Central India...
and gave name to the erstwhile Bundelkhand
Bundelkhand
Bundelkhand anciently known as Chedi Kingdom is a geographic region of central India...
that comprises parts of both current Madhya Pradesh and Uttar-pradesh.
Gaharwar, Rathore and Bundela share common Gautra, namely Gautam and Gaharwar, and are considered the original bloodline for both Bundela and Rathore whereas the Gahlot are pronounced as Gaharwar. Gaharwars are the fiercest of the Rajput yet refined statesmen, philosophers, and patrons of arts and science. The Gaharwar era in India was brief, but its impact has lasted through the era of renaissance in India.
Monuments
The size and scale of the ancient town can be gauged from the fact that existing ruins extend over the lands of five villages, occupying a semicircle fully 4 miles in diameter. While no historic Hindu structures remain intact, the "great mosque", constructed by Ibrahim Shah of Jaunpur in 1406 out of the remains of demolished Hindu temples, is still known to Hindus as "Sita's Kitchen". Brahmins in Bengal and Assam trace their origin to a migration southwards from this city in the 9th and 10th centuries.[edit]Geography
Kannauj is located at 27.07°N 79.92°E[2]. It has an average elevation of 139 metres (456 feet)
Return of The Chand Kings
Jaichand's descendants usurped power back in the region, albeit 3 centuries later. They were able to establish their domain in 1563 by overpowering local chiefs and the ruling Katyuri Kings. They had brief stints with the Rajput clans in Gangoli and Bankot then predominant there the Mankotis of Mankot, the Pathanis of Attigaon-Kamsyar, Kalakotis and few Khush Rajput Clans of the region. The Chand KingsChand Kings
Chand Kings were a medieval Raghuvanshi Rajput ruling clan of Kumaon region of the Uttarakhand state of India, which ruled the region after the decline of Katyuri Kings in 11th century AD., and continued till the rise of the British in 18th century....
mention rathore
Rathore
The Rathore is a Suryavanshi Rajput clan same caste as Lohana. Their Kuldevi is Nagnechiya Mata and "Karani Mata". Rathores are originally from Kannauj in Uttar Pradesh. Rathores are historically considered the samurais of India...
as their kul
Kul
Kul may refer to:* KUL refers to rising recording artist and producer Julian White* KUL is also the abbreviation of Kumar Urban Development Limited, a leading real estate development and construction company in India...
.
Their capitol was shifted to Almora by Raja Kalyan Chand in 1563, when he laid the foundation of a town named 'Alam Nagar', which was also called, 'Rajapur' [2][3], a name that is still used and has been found inscribed on a number of copper plates of the time [4].
Mughal historians mention that Chand ruler, Gyan Chand, visited Delhi Sultanate and received the regions of Bhabhar- Terai up to the Ganges as a grant from the Sultan. The lower hills remained under local chieftains; it was Kirti Chand (1488–1503), who first ruled the entire of Nainital district, along with the rest of Kumaon.
In 1581, the Chand King, Rudra Chand (1565–1597), son of Raja Kalyan Chand seized Sira defeating the Raika king Hari Malla and attacked the Garhwal Kingdom for the first time, though this attack was repulsed by the king, Dularam Sah [5], his subsequent attacks were also thwarted. Rudra Chandra was a contemporary of Akbar, and even paid him a visit in Lahore in 1587, as a mark of his obeisance. Akbarnama mentions him as "one of the great landlords of India", and further talks about his initial hesitation in approaching the court of Akbqr, it was Raja Todar Mal himself, who sent his son Kalyan Das to assure him to proceed to meet Akbar. Subsequently, the two met and agreed on a concord [6], and thus Ain-e-Akbari, written during period of Akbar, also mentions the Sarkar of Kumaon, containing 21 Mahals (a geographical unit of the times) and the revenue collected [7].
After the death of Rudra Chand in 1597, his son, Lakshmi Chand, also continued the attacks on Garhwal for many years, though he too was repulsed. He also constructed the ‘Bagnath temple’ at Bageshwar, Bagheshwar in 1602 [8].
One of most powerful rulers of the Chand dynasty was Baz Bahadur (1638–78) AD., who met Shahjahan in Delhi, and in 1655 joined forces with him to attack Garhwal, which was under rule of its king, Pirthi Sah, and subsequently captured the Terai region including Dehradun, which was hence separated from the Garhwal kingdom. Baz Bahadur extended his territory east to the karnali river.
In 1672, Baz Bahadur, started a poll tax, and its revenue was sent to Delhi as a tribute. Baz Bahadur also built the Golu Devata Temple, at Ghorakhal, near Bhimtal [1], after Lord Golu, a general in his army, died valiantly during battle [9]. He also built the famous Bhimeshwara Mahadev Temple at Bhimtal [10].
Towards the end of the 17th century, Chand Rajas again attacked the Garhwal kingdom, and in 1688, Udyot Chand, erected several temples at Almora, including Tripur Sundari, Udyot Chandeshwer and Parbateshwer, to mark his victory over Garhwal and Doti, the Pabateshwar temple was renamed twice, becoming the present day Nanda Devi temple [11]. Later, Jagat Chand (1708–20), defeated the Raja of Garhwal and pushed him away from Srinagar, and his kingdom was given to a Brahmin [12]. However, a subsequent king of Garhwal, Pradip Shah (1717–72), regained control over Garhwal and retained Doon till 1757, when Rohilla leader, Najib-ul-Daula, established himself there, though he was ousted soon after by Pradip Shah.
The Chand kings also defeated the Rajwars of Askot, though the latter were allowed to hold their land on the payment of a tribute [13].
The hill station of Binsar, 30 km from Almora was the summer retreat of the Chand kings.
In the coming years, Jagat Chand’s successor, Debi Chand (1720-6) took part in the wars of Rohillas of Rohilkhand, and was defeated by the British troops [1].
Decline
In 1744, Ali Mohammed Khan, the Rohilla leader, sent a force into the Chand territory and penetrated through Bhimtal and in to the Nainital district of Almora. The resistance of the Chand army, under its ruler, Kalyan Chand, was weak and ineffective, and Almora fell to the Rohillas who stayed here for seven short months, though they were ultimately driven out. Their departure was made possible by paying them a sum of three lakh rupees, and hastened by the harsh terrain of the region.This peace did not last long; as after just three months, unhappy with his lieutenants, Ali Mohammed Khan attacked again, though this time, he was stopped right at the entrance to the hills, at Barakheri, and was defeated. He made no further attempts to conquer the Kumaon kingdom, nor did the Muslim rulers of Delhi, and this remains the first and the last attack by Muslim rulers on the region. Reconciliation subsequently came into effect; troops from the hills, under Dip Chand, fought side by side with the Rohillas at the Third Battle of Panipat
Third battle of Panipat
The Third Battle of Panipat took place on 14 January 1761, at Panipat , about 60 miles north of Delhi between a northern expeditionary force of the Maratha Confederacy and a coalition of the King of Afghanistan, Ahmad Shah Abdali with 2 Indian Muslim allies—the Rohilla Afghans of the Doab, and the...
in 1761 [1].
In 1760, he renamed the old Parbateshwer temple to Dipchandeshwar temple [11]
During British rule, then divisional commissioner of Kumaon, George William Trail, got the statue of the Nanda Devi and relocated it to the ‘Udyot Chandeshwar’ temple, from the 'Malla Mahal' (Upper Court) of Chand kings, where present collectorate exists, and in time, the temple started being called the ‘Nanda Devi temple’. The 'Talla Mahal' (Lower Court) of Chand rulers, now houses the District Hospital [15].
Due to internal strife, in the ensuing thirty years the kings lost most of the land they had previously ruled in the plains, and retained only the Bhabhar region.
In 1779, a subsequent Garhwal king, Lalit Shah, also captured the Kumaon region from a usurper who was then ruling Kumaon. Lalit Shah made his son Parduman Shah, the king of the Kumaon territory, and after a few years, on the death of his brother in Srinagar, Parduman Shah even held the seat of a combined kingdom of Kumaon and Garhwal for a year, before choosing to go back to Srinagar, the familiar grounds of the Garhwal.
In early 1790, the Gurkhas invaded the Kumaon hills and Almora, under their powerful chief ‘Prithvi Narayan’; they advanced by crossing River Kali, through Gangoli; and the Chands, under the titular Chand Raja, were driven to the Bhabhar and finally expelled.
The Tarai and Kashipur were ceded to the British by the Nawab of Awadh in 1801, along with the rest of Rohilkhand.
The Nepalese rule last for a ruthless [16] twenty-four years, the end came because of their repeated intrusion into the British territories in the Tarai since early 1800. Which led Lord Moira, the Governor-General of India, to attack Almora in December 1814, which marked the beginning of the Anglo-Nepalese War [3]. After the war, the old Lal Mandi fort, near Almora (present cantonment), was renamed ‘Fort Moira’ [17].
Harak Deo Joshi, the minister of the last Chand Raja[18], took the side of the British, and with a force of 4,500 men marched from Kashipur in February, 1815. Champawat was first taken in March from the Pilibhit side through the Kali river, and within two months, a strong British army under Colonel Nichols, attacked and captured Almora, on April 26, 1815 [19]. A truce was called the same day, and with the ratification of the Treaty of Sugauli on 4 March 1816, Kumaon and Garhwal, thus became a British territory.
Legacy
The first capital of Chand rulers, Champawat, in the stronghold popularly known as Kali KumaonKumaon Division
For Kumaoni/Kumauni People see Kumauni PeopleKumaon or Kumaun is one of the two regions and administrative divisions of Uttarakhand, a mountainous state of northern India, the other being Garhwal. It includes the districts of Almora, Bageshwar, Champawat, Nainital, Pithoragarh, and Udham Singh Nagar...
, now a district headquarter town, holds many remnants of the once powerful Chand reign, including a medieval fort, Baleshwar temple, Nagnath Temple, etc. Other temples of their reign are the Golu Devata Temple, at Ghorakhal, near Bhimtal, and Bhimeshwara Mahadev Temple at Bhimtal.
The late Prime Minister of India Maharaja Vishwanath Pratap Singh, belonged to this dynasty ruling from the State of Manda.
The dynasty today is represented by three bloodlines ruling following three states in Eastern Uttar Pradesh:
- Dahia
- MandaManda (Kingdom)Manda is an erstwhile princely state of India, with lands located near Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh. Notably, the heir to the estate during was the Indian statesman, Raja Bahadur Vishwanath Pratap Singh....
- Vijaypur-Kantit