Early Medieval period (c. 550–1000 CE)
Gurjara-Pratihara Empire (c. 550–1036 CE) The
Gurjar Pratihar Empire acted as a barrier for
Arab invaders from the 6th to the 11th century. The chief accomplishment of the
Pratihars lies in its successful resistance to foreign invasions from the west, starting in the days of
Junaid. During the
Umayyad campaigns in India (740), an alliance of rulers under
Nagabhata I defeated the Arabs in 711 CE, and forced them to retreat to
Sindh. Historian
R. C. Majumdar says that this was openly acknowledged by the Arab writers. He further notes that historians of India have wondered at the slow progress of Muslim invaders in India, as compared with their rapid advance in other parts of the world. There seems little doubt that it was the power of the Pratihara army that effectively barred the progress of the Arabs beyond the confines of Sindh, their only conquest for nearly 300 years.
Pratiharas of Mandavyapura (c. 550–860 CE) The Pratiharas of Mandavyapura Pratīhāras of Māṇḍavyapura), also known as the
Pratiharas of Mandore (or Mandor), were an Indian dynasty. They ruled parts of the present-day
Rajasthan between 6th and 9th centuries CE. They first established their capital at Mandavyapura (modern
Mandore), and later ruled from Medantaka (modern
Merta). The imperial
Pratiharas also claimed descent from the legendary hero Lakshmana. The earliest known historical members of the family are Harichandra and his second wife Bhadra. Harichandra was a Brahmin, while Bhadra came from a
Kshatriya noble family. They had four sons: Bhogabhatta, Kakka, Rajjila and Dadda. These four men captured Mandavyapura and erected a rampart there. It is not known where the family lived before the conquest of Mandavyapura.
Pratiharas of Bhinmala (Kannauj) (c. 730–1036) Nagabhata I (730–760), was originally perhaps a feudatory of the
Chavdas of Bhillamala. He gained prominence after the downfall of the Chavda kingdom in the course of resisting the invading forces led by the Arabs who controlled Sindh.
Nagabhata Pratihara I (730–756) later extended his control east and south from Mandor, conquering
Malwa as far as
Gwalior and the port of Bharuch in Gujarat. He established his capital at
Avanti in Malwa, and checked the expansion of the Arabs, who had established themselves in
Sind. In
Battle of Rajasthan (738 CE), Nagabhata led a confederacy of Pratiharas to defeat the Muslim Arabs who had until then been pressing on victorious through
West Asia and
Iran. The Arab chronicler Sulaiman describes the army of the Pratiharas as it stood in 851 CE, "The ruler of Gurjara maintains numerous forces and no other Indian prince has so fine a cavalry. He is unfriendly to the Arabs, still he acknowledges that the king of the Arabs is the greatest of rulers. Among the princes of India there is no greater foe of the Islamic faith than he. He has got riches, and his camels and horses are numerous."
Mihira Bhoja was the Greatest ruler of dynasty, kingdoms which were conquered and acknowledged his Suzerainty includes Travani, Valla, Mada, Arya, Gujaratra, Lata Parvarta and
Chandelas of
Bundelkhand. Bhoja's
Daulatpura-
Dausa Inscription(AD 843), confirms his rule in Dausa region. Another inscription states that, "Bhoja's territories extended to the east of the
Sutlej river."
Mahmud of Ghazni captured
Kannauj in 1018, and the Pratihara ruler Rajapala fled. He was subsequently captured and killed by the Chandela ruler
Vidyadhara. The Chandela ruler then placed Rajapala's son Trilochanpala on the throne as a proxy. Jasapala, the last Gurjara-Pratihara ruler of Kannauj, died in 1036.
Pratihara art There are notable examples of architecture from the Gurjara-Pratihara era, including sculptures and carved panels. Their temples, constructed in an open pavilion style. One of the most notable Gurjara-Pratihara style of architecture was
Khajuraho, built by their vassals, the
Chandelas of
Bundelkhand ;Māru-Gurjara architecture
Māru-Gurjara architecture was developed during Gurjara Pratihara Empire. ;Mahavira Jain temple, Osian
Mahavira Jain temple, Osian temple was constructed in 783 CE, making it the oldest surviving Jain temple in western India. ;Baroli temples complex . The temples were built between the 10th and 11th centuries by the
Gurjara-Pratihara dynasty.
Baroli temples complex are eight temples, built by the Gurjara-Pratiharas, is situated within a walled enclosured.
Other Pratihara branches ;Baddoch branch (c. 600–700) Known Baddoch rulers are: • Dhaddha 1 (600–627) • Dhaddha 2 (627–655) • Jaibhatta (655–700) ;Rajogarh branch Badegujar were rulers of Rajogarh •
Parmeshver Manthandev (885–915) No records found after Parmeshver Manthandev
Kingdom of Mewar (c. 566–1948 CE) Guhila dynasty (c. 566–1303 CE) region The Guhila dynasty ruled the Medapata (modern Mewar) region in present-day
Rajasthan state of India. In the 6th century, three different
Guhila dynasties are known to have ruled in present-day Rajasthan: • Guhilas of
Nagda–
Ahar, • Guhilas of Kishkindha (modern
Kalyanpur), • Guhilas of Dhavagarta (present-day
Dhor). None of these dynasties claimed prestigious origins in their 7th-century records. The Guhilas of Dhavagarta explicitly mentioned the
Mori (later Maurya) kings as their overlords, and the early kings of the other two dynasties also bore the titles indicating their subordinate status. By the 10th century, the Guhilas of Nagda-Ahar were the only among the three dynasties to have survived. By this time, their political status had increased, and the Guhila kings had assumed high royal titles such as
Maharajadhiraja. During this period, the dynasty started claiming a prestigious origin, stating that its founder Guhadatta was a
mahideva (
Brahmin) who had migrated from Anandapura (present-day
Vadnagar in Gujarat).
R. C. Majumdar theorizes that Bappa achieved a highly significant military success, because of which he gained reputation as the dynasty's founder. The later bardic chronicles mention a fabricated genealogy, claiming that the dynasty's founder Guhaditya was a son of Shiladitya, the
Maitraka ruler of
Vallabhi. This claim is not supported by historical evidence. According to the 977 CE Atpur inscription and the 1083 CE Kadmal inscription, Guhadatta was succeeded by Bhoja, who commissioned the construction of a tank at
Eklingji. The 1285 Achaleshwar inscription describes him as a devotee of
Vishnu. Bhoja was succeeded by Mahendra and Nagaditya. The bardic legends state that Nagaditya was killed in a battle with the
Bhils. Nagaditya's successor Shiladitya raised the political status of the family significantly, as suggested by his 646 CE Samoli inscription, as well as the inscriptions of his successors, including the 1274 Chittor inscription and the 1285 Abu inscription. R. V. Somani theorizes that the copper and zinc mines at
Jawar were excavated during his reign, which greatly increased the economic prosperity of the kingdom. Mahendra was succeeded by Kalabhoja, who has been identified as
Bappa Rawal by several historians including
G. H. Ojha. In the mid-12th century, the dynasty divided into two branches. The senior branch (whose rulers are called
Rawal in the later medieval literature) ruled from Chitrakuta (modern
Chittorgarh), and ended with
Ratnasimha's defeat against the Delhi Sultanate at the
1303 Siege of Chittorgarh. The junior branch ruled from Sesoda with the title
Rana, and gave rise to the
Sisodia Rajput dynasty.
Branching of Guhil dynasty Ranasingh (1158), during his reign, the Guhil dynasty got divided into two branches. The Post-split Rawal branch ruled from 1165–1303 CE.
Sisodia dynasty (c. 1326–1948 CE) The Sisodia dynasty traced its ancestry to Rahapa, a son of the 12th century
Guhila king Ranasimha. The main branch of the Guhila dynasty ended with their defeat against the
Khalji dynasty at the
Siege of Chittorgarh (1303). In 1326,
Rana Hammir who belonged to a cadet branch of that clan; however reclaimed control of the region, re-established the dynasty, and also became the propounder of the Sisodia dynasty clan, a branch of the Guhila dynasty, to which every succeeding Maharana of Mewar belonged, the Sisodias regain control of the former Guhila capital
Chittor. The most notable Sisodia rulers were Rana Hamir (r. 1326–1364),
Rana Kumbha (r. 1433–1468),
Rana Sanga (r. 1508–1528) and
Rana Pratap (r. 1572–1597). The
Bhonsle clan, to which the
Maratha empire's founder
Shivaji belonged, also claimed descent from a branch of the royal Sisodia family. Similarly,
Rana dynasty of
Nepal also claimed descent from Ranas of
Mewar.
Bhati dynasty of Jaisalmer (c. 600–1949 CE) Bhati comes from
Bhatner and take control of this region. The
Maharajas of
Jaisalmer trace their lineage back to Jaitsimha, a ruler of a
Bhati clan, through Deoraj, a famous prince of the
Yaduvanshi Bhati, a Rajput ruler during the 9th century. With him the title of "Rawal" commenced. "Rawal" means "of the Royal house".
Foundation of kingdom in
Rajasthan According to legend, Deoraj was to marry the daughter of a neighbouring chief. Deoraj's father and 800 of his family and followers were surprised and massacred at the wedding. Deoraj escaped with the aid of a Brahmin yogi who disguised the prince as a fellow Brahmin. When confronted by the rival chief's followers hunting for Deoraj, the Brahmin convinced them that the man with him was another Brahmin by eating from the same dish, something no Brahmin holy man would do with someone of another caste. Deoraj and his remaining clan members were able to recover from the loss of so many such that later he built the stronghold of
Derawar. Deoraj later captured
Laudrava (located about 15 km to the south-east of Jaisalmer) from another Rajput clan and made it his capital. , marked as Multhan in 800 CE The Bhati rulers originally ruled parts of Afghanistan; their ancestor Rawal Gaj is believed to have founded the city of Gajni. According to James Tod, this city is present-day
Ghazni in Afghanistan, while Cunningham identifies it as modern-day
Rawalpindi. His descendant Rawal Salivahan is believed to have founded the city of
Sialkot and made it his new capital. Salivahan defeated the Saka Scythians in 78 CE at Kahror, assuming the title of Saka-ari (foe of the Sakas). Salivahan's grandson Rawal Bhati conquered several neighbouring regions. It is from him that the Bhati clan derives its name.
Derawar fort Derawar fort was first built in the 9th century CE by
Rai Jajja Bhutta, a
Hindu Rajput ruler of the
Bhati clan, as a
tribute to Rawal Deoraj Bhati the king of
Jaisalmer and
Bahawalpur. The fort was initially known as
Dera Rawal, and later referred to as
Dera Rawar, which with the passage of time came to be pronounced
Derawar, its present name.
Princely state of Jaisalmer In 1818, the Rawals of
Jaisalmer State signed a treaty with the British, and was guaranteed the royal succession. Jaisalmer was one of the last rajput states to sign a treaty with the British. Jaisalmer was forced to invoke the provisions of the treaty and call on the services of the British in 1829 to avert a war with Bikaner and 10 years later in 1839 for the
First Anglo-Afghan War.
Chauhan dynasty (c. 650–1315 CE) Chauhan dynasty or Chahamana dynasty was a great power from the 6th to 12th century, ruling for more than 400 years. Chauchan was a
Rajput dynasty that ruled modern parts of
Rajasthan,
Haryana,
Madhya Pradesh and
Delhi. They sacrificed all they have & also self for protecting of Motherland from Maleechas. Chahamanas classified the dynasty among the four
Agnivanshi Rajput clans, whose ancestors are said to have come out of
Agnikund sacrificial fire pit. The earliest sources to mention this legend are the 16th century recensions of
Prithviraj Raso. The ruling dynasties belonging to the Chauhan clan included: •
Chahamanas of Shakambhari (Chauhans of
Ajmer) •
Chahamanas of Naddula (Chauhans of
Nadol) •
Chahamanas of Jalor (Chauhans of
Jalore); branched off from the Chahamanas of Naddula •
Chahamanas of Ranastambhapura (Chauhans of
Ranthambore); branched off from the Chahamanas of Shakambhari • Chahamanas of
Lata • Chahamanas of
Dholpur • Chahamanas of
Partabgarh The princely states ruled by families claiming Chauhan descent include: •
Bundi State •
Changbhakar State •
Korea State •
Kota State •
Sirohi State •
Sonepur State •
Ambliara State Chahamanas of Shakambhari (c. 650–1194 CE) The Chahamanas of Shakambhari (
IAST: Cāhamāna), colloquially known as the Chauhans of Sambhar, were a dynasty that ruled parts of the present-day
Rajasthan and its neighbouring areas in India, between 6th and 12th centuries. The territory ruled by them was known as Sapadalaksha. They were the most prominent ruling family of the Chahamana (
Chauhan) clan, and were categorized among
Agnivanshi Rajputs in the later medieval legends. The Chahamanas originally had their capital at
Shakambhari (present-day Sambhar Lake Town). Until the 10th century, they ruled as
Pratihara vassals. When the Pratihara power declined after the
Tripartite Struggle, the Chahamana ruler
Simharaja assumed the title
Maharajadhiraja. In the early 12th century,
Ajayaraja II moved the kingdom's capital to Ajayameru (modern
Ajmer). For this reason, the Chahamana rulers are also known as the Chauhans of Ajmer.
Territory As the Chahamana territory expanded, the entire region ruled by them came to be known as
Sapadalaksha. or Jangladesh. This included the later Chahamana capitals Ajayameru (
Ajmer) and Shakambhari (
Sambhar). The term also came to be applied to the larger area captured by the Chahamanas. The early medieval Indian inscriptions and the writings of the contemporary Muslim historians suggest that the following cities were also included in Sapadalaksha:
Hansi (now in
Haryana),
Mandore (now in
Marwar region), and
Mandalgarh (now in
Mewar region).
History The earliest historical Chahamana king is the 6th century ruler
Vasudeva. The
Ana Sagar lake in
Ajmer was commissioned by the Chahamana ruler
Arnoraja. The subsequent Chahamana kings faced several
Ghaznavid raids.
Ajayaraja II (r. c. 1110–1135) repulsed a Ghaznavid attack, and also defeated the Paramara king
Naravarman. He moved the kingdom's capital from Shakambhari to Ajayameru (Ajmer), a city that he either established or greatly expanded. His successor Arnoraja raided the Tomara territory, and also repulsed a Ghaznavid invasion. However, he suffered setbacks against the Gujarat Chaulukya kings
Jayasimha Siddharaja and
Kumarapala, and was killed by his own son
Jagaddeva. commissioned by
Vigraharaja IV Arnoraja's younger son
Vigraharaja IV greatly expanded the Chahamana territories, and captured
Delhi from the
Tomaras. The most celebrated ruler of the dynasty was Someshvara's son Prithviraja III, better known as
Prithviraj Chauhan. He defeated several neighbouring kings, including the
Chandela ruler
Paramardi in 1182–83, although he could not annex the Chandela territory to his kingdom. In 1191, he defeated the Ghurid king
Muhammad of Ghor at the
first Battle of Tarain. However, the next year, he was defeated at the
second Battle of Tarain, and subsequently killed. , the most celebrated ruler of the dynasty Muhammad of Ghor appointed Prithviraja's son
Govindaraja IV as a vassal. Prithviraja's brother
Hariraja dethroned him, and regained control of a part of his ancestral kingdom. Hariraja was defeated by the Ghurids in 1194. Govindaraja was granted the fief of
Ranthambore by the Ghurids. There, he established a
new branch of the dynasty.
Cultural achievements temple was commissioned by the Chahamana rulers The Chahamanas commissioned a number of Hindu temples, several of which were destroyed by the
Ghurid invaders after the defeat of
Prithviraja III. Multiple Chahamana rulers contributed to the construction of the
Harshanatha temple, which was probably commissioned by
Govindaraja I. According to
Prithviraja Vijaya: •
Simharaja commissioned a large Shiva temple at
Pushkar •
Chamundaraja commissioned a
Vishnu temple at Narapura (modern Narwar in
Ajmer district) •
Prithviraja I built a food distribution centre (
anna-satra) on the road to
Somnath temple for pilgrims. •
Someshvara commissioned a number of temples, including five temples in Ajmer.
Vigraharaja IV was known for his patronage to arts and literature, and himself composed the play
Harikeli Nataka. The structure that was later converted into the
Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra mosque was constructed during his reign.
Chahamana dynasty of Naddula (c. 950–1197 CE) The Chahamanas of Naddula, also known as the Chauhans of Nadol, were an Indian dynasty. They ruled the
Marwar area around their capital
Naddula (present-day Nadol in
Rajasthan) between 10th and 12th centuries. The Chahamanas of Naddula were an offshoot of the
Chahamanas of Shakambhari. Their founder was Lakshmana (alias Rao Lakha) was the son of the 10th century Shakambari ruler
Vakpatiraja I. His brother
Simharaja succeeded their father as the Shakambhari ruler. The subsequent rulers fought against the neighbouring kingdoms of the
Paramaras of
Malwa, the
Chaulukyas, the
Ghaznavids,. The last ruler Jayata-simha was probably defeated by
Qutb al-Din Aibak in 1197.
Chahamana dynasty of Jalor (c. 1160–1311 CE) The Chahamanas of Jalor, also known as the Chauhans of Jalor in vernacular legends, were an Indian dynasty that ruled the area around
Jalore in present-day
Rajasthan between 1160 and 1311. They branched off from the
Chahamanas of Naddula, and then ruled as feudatories of the
Chaulukyas of Gujarat. For a brief period, they became independent, but ultimately succumbed to the
Delhi Sultanate at the
Siege of Jalore. The Chahamanas of Jalor descended from
Alhana, a Chahamana king of the
Naddula branch. Originally, the
Jalore Fort was controlled by a branch of the
Paramaras until early 12th century. The Chahamanas of Naddula seized its control during Alhana's reign.
Kirtipala, a son of Alhana, received a feudal grant of 12 villages from his father and his brother (the crown-prince)
Kelhana. He controlled his domains from Suvarnagiri or Sonagiri, the hill on which Jalore Fort is located. Because of this, the branch to which he belonged came to be known as
Sonagara.
Chahamana dynasty of Ranastambhapura (c. 1192–1301 CE) The Chahamanas of Ranastambhapura were a 13th-century Indian dynasty. They ruled the area around their capital
Ranastambhapura (
Ranthambore) in present-day
Rajasthan, initially as vassals of the
Delhi Sultanate, and later as sovereigns. They belonged to the
Chahamanas of Shakambhari clan, and are also known as 'Chauhans of Ranthambore' in vernacular Rajasthani bardic literature. The Chahamana line of Ranastambhapura was established by
Govindaraja, who agreed to rule as a vassal of the
Ghurids in 1192, after they defeated his father, the
Shakambhari Chahamana king
Prithviraja III. Govindaraja's descendants gained and lost their independence to the Delhi Sultanate multiple times during the 13th century.
Hammira, the last king of the dynasty, adopted an expansionist policy, and raided several neighbouring kingdoms. The dynasty ended with his defeat against the Delhi Sultan
Alauddin Khalji at the
Siege of Ranthambore in 1301 CE. == Later Medieval period (c. 1000–1568 CE) ==