At a glance
- Suleman: the Arab traveller who visited India about 851 CE, in the reign of the Pratihara king Mihir Bhoj (Bhoj I); he praised the king's cavalry and called him the greatest foe of Islam among Indian kings.
- Agnikula legend (Paramaras and Pratiharas born of a fire-pit on Mount Abu): see the Chauhan page.
- Jaisalmer's old names: Maad (Mand) and Valla. The Maand style of singing is named after the region.
- Lodrava: an old Bhati capital about 15 km north-west of Jaisalmer, known today for its Jain temples, above all the Parshvanath temple.
- Bundi and Hadoti: Bundi is named after the Meena chief Bunda; the region is called Hadoti after the Hadas, a branch of the Chauhans (see the Chauhan page).
The four dynasties
| Dynasty | Seat in Rajasthan | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Pratiharas | Mandore (Mandavyapura), later Merta; the imperial line at Bhinmal, then Jalore or Ujjain, then Kannauj | Mandore line from about the 6th century; imperial line from Nagabhata I (8th century) |
| Paramaras | Chandravati near Abu; Arthuna in Vagad; Jalor; Kiradu | Abu line to about 1311 CE; Vagad line in the 11th and 12th centuries |
| Bhatis | Tanot, Derawar, Lodrava, then Jaisalmer | Jaisalmer from Rawal Jaisal (12th century) |
| Hadas | Bundi, and Kota as a separate state | Bundi from Rao Deva (1241 or 1341 CE); Kota from 1631 |
Gurjara-Pratiharas
The rulers claimed descent from Lakshmana, who served Rama as door-keeper (pratihara). Scholars disagree whether 'Gurjara' names a people or a region (Gurjaratra, an old name of this part of Rajasthan).
The first seat of the imperial line is disputed: Jalore according to Dasharatha Sharma, Avanti (Ujjain) as a likely view in R.C. Majumdar's volume; G.N. Sharma traces the whole family to Mandore and has the line take Bhinmal from the Chavdas first, then hold Abu and Jalore, then Ujjain, and finally Kannauj.
| Ruler | Period | Known for |
|---|---|---|
| Nagabhata I | about 730 to 756 CE | Resisted the Arabs of Sindh; the Gwalior inscription says he crushed the armies of the Mlechchha king and likens him to Narayana |
| Vatsaraja | late 8th century; ruling at Jalore in 778 CE (Kuvalayamala) | Defeated the Pala king Dharmapala, then lost to the Rashtrakuta king Dhruva |
| Nagabhata II | to 833 CE | Son of Vatsaraja; overthrew Chakrayudha and made Kannauj his capital; was also defeated by the Rashtrakuta Govinda III |
| Mihir Bhoj (Bhoj I) | about 836 to 885 CE | His coins carry the legend Shrimad Adivaraha |
| Mahendrapala I | about 885 to 908 CE | Pupil and patron of the poet Rajashekhara |
The Pratiharas, the Palas of Bengal and the Rashtrakutas of the Deccan fought for Kannauj (the tripartite struggle). Later the Rashtrakuta Indra III sacked Kannauj in Mahipala's reign, and Mahmud of Ghazni struck it in 1018 CE.
| Mandore line: founder | Harichandra, a Brahmin; his four sons by his Kshatriya queen Bhadra took Mandavyapura (Mandore) and walled it; the line runs through Rajjila |
|---|---|
| Capital moved | Nagabhata, Rajjila's grandson, moved it from Mandore to Medantaka (Merta) |
| Shiluka | Defeated the Bhati Devaraja of Valla |
| Inscriptions | Bauka's Jodhpur inscription, 837 CE; Kakkuka's Ghatiyala inscriptions, VS 918 (861 CE) |
| Bauka and Kakkuka | Half-brothers, sons of Kakka by different queens; Kakkuka followed Bauka |
| Later | Mandore passed from the Inda Pratiharas to the Rathore Rao Chunda (see the Rathore page) |
Paramaras of Abu, Vagad and Jalor
The main Paramara line ruled Malwa from Dhara; the branches below ruled parts of Rajasthan.
| Branch | Seat | Facts |
|---|---|---|
| Abu | Chandravati, near Abu | The line begins with Utpalaraja. Dharavarsha (inscriptions 1163 to 1219 CE), a feudatory of the Chaulukyas of Gujarat, fought in the Gujarat army that beat Muhammad Ghori at Kasahrada (Kayadra), near Abu, in 1178 CE. By tradition one arrow of his pierced three buffaloes (his statue at Achaleshwar). His brother Prahladan wrote Partha Parakrama Vyayoga. About 1311 CE the Chauhan Rao Lumbha took Chandravati: a Chauhan of Nadol in the RBSE book, of the Deora branch of Jalore in G.N. Sharma. |
| Vagad | Arthuna (old name Utthunaka), Banswara district | The Mandaleshwar Shiva temple at Arthuna carries an inscription of Chamundaraja dated VS 1136 (1079 CE). The last known Paramara of Vagad is Vijayaraja (inscriptions of 1108 and 1109 CE); by 1179 CE the Guhila Samantasimha ruled Vagad. |
| Jalor | Jalor | Known from a Jalor inscription: dated VS 1174 (1118 CE) by Pratipal Bhatia; G.N. Sharma dates it 1087 CE and reads seven rulers in it, from Vakpatiraja to Visala |
In Malwa, Munja was captured and killed by the Chalukya Tailapa II. His younger brother Sindhuraja followed, then Sindhuraja's son Bhoja (about 1010 to 1055 CE), the scholar-king of Dhara, who built the Tribhuvana Narayana Shiva temple at Chittor.
Bhatis of Jaisalmer
The Bhatis are Chandravanshi Yadavas who trace their line to Krishna. Their regular history begins with Vijayaraja. According to the RBSE book his son Bhoja fell fighting the Ghoris and his successor Jaisal founded Jaisalmer; the Jaisalmer district gazetteer makes Jaisal Bhoja's uncle, who came with a Ghori force and killed him. Earlier seats were Tanot, Derawar (Deogarh) and Lodrava; Devaraja took Lodrava from the Lodra Rajputs.
| Founding of Jaisalmer | By Rawal Jaisal on Trikuta hill, moving the capital from Lodrava; the fort in 1155 (some accounts: 1156; R.A. Agrawala gives 12 July 1155 for its foundation). The district gazetteer holds that Jaisalmer cannot have been founded before VS 1234 (c. 1177 CE) |
|---|---|
| Fort completed | Under his successor Shalivahan |
| Akbar | At Akbar's Nagaur darbar (1570) Rawal Harraj accepted his overlordship and gave him a daughter in marriage |
| Treaty with the British | 12 December 1818, under Maharawal Mulraj II |
Jaisalmer fort is known for its 'two and a half sakas':
| Saka | Attacker | Account |
|---|---|---|
| First | Alauddin Khalji | In the time of Mularaj according to the RBSE book; the district gazetteer makes his father Jaitsimha the Rawal, who died early in the siege, and Mularaj, the heir, fell in the last sortie. Dated 1299 or about 1308 (both in the gazetteer) |
| Second | Firoz Shah Tughluq (RBSE p. 22); the Jaisalmer district gazetteer places it under Alauddin Khalji (1299 by K.S. Lal, or late in his reign) or under Ghiyasuddin or Muhammad bin Tughluq | Rawal Duda and Tilaksi (Tilak Singh) fell |
| Half saka | Amir Ali of Kandahar, 1550 | Rawal Lunkaran had sheltered Amir Ali, who turned on him; Lunkaran died fighting, but the Bhatis won in the end, so there was no jauhar |
Hadas of Bundi and Kota
Rao Deva (Devasimha) took the Bundi valley from the Meenas and called the region Haravati. The year differs: VS 1298 (1241 CE) in Vansh Bhaskar, followed by G.N. Sharma; Tod and J.S. Gahlot give 1341 CE.
| Ruler or event | Date | Facts |
|---|---|---|
| Rao Surjan of Bundi | 1554–1585 | Held Ranthambore and surrendered it to Akbar in 1569, then entered Mughal service. His mansab: 2,000 by Satish Chandra; 1,000 at first, then 5,000 with the title Rao Raja, by G.N. Sharma. He spent his last years at Kashi. The poet Chandrashekhar wrote Surjan Charit for him. |
| Madho Singh of Kota | to 1648 | Second son of Rao Ratan of Bundi. Ratan made him ruler of Kota (1624 according to G.N. Sharma); Shah Jahan granted him Kota as a separate state, in 1631 (VS 1688) according to J.S. Gahlot. |
| Treaties with the Company | Kota 26 December 1817; Bundi 10 February 1818 | Both states came under British protection |
Remember: often mixed up
- Two BhojsMihir Bhoj (Bhoj I), Pratihara of Kannauj · Bhoja, Paramara of Dhara.
- Two Utpalarajasthe first king of the Abu Paramaras · a title of Munja (Vakpatiraja II) of Malwa.
- Valla and VagadMaad and Valla are Jaisalmer · Vagad is Dungarpur and Banswara.
Test yourself: asked in exams
RAS Prelims 2023 · Q122
The Arab traveller Suleman visited India in the reign of Pratihar King –
- (1)Nagbhatt II
- (2)Nagbhatt I
- (3)Vatsraj
- (4)Bhoj I
Show answer
✓ (4) Bhoj I
See the full paperCET Senior Secondary Level 2024 · Q51
The ancient name of Jaisalmer was ________.
- (1)Vagad
- (2)Mand
- (3)Hadoti
- (4)Shekhawati
Show answer
✓ (2) Mand
See the full paperCET Graduation Level 2022 · Q17
Lodrava is famous for -
- (1)Jains
- (2)Sikhs
- (3)Jats
- (4)Gurjars
Show answer
✓ (1) Jains
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