Chudasama dynasty

The Chudasama dynasty ruled parts of the present-day Saurashtra region of Gujarat state in India between the 9th and 15th centuries. Their capital was based in Junagadh and Vamanasthali, and they were later classified among the Rajput clans. They claimed to be of Lunar race from which the deity Krishna sprung.

This article is about the dynasty which ruled Saurashtra peninsula of Gujarat, India. For clan name, see Chudasama.

Chudasama dynasty
c. 9th century–1472
Capital	Vamanasthali Junagadh
Religion	Hinduism
Government	Monarchy
• c. 9th century	Chudachandra
• c. 10th century	Graharipu
• late 11th century	Navaghana
• early 12th century	Khengara
• 1294 - 1306	Mandalika I
• 1451 - 1472	Mandalika III
History
• Established	c. 9th century
• Disestablished	1472
Preceded by Succeeded by Chavda dynasty Gujarat Sultanate

The early history of the Chudasama dynasty is almost lost. The bardic legends differ very much in names, order and numbers and so are not considered reliable. Traditionally, the dynasty is said to have been founded in the late 9th century by Chudachandra. Subsequent rulers such as Graharipu, Navaghana and Khengara were in conflict with Chaulukya rulers Mularaja and Jayasimha Siddharaja. Thus they are mentioned in contemporary and later Jain chronicles. After the end of Chaulukya rule and that of their successor Vaghela dynasty, the Chudasamas continued to rule independently or as vassals of the successor states, the Delhi Sultanate and Gujarat Sultanate. The first known Chudasama ruler recorded in inscriptions was Mandalika I, during whose reign Gujarat was invaded by the Khalji dynasty of Delhi. The last king of the dynasty, Mandalika III, was defeated and forcibly converted to Islam in 1472 by Sultan Mahmud Begada, who also annexed the state.[1]

Origin, genealogy and chronology

Main article: Chronology of Chudasama dynasty

The Chudasama kings of Junagadh, Navaghana and Khengar, were described as Ahir Rana and Abhira Ranaka, meaning "ruler of Ahirs" or Shepherd Kings, in Hemchandra's Dvyashraya and Merutunga's Prabandha-Chintamani. This was because their ancestors were placed on the throne through alliance with the agriculturist Ahir community.[2][3][4]

Several inscriptions link the Chudasamas to the legendary lunar dynasty; later inscriptions and the text Mandalika-Nripa-Charita link them to the Yadava family of the Hindu deity Krishna.[5] For example, the inscriptions at Neminath Temple (c. VS 1510/c. 1454 CE) on Girnar describes them as being of Yadava origin.[6]

The Dhandusar inscription (VS 1445) says that the founder of the dynasty was Chudachandra. According to a legend, the father of Ra Chuda (that is, Chudachandra) was a Samma chief of Sindh; his mother was the sister of Wala Ram (c. 875), the last of chiefs of Vamansthali (modern Vanthali), who had earlier served as governors under the king of Vallabhi.[7] Nainsi's Khyat (17th century) also states that the Chudasamas migrated to Saurashtra from Sindh.[8] The Chudasamas are often referred to as abhiras (pastoralists), and legends refer to the 10th century Chudasama king as a "tyrannical shepherd".[5]

History

The Chudasama dynasty were in constant conflict with the Chaulukyas. Hemachandra states that Mularaja of the Chaulukya dynasty fought against Graharipu, the ruler of Junagadh, to protect the pilgrims going to Prabhas Patan.[9] There are no known inscriptions of the period before Mandalika I. Still, it is certain that they had established their rule in the Saurashtra region before Mularaja came to power in Anahilavada because literary sources tell of battles between Chudasama kings and Chaulukya kings; Mularaja and Jayasimha Siddharaja. A Vanthali inscription records Mandalika, a king whose kingdom was captured by Jagatsimha, a feudatory of Chaulukya king Viradhavala. This Mandalika king must be another Mandalika king mentioned in latter half genealogy. As Viradhavala is known to live in VS 1288, he must be assigned the same date. As another Vanthali inscription date VS 1346, it must have been under the Jagatsimha's family till then. It seems that a later Chudasama king Mandalika regained Vanthali when Chaulukya rule weakened. So the later genealogy starts from him in later inscriptions. The Chudasamas continued to rule till VS 1527 (1472 CE) when they were defeated by Sultan Mahmud Begada. As inscriptions says about their resistance to Gujarat Sultans, it can be said that they were the most powerful dynasty in Saurashtra region at that time.

Coins

Based on historical records, it is known that the coins known as Kodis, Karshapan or Pan, Vishopak, Dram and Rupak were used in Chudasama domains. 80 Kodis were equal to one Karshapan and 16 Karshapan were equal to one Dram. One Dram was equal to 20 Vishopak.[10]

Constructions

Uparkot fort rediscovered by Chudasama ruler Graharipu

The Uparkot Fort of Junagadh was occupied by Chudasamas during the reign of Graharipu. Later it is said to have been rebuilt by Navaghana who had transferred his capital from Vamanasthali to Junagadh. He is also attributed with the constructions of Navghan Kuvo and Adi Kadi Vav, a well and a stepwell respectively, in the fort. His descendant Khengara is attributed with a stepwell, Ra Khengar Vav, on the way to Vanthali from Junagadh though it was built by Tejapala, the minister in the Vaghela court.[11]

References

1. Gupta, R. K.; Bakshi, S. R., eds. (2008). Studies In Indian History: Rajasthan Through The Ages: Marwar and British Administration. 5. New Delhi: Sarup & Sons. pp. 22–23. ISBN 978-8-17625-841-8. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
2. Sushil, Kumar; Kumar, Natesh, eds. (2003). Encyclopaedia of folklore and folktales of South Asia. 10. Anmol Publications. p. 2771. ISBN 978-81-261-1400-9.
3. Harald Tambs-Lyche (2018). Transaction and Hierarchy: Elements for a Theory of Caste. Manohar. p. 57. ISBN 978-1-138-09546-5. Typically, in the Muslim state of Junagadh, most agriculturists were of the Ahir caste. The Chudasama dynasty - which fell to Muslim invaders in 1470 - was based on an alliance between the Ahirs and the ruling house ... Even the Muslim Nawabs called themselves Ahirana Raja - the ruler of the Ahirs
4. Sree Padma (2018). Inventing and Reinventing the Goddess: Contemporary Iterations of Hindu. Lexington Books. p. 189. ISBN 978-0-7391-9001-2. Ahirs are linked with Khodiyar since the time of Chudasama prince Naughan ... When the prince's father, Ra Dias, was killed in battle, the prince was protected by an Ahir couple ... When Naughan became king, ahirs became his important allies and Khodiyar his kuldevi.
5. Aparna Kapadia (2018). Gujarat: The Long Fifteenth Century and the Making of a Region. Cambridge University Press. pp. 80–81. ISBN 978-1-107-15331-8.
6. Parikh, Rasiklal Chhotalal; Shastri, Hariprasad Gangashankar, eds. (1977). ગુજરાતનો રાજકીય અને સાંસ્કૃતિક ઇતિહાસ: સલ્તનત કાલ [Political and Cultural History of Gujarat: Sultanate Era]. Research Series - Book No. 71 (in Gujarati). V. Ahmedabad: Bholabhai Jeshingbhai Institute of Learning and Research. p. 157.
7. Harald Tambs-Lyche (1997). Power, Profit, and Poetry: Traditional Society in Kathiawar, Western India. Manohar. p. 31. ISBN 978-81-7304-176-1.
8. Tanuja Kothiyal (2016). Nomadic Narratives: A History of Mobility and Identity in the Great Indian Desert. Cambridge University Press. p. 56. ISBN 978-1-107-08031-7.
9. Romila Thapar (2004). "Somanatha". History. Penguin Books. p. 108.
10. Gazetteers: Junagadh. Directorate of Government Print., Stationery and Publications. 1975. p. 467.
11. Jutta Jain-Neubauer (1981). The Stepwells of Gujarat: In Art-historical Perspective. Abhinav Publications. p. 22. ISBN 978-0-391-02284-3.