Ayudha dynasty

Last updated

Ayudhas
Country Kingdom of Kannauj
Founded770
Founder Vajrayudha
Final ruler Chakrayudha
Seat Kannauj
Dissolution816 [1]

The Ayudha dynasty was the short-lived ruling dynasty of the Kingdom of Kannauj from the late 8th to the early 9th century. [2] [3] It ruled as a client kingdom of Dharmapala of Bengal during the reign of Chakrayudha. [4] [5] [6] The dynasty was established when Vajrayudha deposed the Varmans and started ruling over Kannauj.

Contents

History

The successors of Yashovarman, the powerful king of Kannauj, were all weak rulers who did not demonstrate the skills to run and defend the kingdom. Kannauj was taken over by Ayudhas, probably during the reign of Bhoja of Kannauj (not to be confused with Mihira Bhoja or Bhoja). [7] [2] [3]

Vajrayudha

Vajrayudha, who ascended to the throne in 770 CE, was the first ruler of the dynasty. [3] [2]

He was probably defeated by the Karkota king of Kashmir, Jayapida. But if Jayapida carried out this campaign in the later years of his career, however the defeated king of Kannauj he defeated must instead have been Vajrayudha's successor, Indrayudha. [2]

Indrayudha

Indrayudha succeeded his father Vajrayudha in 783. He was defeated by the powerful Rashtrakuta king Dhruva Dharavarsha, and the powerful king of the Palas, Dharmapala. Instead of annexing his territory, Dharmapala made Chakrayudha, his protégé, king of Kannauj as his vassal, and this was approved by the rulers of all the neighbouring territories. But then the two brothers, Indrayudha and Chakrayudha , started fighting for the important city of Kannauj. [2] [3]

Chakrayudha

When Dharmapala defeated Indrayudha, he appointed Indrayudha's brother, Chakrayudha, his protégé as the king of Kannauj, but as a vassal under Dharmapala. This arrangement was approved by the rulers of all the neighbouring territories. [2] But then both the brothers, Indrayudha and Chakrayudha started fighting for the important city of Kannauj. [3] Then the Rashtrakuta emperor Govinda III invaded the north and defeated and gained the submission of both Dharmapala and Chakrayudha. [2] [3]

Decline

The invasion of Govinda III that defeated Chakrayudha and his overlord Dharmapala caused in anarchy and confusion in the region. The population was harassed by these invasions. Then the king of the Gurjara-Pratiharas, Nagabhata II, took advantage of the situation, invaded Kannauj, defeated Chakrayudha, and then made Kannauj his capital. This marked the end of the Ayudhas. [2] [3]

Notes

  1. Civil Services Pre.Exam.Indian History ( From Earliest Times To 1964 A.D.). Upkar Prakashan. 2009. ISBN   978-81-7482-888-0.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Sen, Sailendra Nath (1999). Ancient Indian History and Civilization. New Age International. p. 264. ISBN   8122411983.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Kannauj after Harsha". Jagran Josh. 14 October 2015.
  4. Singh, Sheo Bahadur (1996). Epigraphy and Art: A Study Based on the North Indian Inscriptions from C.700 to 1200 A.D. Agam Kala Prakashan. p. 7. ISBN   9788173200328.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  5. Vishveshvaranand Vishva Bandhu Institute of Sanskrit and Indological Studies, Vishveshvaranand Vedic Research Institute (1969). Vishveshvaranand Indological Journal (in English, Hindi, and Sanskrit). Vishveshvaranand Vedic Research Institute. p. 107.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  6. Kumar Maity, Sachindra (1997). Professor A.L. Basham, my Guruji and problems and perspectives of ancient Indian history and culture. Abhinav Publications. p. 193. ISBN   9788170173267.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  7. Shyam Manohar Mishra (1977). Yaśovarman of Kanauj. Abhinav. pp. 120–121 OCLC 5782454

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Middle kingdoms of India</span> Political entities in the Indian subcontinent from 3rd century BCE - 13th century CE

The middle kingdoms of India were the political entities in the Indian subcontinent from 230 BCE to 1206 CE. The period begins after the decline of the Maurya Empire and the corresponding rise of the Satavahana dynasty, starting with Simuka, from 230 BCE. The "middle" period lasted for almost 1436 years and ended in 1206 CE, with the rise of the Delhi Sultanate, founded in 1206, and the end of the Later Cholas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kannauj</span> City in Uttar Pradesh, India

Kannauj is an ancient 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 an evolved form of the classical name Kanyakubja. During the ancient Vedic period, it was the capital city of the Panchala Kingdom during the reign of king Vajrayudha. In the medieval era, it formed the core of the Kingdom of Kannauj and was ruled by multiple successive royal families.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pratihara dynasty</span> Mid-8th to 11th century northern India dynasty

The Pratihara dynasty, also called the Gurjara-Pratiharas, the Pratiharas of Kannauj or the Imperial Pratiharas, was a prominent medieval Indian dynasty which ruled over the Kingdom of Kannauj. It initially ruled the Gurjaradesa until its victory in the Tripartite Struggle in 816 which secured its right to the throne of Kannauj. Cadet branches of the dynasty ruled other minor states in the subcontinent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pala Empire</span> Early medieval empire in the Indian subcontinent

The Pāla Empire was an imperial power during the post-classical period in the Indian subcontinent, which originated in the region of Bengal. It is named after its ruling dynasty, whose rulers bore names ending with the suffix Pāla. The empire was founded with the election of Gopāla as the emperor of Gauda in late eighth century CE. The Pala stronghold was located in Bengal and eastern Bihar, which included the major cities of Gauḍa, Vikramapura, Pāṭaliputra, Monghyr, Somapura, Ramavati (Varendra), Tāmralipta and Jagaddala.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mihira Bhoja</span> Pratiharan Emperor from 836 to 885

Mihira Bhoja or Bhoja I was the Pratiharan Emperor from 836 to 885 CE. He inherited a weakened realm in an adverse situation from his father, Ramabhadra. However, his capable reign transformed it into a large and prosperous empire. Bhoja was a devotee of Vishnu and adopted the title of Ādivarāha, which is inscribed on some of his coins.. One of the outstanding political figures of India in the ninth century, he ranks with Dhruva Dharavarsha and Dharmapala as a great general and empire builder.

Nagabhata II was an Indian Emperor from Pratihara dynasty. He ascended the throne of Pratihara dynasty after his father Vatsraja. His mother was queen Sundari-Devi. He was designated with imperial titles - Paramabhattaraka, Maharajadhiraja, and Paramesvara after conquest of Kannauj.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rashtrakutas</span> Early medieval period Indian dynasty (r. mid-6th to 10th century)

Rashtrakuta was a royal Indian dynasty ruling large parts of the Indian subcontinent between the 6th and 10th centuries. The earliest known Rashtrakuta inscription is a 7th-century copper plate grant detailing their rule from Manapur, a city in Central or West India. Other ruling Rashtrakuta clans from the same period mentioned in inscriptions were the kings of Achalapur and the rulers of Kannauj. Several controversies exist regarding the origin of these early Rashtrakutas, their native homeland and their language.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Govinda III</span> 5th Rashtrakuta Emperor

Govinda III was greatest Rashtrakuta monarch who succeeded his illustrious father Dhruva Dharavarsha. He was militarily the most successful emperor of the dynasty with successful conquests from Kanyakumari in the south to Kanyakubja in the north, from Banaras in the east to Bharuch in the west. From the Someshvara inscription of 804, it is known that 'Gamundabbe' was his chief queen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dharmapala of Bengal</span> Pala emperor from late 8th century

Dharmapala was the second ruler of the Pala Empire of Bengal region in the Indian subcontinent. He was the son and successor of Gopala, the founder of the Pala Dynasty. Dharmapala was mentioned as the great king of Vangala in the Nesari plates of Rashtrakuta dynasty. He greatly expanded the boundaries of the empire, and made the Palas a dominant power in the northern and eastern India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paramara dynasty</span> Indian Rajput dynasty

The House of Paramara was a prominent Indian Rajput dynasty that ruled over the Kingdom of Malwa, the Garhwal Kingdom, and many other kingdoms, princely states and feudal estates in North India. They belonged to the Parmara clan of the Rajputs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tripartite Struggle</span> 785–816 conflict in India

The Tripartite Struggle (785–816), also called the Kannauj Triangle Wars, were a series of wars in northern India fought over the control of the throne of Kannauj, which during that time was equivalent to having imperial status over all of Aryavarta. It involved the three powerful rulers of the era – the King of the Gurjaras, the King of Gauda (Bengal) and the King of the South. The war ultimately resulted in Nagabhata II, King of the Gurjaras, winning the crown of Kannauj in 816, and proclaiming himself King of Kannauj.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yashovarman</span> King of Kannauj

Yashovarman was the ruler of the Kingdom of Kannauj and first king of the Varman dynasty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kalachuris of Tripuri</span> Former dynasty of India

The Kalachuris of Tripuri, also known the Kalachuris of Chedi, ruled parts of central India during 7th to 13th centuries. They are also known as the Later Kalachuris to distinguish them from their earlier namesakes, especially the Kalachuris of Mahishmati. Their core territory included the historical Chedi region, and their capital was located at Tripuri.

The origin of the Gurjara-Pratihara dynasty of India is a topic of debate among historians. The rulers of this dynasty used the self-designation "Pratihara" for their clan, but have been described as "Gurjara" by some of their neighbouring kingdoms. Only one particular inscription of a feudatory ruler named Mathanadeva mentions him as a "Gurjara-Pratihara".

Govindaraja II, also known as Guvaka II, was an Indian king from the Shakambhari Chahamana dynasty. He ruled parts of present-day Rajasthan in north-western India as a Gurjara-Pratihara vassal.

Āma was a medieval Indian king who ruled Kannauj and surrounding areas during the 8th and the 9th centuries. According to the Jain chronicles, he was the son and successor of Yashovarman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Varman dynasty (Kannauj)</span> Former dynasty of Kannauj

The Varman dynasty was a dynasty that ruled the Kingdom of Kannauj from the mid 7th century to the late 8th century. It was founded by Yashovarman, who filled the power vacuum created after emperor Harshavardhana's death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northwest India</span> Group of Indian states

Northwest India is a loosely defined region of India consisting of north-western states of the Republic of India. It generally includes the states of Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan Uttarakhand, and often Uttar Pradesh, along with the union territories of Chandigarh, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, and the National Capital Territory of Delhi. Gujarat is occasionally included as well. The mountainous upper portion of Northwest India consists of the Western Himalayas, while the flat lower portion consists of the middle portion of the Indo-Gangetic plains and the Thar Desert.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pala Invasion of Kannauj</span> 8th century Indian military invasion

The Pala invasion of Kannauj was a military conquest of the Palas to Kannauj during the Tripartite Struggle. Dharmapala briefly captured Kannauj estimately, establishing the Pala Empire as the dominant power in Northern India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kingdom of Kannauj</span> Kingdom in North India

The Kingdom of Kannauj was a medieval kingdom in northern India from 510, when it was established as a vassal state of the Magadhan Empire, until 1036, when it collapsed after Ghaznavid invasions. During the reign of Harsha, and later under the Pratiharas, the Kingdom of Kannauj stood among the most powerful states in India, flourishing in the seventh century, and again in the ninth and tenth centuries.

References