Chandel (Rajput clan)

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Chandel or Chandela is a Rajput clan from India. [1] Families belonging to this clan ruled several kingdoms in north India and held various feudal estates. The most notable of these were the Chandelas of Jejakabhukti, who ruled the Bundelkhand region.

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History

During 10th to 13th century CE, the Chandelas of Jejakabhukti ruled the Bundelkhand region in present-day Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Chandel claim Chandravansh lineage, [1] Historians Such as CV Vaidya and GS Ojha consider these Chandela Rajput to be of Pure Lunar(Chandravansh) lineage. [2] [3] [4] Historian R. K. Dikshit also not find Bhar and Gond Origin theory convincing: he argues that Maniya was not a tribal deity. [5] According to him, the dynasty's association with Gond territory is not necessarily indicative of a common descent: the dynasty's progenitor may have been posted as a governor in these territories. [6] Historian Romila Thapar states that although the Chandella dynasty claimed a mythological Lunar(Chandravansh) descent but the origin of the Chandella dynasty was also, "associated with the Gond tribe of central India". It is stated that the dynasty rulers originally worshipped a rock named 'Maniya Deo', that they installed in Mahoba, their first capital. They gave up worshipping the rock and started worshipping deities of the Puranas to form the Rajput Chandella dynasty. Thapar cites this example as one of the many instances where building of Temples was used for mobility in the caste system. [7]

Gidhaur zamindari

Gidhaur palace Gidhaur palace.jpg
Gidhaur palace

The zamindari estate of Gidhaur in Munger district, present-day Bihar was controlled by a branch of the Chandel [8] They are considered to be one of the oldest ruling families in Bihar. It was established by Bir Bikram Shah whose ancestors came from Mahoba in Bundelkhand but were driven into Bihar during the 12th century following various Muslim incursions. They managed to gain control of Gidhaur after expelling the various aboriginal chiefs from the region. Bir Bikram Shah slowly started to expand his chieftaincy to encompass the surrounding areas. Other rulers belonging to this lineage include Sukhdev Singh, Ram Naranjan Singh and Darp Narayan Singh. [9]

Chandels of Mirzapur

Bijaigarh in modern Mirzapur district of Eastern Uttar Pradesh was ruled by a family of Chandel Rajputs who traced their line to the Burhur Chandels of Rewa. They were notable for their conflict with the Bhumihars of Benares state and for participating in the Indian rebellion of 1857. [10]

Bilaspur Princely State

The Princely family of Bilaspur State are Chandel claiming descent from Shishupala, who reigned in Chanderi in southern Palputana . But according to Bilaspur Past and Present, Bilaspur Gazetteer and Ganesh Singh's book Chandravansh Vilas and Shashivansh Vinod confirm that the foundation of Kahlur Princely State was laid by Birchand in 697 AD who claims its descent from Chandervanshi Rajputs who reigned at Chanderi in the Chedi to northern Mahismati region, but this is not completely true, Harihar Chand (71st king of Chanderi) made his son Govind Chand the king of Chanderi and in old age came north with Bir Chand. [11]

Zaildari

A group of Chandel families claiming a common origin once held the zaildaris of Ghund, Madhan, and Theog in present-day Himachal Pradesh. According to their tradition, their ancestor migrated from Chanderi to Bilaspur. After three generations, his descendants moved to Ram Sarai in the Garhwal region. After another four generations, four brothers from the family moved to the Shimla region. The eldest brother became administrator of Madhan; the third youngest - Jai Chand - became the administrator of Theog; and the youngest became the administrator of Ghund. [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chandelas of Jejakabhukti</span> Early medieval Hindu dynasty of India

The Chandelas of Jejakabhukti was an Indian dynasty in Central India. The Chandelas ruled much of the Bundelkhand region between the 9th and the 13th centuries. They belonged to the Chandel clan of the Rajputs.

Chandel may refer to:

Raja Sangram Shah Madavi was a king of the Garha Kingdom of Gondwana, in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. Raja Sangram Shah, who belonged to the Gond Dynasty in central India, was the 48th and most well known ruler of the dynasty, and during his reign he had conquered 52 forts to strengthen his kingdom. The Chouragarh Fort in Narsinghpur was built in his honour for conquering 52 forts.

Vidyadhara was a Chandela king of central India. He ruled in the Jejakabhukti region. Vidyadhara was the successor of Ganda, and expanded the Chandela power between Chambal river in the northwest and Narmada River in south.

Nannuka was the founder of the Chandela dynasty of India. He ruled in the Jejakabhukti region.

Ganda was an early 11th century king of the Chandela dynasty of India. He ruled in the Jejakabhukti region. The exact period of his reign is uncertain, but has been dated approximately as 999-1002 CE.

Dhanga, also known as Dhaṇgadeva in inscriptions, was a king of the Chandela dynasty of India. He ruled in the Jejakabhukti region. Dhanga established the sovereignty of the Chandelas, who had served as vassals to the Pratiharas until his reign. He is also notable for having commissioned magnificent temples at Khajuraho, including the Vishvanatha temple.

Hammira-Varman was a king of the Chandela dynasty of central India. He ruled in the Jejakabhukti region. During his reign, the Delhi Sultan Alauddin Khalji conquered some parts of the Chandela kingdom.

Jayashakti was a 9th-century ruler from the Chandela dynasty of Central India. In the Chandela records, he is generally mentioned with his younger brother and successor, Vijayashakti. The two are believed to have ruled the Chandela kingdom between c. 865 and 885 CE. They consolidated the Chandela power.

Rahila was a king of the Chandela dynasty of India. He ruled in the Jejakabhukti region.

Vijayapala was a king of the Chandela dynasty of India. He ruled in the Jejakabhukti region.

Devavarman was a king of the Chandela dynasty of India. He ruled the Jejakabhukti region.

Kirttivarman, also known as Kīrtivarman, was a king of the Chandela dynasty of India. He ruled the Jejakabhukti region. He revived the Chandela power by defeating the Kalachuri king Lakshmi-Karna.

Jayavarman was a king of the Chandela dynasty of India. He succeeded his father Sallakshana-Varman as the ruler of the Jejakabhukti region. The Chandela descriptions contain only vague eulogies of him, so little historical information is known about his reign. He abdicated the throne in favour of his uncle Prithvi-Varman.

Prithvi-Varman was a king of the Chandela dynasty of India. He succeeded his nephew Jayavarman as the ruler of the Jejakabhukti region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madanavarman</span> King of Jejakabhukti

Madana-Varman was a king of the Chandela dynasty of India. He succeeded his father Prithvi-Varman as the ruler of the Jejakabhukti region. He revived the Chandela glory by subduing the neighbouring kingdoms, and commissioned several tanks and temples.

Yashovarman, also called Yashovarman II to distinguish him from the earlier Yashovarman I, was a member of the Chandela dynasty of central India. He is believed to have ruled the Jejakabhukti region for a short period.

Paramardi was a king of the Chandela dynasty of central India. He was the last powerful Chandela king, and ruled the Jejakabhukti region. Around 1182–83 CE, he was defeated by Prithviraj Chauhan, who raided the Chandela capital Mahoba. Paramardi managed to recover the Chandela power over the next few years, but was defeated by the Ghurid general Qutb ud-Din Aibak around 1202–03 CE.

Trailokya-Varman was a king of the Chandela dynasty of central India. He ruled the Jejakabhukti region. Epigraphic evidence suggests that he recaptured Kalanjara from the Delhi Sultanate.

Vira-Varman was a king of the Chandela dynasty of central India. He ruled the Jejakabhukti region.

References

  1. 1 2 R. B. Mandal (1981). Frontiers in Migration Analysis. Concept. p. 172.
  2. Shekhāvata, Surajanasiṃha (1989). Śekhāvāṭī pradeśa kā prācīna itihāsa (in Hindi). Śrī Śārdūla Ejyūkeśana Ṭrasṭa.[ page needed ]
  3. Yaman ), डॉ अशोक कुमार ‘यमन’ ( Dr Ashok Kumar (8 January 2022). मध्यकालीन भारतीय संगीत का इतिहास ( Madhyakalin Bharatiya Sangeet ka Itihas ) (in Hindi). Kalpana Prakashan.[ page needed ]
  4. Pandey, Dhanpati (1998). Pracheen Bharat Ka Rajneetik Aur Sanskritik Itihas (in Hindi). Motilal Banarsidass Publishe. ISBN   978-81-208-2380-8.[ page needed ]
  5. Dikshit, R. K. (1976). The Candellas of Jejākabhukti. Abhinav Publications. p. 8. ISBN   978-81-7017-046-4.
  6. Dikshit, R. K. (1976). The Candellas of Jejākabhukti. Abhinav Publications. p. 7. ISBN   978-81-7017-046-4.
  7. Romila Thapar (2004). Early India - From the Origins to AD 1300. University of California Press. p. 480. A signal of different kind came from the Chandella Dynasty. These kings narrated a complex origin myth linked to the lunar line in their inscriptions but their origin was associated with the Gond tribes of central India. It is said that they originally worshipped a rock, Maniya Deo, installed in their earliest capital of Mahoba. Through the processes of acquiring Rajput status and subscribing to Sanskritic culture, which involved devotion to Puranic deities, they expressed this change by building the temples of Khajuraho which were distinctly different from the shrine of Maniya Deo. This illustrates a shift from a local cult to a patronage of a puranic sect
  8. Yogendra Roy (1998). "Landed Aristocracy and the Peasantry in Medieval Bhagalpur". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 59: 279–286. JSTOR   44146998.
  9. Ansari, Tahir Hussain (2019). Mughal Administration and the Zamindars of Bihar. Taylor & Francis. pp. 234–236. ISBN   978-1-00-065152-2.
  10. Downs, Troy (1992). "Rajput revolt in Southern Mirzapur, 1857–58". Journal of South Asian Studies. 15 (2): 29–46. doi:10.1080/00856409208723166.
  11. Mark Brentnall (2005). The Princely and Noble Families of the Former Indian Empire: Himachal Pradesh. Indus. p. 50 52. ISBN   9788173871634.
  12. Mark Brentnall (2005). The Princely and Noble Families of the Former Indian Empire: Himachal Pradesh. Indus. p. 284. ISBN   9788173871634.

Bibliography