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Dr. Mahipal Singh Rathore

 Rajput Age
7th-12th century – Early medieval age- dominance of Rajputs,
lasted till the Turko-Muslim conquests in the 12th century.

©DrMahipalRathore
Many Rajput states continued to rule over their
areas even after sultanate and Mughal rule was
established – Rajasthan.

They were the main defenders of the Hindu religion

and culture against Muslim aggression.

©DrMahipalRathore
Around 30 major Rajput dynasties ruled over north
and central India.
©DrMahipalRathore
Around 1050 AD:
Break-up of the Gurjara
Pratiharas =
political uncertainty in
north India.

©DrMahipalRathore
 Scholars have different theories about the origin of the Rajputs:

i) Agni Kula theory – They are the Heroes who sprang

from the sacrificial fire held at Guru Sikhar (Mount Abu)
by Rishi Vasistha.

ii) They belong to the ancient solar (Surya vamsa – Shree

Ram) and lunar (Chandra vamsa – Shree Krishna)
families of Kshatriyas which are mentioned in the
Mahabharata,

iii) They are of foreign origin – Descendants of Scythians

and White Huns who assimilated into the Indian society.
©DrMahipalRathore
 The caste question
• In course of time, all ruling families belonging to various
castes began to be termed as Rajaputra or Rajput (royal).

Thus, ruling families were given the status of kshatriyas.

Caste was not rigid yet – individuals and groups rose and
fell in the varna scale.

©DrMahipalRathore
• Over time, it became difficult to classify new castes in the
varna scale.

• The kayastha was a new caste that appears prominently in

this time period.

Originally people of other castes (even brahmans and

sudras) who worked in the royal establishments, were
called ‘kayastha’.

Later it became hereditary, and emerged as a distinct

caste.
©DrMahipalRathore
The Pratiharas/Gurjara Pratihars of Kannauj - paramount

The Chauhans of Delhi and Ajmer

The Tomars of Delhi
The Rathores of Kannauj
The Guhilas or Sisodiyas of Mewar
The Chandelas of Bundelkhand – built Khajuraho temples.
The Paramaras of Malwa – capitals at Ujjain and Dhara.
The Solankis of Gujarat – a.k.a. Chaulukyas
Gahadavalas of Varanasi

©DrMahipalRathore
©DrMahipalRathore
©DrMahipalRathore
©DrMahipalRathore
736 to 1152 – The Tomaras ruled parts of Delhi and Haryana.

Initially vassals of the Gurjara-Pratiharas.

Later displaced by the Chahamanas of Shakambhari in the

12th century.

Capital: Anangpur.

©DrMahipalRathore
 1052 – Later
capital built at Lal
Kot, Delhi, by
Anangpal Tomar
(a.k.a. Anangpal
II).

©DrMahipalRathore
©DrMahipalRathore
 728 to 1303 – Guhilas of Medapata
(Mewar).

Initially Gurjara-Pratihara vassals.

Assumed sovereignty after the
decline of the Gurjara-Pratiharas in
the 11th century.
Capitals: Nagahrada (Nagda) and
Aghata (Ahar).

©DrMahipalRathore
• Guhila literature Ekalinga Mahatmya (also called Ekalinga
Purana) claims that the dynasty was founded by Guhadatta.

• Bappa Rawal was the 9th descendant.

Reigned from 728 to 753.

Built/captured (in some versions) the fort at Chitrakuta

(Chittor) to fight the mlechchha Arabs.

©DrMahipalRathore
Mid-12th century – The Guhilas divided into two branches.

The senior branch (whose rulers are called Rawal ) ruled

from Chitrakuta (Chittorgarh),

The junior branch ruled from Sesoda with the title Rana,
and gave rise to the Sisodia Rajput dynasty.

©DrMahipalRathore
6th Century to 1192 –
Chahamanas of
Shakambhari
or
Chauhans of Sambhar.

©DrMahipalRathore
• Initially Pratihara vassals.

• When the Pratihara power declined after the Tripartite

Struggle, the Chahamana ruler Simharaja assumed the
title Maharajadhiraja.

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.

©DrMahipalRathore
©DrMahipalRathore
• Chauhans captured Delhi from the (Dhillika) from the
Tomars.

• Expansion of Chauhan power towards Punjab, brought

them into conflict with the Ghurids in Afghanistan.

• While Muhammad Ghuri overran Multan and Uchch, a 11-

year-old boy ascended the throne at Ajmer – Prithviraj
Chauhan.

• Prithviraj embarked on a career of conquest, from the age

of 16.
©DrMahipalRathore
• Defeated the Chandelas in the Battle of Mahoba.

• Challenge with Muhammad Ghuri began over the claim to

Tabarhinda.

©DrMahipalRathore
 1192 – Their rule came to an end,
with the defeat of Prithviraj
Chauhan (Prithviraj III), by the
Ghurids of Afghanistan.

©DrMahipalRathore
950 to 1197 – Chahamanas
of Naddula, or
the Chauhans of Nadol.

Ruled around Marwar.

Founder: Lakshmana (Rao
Lakha), was the son of the
10th century Shakambari
ruler Vakpatiraja I.

©DrMahipalRathore
1089 to 1197 – The Gahadavalas of Varanasi.

1089 – Chandradeva established a sovereign kingdom, after

the decline of the Kalachuri power.
(We will learn about the Kalachuris and other Deccan
kingdoms in the next lecture.)

1114 to 1155 – The Gahadavala kingdom reached its zenith

under Govindachandra.

He annexed some of the Kalachuri territories, warded

off Ghaznavid raids, and also fought the Palas of Bengal.
©DrMahipalRathore
1194 CE – Govindachandra's grandson Jayachandra was
defeated by the Ghurids.

1226 to 1581 – Kanaujiya Rathores of Marwar

The first Rathore chieftain was Rao Siha, grandson of the

last Gahadavala king Jayachandra.

©DrMahipalRathore
 According to other sources:
• The Rathore dynasty of Jodhpur are Rajputs claimed to be
descendants of Rastrakuta dynasty.

• After the fall of the Rashtrakutas, they migrated north and

formed their kingdom in Kannauj as Gahadavala dynasty.

• After the death of Jaichand in Battle of Chandwar, his

descendants migrated to Marwar and established Rathore
Dynasty.
Initially they ruled from Pali and Mandore.
©DrMahipalRathore
Rao Jodha (ruled 1438 to 1489) later shifted the capital to
Jodhpur and built the famous Mehrangar Fort.

©DrMahipalRathore
 The Chaulukya/Solankis of Gujarat
**Do not confuse with the Chalukyas of Vengi, Kalyani,
Vatapi or Lata.

Chaulukyas = Solanki dynasty.

940 AD – Founded by Mularaja (replaced the Chavda

dynasty).

Chaulukyas ruled in Gujarat, Rajasthan and Malwa in

940 to 1244.
Capital: Anhilwara or Anahilavada (modern day Patan).
©DrMahipalRathore
Patan/ Anhilwara

©DrMahipalRathore
The Rani ki Vav of Patan was built
by Chaulukya Queen Udaymati in
the 11th Century.

©DrMahipalRathore
 It was during the reign of
Bhima I of the
Chaulukyas, that
Mahmud of Ghazni
sacked the Somnath
temple.

©DrMahipalRathore
11th Century – Chaulukya king Karna defeated the Bhil chief of
Ashaval.

Established Karnavati on the banks of the Sabarmati.

This is in the vicinity of modern day Ahmedabad.

Chaulukya coins

©DrMahipalRathore
9th to 13th Century – The Chandelas of Bundelkhand.

©DrMahipalRathore
831 to 845 – Nannuka was the first Chandela ruler around
Khajuraho.
Initially Chandellas were feudatories of Gurjara-Pratiharas.

10th century – Chandela ruler Yashovarman became

practically independent.
Still continued to acknowledge the Pratihara suzerainty.

Under his successor Dhanga, the Chandelas had become a

sovereign power.

They fought battles with the neighbouring dynasties,

especially the Paramaras of Malwa and the Kalachuris of
Tripuri. ©DrMahipalRathore
The Chandelas built the famous Nagara style temples
in Khajuraho.
©DrMahipalRathore
These temples were constructed during the
reigns of Yashovarman, Dhanga and
Vidyadhara, between 930 to 1030.

©DrMahipalRathore
11th century onwards – The Chandelas faced raids by the northern
Muslim dynasties, including the Ghaznavids and the Ghurids.

Beginning of the 13th century – The Chandela power effectively

ended, following Chahamana and Ghurid invasions.

©DrMahipalRathore
 9th to 14th Century –
The Paramaras of
Malwa.

Capital at Ujjain and

Dhara.

©DrMahipalRathore
• Initially ruled as vassals of the Rashtrakutas of Manyakhet.

972 – Paramara king Siyaka sacked the Rashtrakuta

capital Manyakheta, and established the Paramaras as a
sovereign power.

Most Paramara kings were Shaivites (many Shaivite

temples built).

©DrMahipalRathore
 1010 to 1055 – The Paramaras reached their
peak under Raja Bhoja.
**Don’t confuse with Mihir Bhoja from L2 (he
was a Gurjara-Pratihara ruler).

Under Raja Bhoja, kingdom extended

from Chittor in the north to Konkan in the
south, and from the Sabarmati River in the
west to Vidisha in the east.

©DrMahipalRathore
Bhojeshwar temple at Bhojpur, MP.

©DrMahipalRathore
1305 – Paramara king Mahalakadeva was defeated and killed
by the forces of Sultan Alauddin Khilji.

©DrMahipalRathore
Struggle for domination in north India = threat of invading
Turkish armies from the west ignored.

• The Chauhans established themselves at Ajmer.

• Gradually pushed towards Gujarat, Delhi and Punjab.

Conflict with Gahadavalas.

These intra-Rajput rivalries, allowed the Ghaznavids to

conduct raids up to Ujjain without resistance.

©DrMahipalRathore
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