Gurjara-Pratihara dynasty

Gurjara-Pratihara Rajput dynasty
c. 730 CE–1036 CE
Flag of the Pratihara Rajput Dynasty of Kannauj
Flag of the Pratihara Rajput Dynasty of Kannauj
Capital
Common languagesSanskrit, Prakrit
Religion
Hinduism
• c. 730 – c. 760
Nagabhata I (first)
• c. 1024 – c. 1036
Yasahpala (last)
History 
• Established
c. 730 CE
1008 CE
• Disestablished
1036 CE
Preceded by		Succeeded by
Chavda dynasty
Varman dynasty of Kannauj
Pala Empire
Chandela dynasty
Paramara of dynasty
Kalachuris of Tripuri
Tomara dynasty
Chavda dynasty
Chahamanas of Shakambhari
Ghaznavid Empire
Guhila dynasty
Today part ofIndia Bangladesh Nepal

The Gurjara-Pratihara Rajput Dynasty, also known as the Parihara Rajput Empire was a powerful dynasty in the Late Classical Period on the Indian subcontinent. This dynasty belonged to the Pratihara clan of the Rajputs, with the term ‘Gurjara’ referring to a region between Gujarat and Rajasthan and not some local tribe or peasant group. This dynasty ruled most of the Northern states of India. The Pratihara dynasty ruled India for a huge period from the 7th century to the 11th century. They had Ujjain as the capital and later shifted to Kannauj.

The Pratiharas claim origin from the Agnivanshi (Fire-born) lineage theory along with three other Rajput clans who claim the same fire origin are the Chahamanas (Chauhan), Chalukyas (Solanki) and Parmars (Panwar). Information related to this theory has been found in various historical texts and most importantly the Prithvirajaraso by Chand Bardai, the court poet of Prithiviraj Chauhan.

Rulers

  1. Nagabhata I (730–760)
  2. Kakustha and Devaraja (760–780)
  3. Vatsaraja (780–800)
  4. Nagabhata II (800–833)
  5. Ramabhadra (833–836)
  6. Mihira Bhoja or Bhoja I (836–885)
  7. Mahendrapala I (885–910)
  8. Bhoja II (910–913)
  9. Mahipala I (913–944)
  10. Mahendrapala II (944–948)
  11. Devapala (948–954)
  12. Vinayakapala (954–955)
  13. Mahipala II (955–956)
  14. Vijayapala II (956–960)
  15. Rajahpala (960–1018)
  16. Trilochanapala (1018–1027)
  17. Yasahpala (1024–1036)

History

Nagabhata I (730–756) was the founder and first Pratihara Rajput ruler of the dynasty. He extended his control east and south from Mandor. He conquered Malwa as far as Gwalior and the port of Bharuch in Gujarat.He established his capital at Avanti in Malwa. Nagabhata I was famously known for defeating the Arab army of the Ummayyad Caliphates under Junaid and Tamin. Kakushta and Devaraja are two weak rulers who succeeded Nagabhata I. Vatsaraja (775–805) was the next powerful ruler of the dynasty.

Conquest of Kannauj

A map of the Tripartite Struggle

Kannauj kingdom was ruled by a weak ruler, after the death of Harshavardhana. The Pratiharas, The Palas and The Rashtrakutas fought to get control over Kannauj. But Vatsaraja of Pratihara defeated the Palas and the Rashtrakutas. Around 786, Rashtrakuta ruler Dhruva (780–793) crossed the Narmada River into Malwa. From there he tried to capture Kannauj and defeated Vatsaraja.

Vatsaraja was succeeded by Nagabhata II (805–833). Nagabhata II was initially defeated by the Rashtrakuta ruler Govinda III (793–814). But later recovered Malwa from the Rashtrakutas. He conquered Kannauj and the Indo-Gangetic Plain as far as Bihar from the Palas. He rebuilt the great Shiva temple at Somnath in Gujarat. Kannauj became the center of the Gurjara-Pratihara state. At this time, the Gurjara-Pratihara dynasty covered much of northern India.

Rambhadra (833-c. 836) for a short time, succeeded Nagabhata II. Mihira Bhoja (c. 836–886) expanded the Pratihara dynasty west to the border of Sindh, east to Bengal, and south to the Narmada. His son, Mahendrapala I (890–910), expanded further eastwards in Magadha, Bengal, and Assam.


Decline

Bhoja II (910–912) was the successor of Mahendrapala I . He was overthrown by Mahipala I (912–944). Many kingdoms emerged independent using the weakness of Pratiharas. The south Indian Emperor Indra III (c. 914–928) of the Rashtrakuta dynasty for a short time captured Kannauj in 916. Later again Pratihara ruler gained control over Kannauj. But the dynasty was still weakening due to the attacks of the Turks, Rashtrakutas and several other dynasties. Mahmud of Ghazni captured Kannauj in 1018, and the Pratihara ruler Rajapala fled (escaped). Somehow Rajapala was captured and killed by a Chandela Ruler named Vidhyadhara.The Chandela ruler then placed Rajapala's son Trilochanpala on the throne. Jasapala, the last Gurjara-Pratihara ruler died in 1036.

Reference

  1. ↑ Rajputs, specially the Gurjara-Pratiharas, were too strong to be vanquished. Sind under the Arabs remained an isolated unit in the political framework of India., Narendra Krishna Sinha; Banerjee, Anil Chandra (1963). History of India. A. Mukherjee.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. ↑ The Gurjara-Pratiharas were chronologically the earliest, and historically the most important of the Rajput dynasties., Anil Chandra Banerjee (1983). Aspects of Rajput State and Society. Rajesh Publications.
  3. ↑ The Gurjara-Pratihara was the first Rajput state that captured Kannauj and established an extensive empire. Before this, very little material is available about the administration of Rajput states. In fact, the situation is that for 150 years after the death of Harshvardhan in 647 CE, we do not get any clear information about the administration of Rajput states. This situation is seen throughout North India, but with the establishment of the Gurjara-Pratihara empire, i.e., from the ninth century, a change is seen in this situation and we now see a well-organized form of governance. It is an important fact that despite being a vast empire, the Gurjara-Pratihara was not centralized but was merely a loose conglomeration of small feudal powers in the name of an empire, completely lacking unity. It had the form of a union or 'confederation' of many states. This was the nature of the Rajput state; its feudatories were masters of their territories. The emperor did not interfere in their day-to-day governance. The emperors of Rajput dynasties also assumed titles like 'Maharajadhiraja', 'Parameshvara', 'Paramabhattaraka', etc., but their supreme power was not as absolute and influential as that of the Gupta or Mauryan emperors. In Rajput states, the feudatories were sufficiently powerful and were in their jagirs in a semi-independent position. Thus, the Rajput state was based on a feudal or jagirdari system., Dr A. K. Chaturvedi (2025-10-18). NEP History of India (550-1200) (MJC-5) History of Europe (1789-1919) (MJC-6) History of India (1200-1707) (MJC7) B.A. 4th Sem. SBPD Publications.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  4. ↑ In a series of battles with the Arabs in 738 A.D., Nagabhatta led a confederacy of Rajput clans to defeat the Arabs. The stopping of the Islamic wave of conquests that had crushed the lands from Europe to the borders of India ranks as one of the many great achievements of the Rajputs. With the successive victories of the joint forces of several Rajput clans began the reign of the imperial Pratihara Rajputs and the Rajput period of Indian history continued.; Kamlesh Kapur (2010). History Of Ancient India (portraits Of A Nation), 1/e. Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd. ISBN 978-81-207-4910-8.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  5. ↑ Conversely, some historian groups argue that the term "Gurjara" was merely a regional descriptor for the area comprising Gujarat and Rajasthan. This argument frames the Pratihara rulers as Rajputs from that region, not a specific tribal lineage., Prof (Dr) Lalith Kumar Dharavahik (2017-10-30). Comparative study of Aryan, Rajput's and Gor Banjara Peoples in India. Chyren Publication. ISBN 978-93-7143-198-9.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. ↑ Encyclopaedia Indica: Princely States in colonial India. Anmol Publications. 1996. ISBN 978-81-7041-859-7.
  7. ↑ Board, Pratiyogita Darpan Editorial. Pratiyogita Darpan Extra Issue Series-3 Indian History. Upkar Prakashan.
  8. ↑ Singh, K. S. (1998). India's Communities. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-563354-2.
  9. ↑ General, India Office of the Registrar (1965). Census of India, 1961: Rajasthan. Manager of Publications.
  10. ↑ People of India: Uttar Pradesh. Anthropological Survey of India. 2005. ISBN 978-81-7304-114-3.
  11. ↑ Wink, André (2002). Al-Hind : the making of the Indo-Islamic world ([3rd ed.]. ed.). Boston, MA: Brill. ISBN 978-0-391-04173-8.
  12. ↑ al., P.N. Chopra (ed.) ... [et (2003). A comprehensive history of ancient India. New Delhi: Sterling Publ. ISBN 978-81-207-2503-4.
  13. ↑ Dikshit, R. K. (1976). The Candellas of Jejākabhukti. ISBN 9788170170464.
  14. ↑ The Early Rulers of Khajurāho. Motilal Banarsidass. 1977. ISBN 9788120819979.