FranklynDavitt2 at 23:00, 29 July 2025

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{{Short description|Indian king, ruled c. 1072 – c. 1103}}
{{for|the deity|Chandra}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2019}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name = Chandradeva
| title = Parama-bhattaraka Maharajadhiraja Parameshvara Parama-Maheshvara
| succession = Gahadavala king
| reign = {{circa|1089|1103}} CE
| successor = [[Madanapala (Gahadavala dynasty)|Madanapala]]
| issue = Madanapala
| house-type = Dynasty
| house = [[Gahadavala]]
| father = Mahichandra
}}
'''Chandradeva''' ([[IAST]]: Candradeva, ruled {{circa|1089|1103}} CE), also known as Chandraditya, was an Indian king from the [[Gahadavala]] dynasty. He ruled the Antarvedi country in present-day [[Uttar Pradesh]], including [[Kanyakubja]] and [[Varanasi]].

Although the Gahadavala inscriptions mention two of his ancestors, he was the first sovereign monarch of his family. Amid the chaos resulting from the decline of [[Kalachuris of Tripuri|Kalachuri]] power and [[Ghaznavid]] invasions, Chandradeva established a government in the Kanyakubja-Varanasi region of the [[Ganges|Gangetic]] plains.

== Rise to power ==

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According to the Gahadavala inscriptions, Chandradeva was a son of Mahichandra (alias Mahitala or Mahiyala), and a grandson of Yashovigraha.{{sfn|Roma Niyogi|1959|p=261}}

The Gahadavala inscriptions give the titles and name of Chandradeva as "Parama-bhattaraka [[Maharajadhiraja]] Parameshvara Parama-Maheshvara Shriman Chandra-deva". They portray Chandradeva as the saviour of the earth (that is, the region which they ruled). The 1104 CE Bashai (Basahi) inscription states that Chandradeva saved the distressed earth, after the death of [[Bhoja]] and the destruction of [[Lakshmikarna|Karna]]'s fame.{{sfn|Roma Niyogi|1959|p=43}} The 1109 Rahin (or Rahan) inscription states that Chandradeva was born after the destruction of the [[solar dynasty|solar]] and the [[lunar dynasty|lunar]] [[Kshatriya]] dynasties, when the voice of the [[Vedas]] had almost disappeared.{{sfn|Roma Niyogi|1959|p=44}} These descriptions suggest that the region suffered from chaos during the interregnum following the deaths of Bhoja (r. c. 1010-1055 CE) and Karna (r. c. 1038-1080 CE), probably as a result of the [[Turkic peoples|Turushka]] ([[Ghaznavid]]) invasions.{{sfn|Roma Niyogi|1959|p=45}}

In these troubled times, Chandradeva established a new government, and brought peace to the region. The 1093 CE Chandrawati inscription states that Chandradeva's dynasty captured Kanyakubja, after the destruction of the descendants of the [[Gurjara-Pratihara]] king Devapala.{{sfn|Roma Niyogi|1959|p=44}} In his 1090 CE Chandrawati inscription, Chandradeva assumes the imperial title ''Parama-bhattaraka Maharajadhiraja Parameshvara'', which indicates that he had become a sovereign by this time.{{sfn|Roma Niyogi|1959|p=45}}

== Territorial extent ==

The 1090 CE Chandrawati inscription states that Chandradeva protected (that is, ruled) the sacred places of Kashi ([[Varanasi]]), Kushika ([[Kannauj]]), Uttara Koshala (the area around [[Ayodhya]]) and Indrasthaniyaka.{{sfn|Roma Niyogi|1959|pp=45-46}} The identification of Indrasthaniyaka is not certain, but some scholars believe it to be [[Delhi]] (see [[Indraprastha]]). According to historian Roma Niyogi, it is possible that the [[Tomara dynasty|Tomara]] rulers of Delhi acknowledged the suzerainty of the Gahadavalas.{{sfn|Roma Niyogi|1959|p=46}} If this assumption is true, then Chandradeva's kingdom extended from Delhi in the north-west to Varanasi in the south-east.{{sfn|Roma Niyogi|1959|pp=51-52}} However, P. C. Roy does not find this theory convincing. He points out that Delhi was ruled by the [[Tomara dynasty|Tomara]] and then the [[Chahamanas of Shakambhari|Chahamanas]] according to historical records, none of which mention the Gahadavalas as rulers of Delhi. Rahin village in [[Etawah district]] is the furthest point in the north-west where a Gahadavala inscription has been discovered. Therefore, Roy argues that Indrasthaniyaka should be identified with a place other than Delhi.{{sfn|P. C. Roy|1980|p=99}}

The [[Yamuna river]] formed the southern boundary of Chandradeva's kingdom; the northern boundary probably did not go far beyond the [[Ganga river]].{{sfn|Roma Niyogi|1959|pp=51-52}}

According to the 1104 CE Bashai inscription of his successor Madanapala, Chandradeva established his capital at Kanyakbuja. No other Gahadavala inscription mentions Kanyakubja as the kingdom's capital, and the vast majority of the dynasty's inscriptions have been found in and around [[Varanasi]]. According to [[Al-Biruni]], most of the Kanyakubja city was in ruins by 1030 CE. Therefore, it appears that Varanasi was the chief seat of Gahadavala power. Chandradeva probably moved his capital to Kanyakubja, since that city was reputed as the capital of earlier emperors.{{sfn|Roma Niyogi|1959|pp=50-51}} Thus, Kanyakubja became a 'capital of honour' for the Gahadavalas, although Varanasi remained their main seat of power.{{sfn|Rana P. B. Singh|2009|p=60}}

== Military career ==

The 1093 CE Chandrawati inscription states that Chandradeva defeated Narapati, Gajapati, Giripati and Trishankupati. These appear to be different classes of feudatories; "Narapati" and "Gajapati" have been used as imperial titles in some [[Kalachuris of Tripuri|Kalachuri]] inscriptions.{{sfn|Roma Niyogi|1959|p=47}} Since the Kalachuris controlled the area around Varanasi before the Gahadavalas, it appears that Chandradeva captured this area from them.{{sfn|Roma Niyogi|1959|pp=47-48}} The Kalachuri king defeated by him was probably [[Yashahkarna|Yashah-Karna]].{{sfn|Roma Niyogi|1959|p=74}}

The 1093 CE and 1100 CE inscriptions of Chandradeva mention that his vast army marched in the east (the [[East India|eastern India]]). However, no records attribute any military successes to him in the east. It is possible that he unsuccessfully tried to invade the [[Pala Empire|Pala]] territory. According to ''[[Ramacharitam]]'', [[Ramapala]]'s feudatory in [[Magadha]] — Bhimayashas — defeated the ruler of Kanyakubja. This ruler was most probably Chandradeva.{{sfn|Roma Niyogi|1959|pp=52-54}}

== Religion ==

One of Chandradeva's inscription describes him as "[[Svayambhu]] himself born upon the earth to restore ''dharma'' and the [[Vedas|Veda]], whose sounds had almost been silenced." An inscription of his grandson Govindachandra describes him as Hari (Vishnu) born on the earth at the request of Hara (Shiva) to protect Varanasi from "the wicked Turk warrior".{{sfn|Sheldon Pollock|1993|p=106}} The 1197 Kotwa ([[Machhlishahr]]) inscription of the last Gahadavala ruler [[Harishchandra (Gahadavala dynasty)|Harishchandra]] describes Chandradeva as the protector of several holy places including Kashi (Varnaasi).{{sfn|Meenakshi Jain|2017|p=108}}

The inscriptions of Chandradeva, discovered at Chandrawati (or Chandravati) in Varanasi district, record grants to hundreds of [[Brahmins]].{{sfn|Roma Niyogi|1959|pp=245-260}} His 1093 CE (1150 [[Vikrama Samvat|VS]]) Chandrawati [[Indian copper plate inscriptions|copper-plate inscription]] mentions that he visited [[Ayodhya]] to worship Vasudeva ([[Vishnu]]) and perform other religious rites. The ''Ayodhya-mahatmya'' section of the [[Vrindavan]] manuscript of the ''[[Skanda Purana]]'' mentions that the Vasudeva temple at the Svarga-dvara ''[[ghat]]a'' in Ayodhya had an idol named "Chandra-hari", believed to be installed by a pilgrim named Chandra, who had visited Ayodhya to worship Vishnu. This may be a reference to Chandradeva's construction of a temple and the installation of an idol there.{{sfn|A.M. Shastri|1993|p=37}}

== Inscriptions ==

The following inscriptions from Chandradeva's reign have been discovered:{{sfn|Roma Niyogi|1959|pp=245-260}}

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Date of issue (CE)
! Place of discovery
! Issued at
! Issued by
! Purpose
|-
| 7 November 1090
| [[Varanasi district]]: Chandrawati
| Sauri-Narayana
| Chandradeva
| Village grant, [[lunar eclipse]]
|-
| 23 October 1093
| [[Varanasi district]]: Chandrawati
| [[Ayodhya]]
| Chandradeva
| Village grants to 500 Brahmins
|-
| 8 January 1098
| Unknown
| Varanasi (Trilochana [[Ghats in Varanasi|Ghatta]])
| Chandradeva
| Village grant made by Chandradeva in 1098 CE. Inscription issued by Madanapala after his death.{{sfn|Roma Niyogi|1959|p=45}}
|-
| 14 April 1100
| [[Varanasi district]]: Chandrawati
| Varanasi (Adikeshava Ghatta)
| Chandradeva
| Village grants to 500 Brahmins and Chandra-Madhava temple
|}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

=== Bibliography ===
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite journal |author=A.M. Shastri |author-link=Ajay Mitra Shastri |title=Ayodhyā and God Rāma |journal=Purātattva |volume=23 |year=1993 |editor=K.N. Dikshit |publisher=Indian Archaeological Society |pages=35–39 |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.532789/page/n43/mode/1up }}
* {{cite book |author=Meenakshi Jain |title=The Battle for Rama: Case of the Temple at Ayodhya |year=2017 |publisher=Aryan |isbn=9788173055799 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Zf4xtAEACAAJ}}
* {{cite book |author=P. C. Roy |title=The Coinage of Northern India |publisher=Abhinav |year=1980 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f2Et2zZGJPUC&pg=PA53 |isbn=9788170171225 }}
* {{cite book |author=Rana P. B. Singh |title=Banaras: Making of India's Heritage City |publisher=Cambridge Scholars |year=2009 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JwMaBwAAQBAJ |isbn=9781443815796 }}
* {{cite book |author=Roma Niyogi |title=The History of the Gāhaḍavāla Dynasty |publisher=Oriental |year=1959 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EJQBAAAAMAAJ |oclc=5386449 }}
* {{cite book |author=Sheldon Pollock |chapter=Deep Orientalism? Notes on Sanskrit and Power Beyond the Raj. |editor1=Carol Appadurai Breckenridge |editor2=Peter van der Veer |title=Orientalism and the Postcolonial Predicament: Perspectives on South Asia |year=1993 |publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press |pages=76–133 |url=https://sheldonpollock.org/archive/pollock_deep_1993.pdf }}
{{refend}}

{{Gahadavala dynasty}}

[[Category:Gahadavala kings]]
[[Category:11th-century Indian monarchs]]
[[Category:12th-century Indian monarchs]]
[[Category:11th-century maharajadhirajas]]

Chandradeva - Revision history

FranklynDavitt2 at 23:00, 29 July 2025