Template:Infobox royalty
Ajayaraja I (r. c. 721-734 CE ) was an Indian king belonging to the Chahamana dynasty of Shakambhari (modern Sambhar). He ruled parts of present-day Rajasthan in north-western India. He is also known as Jayaraja, Ajayapala Chakva or Ajayapala Chakri.Template:Sfn
Ajayaraja I succeeded Naradeva as the Chahamana king.Template:Sfn According to the 12th century chronicle Prithviraja Vijaya, he was a great warrior who defeated several enemies.Template:Sfn
According to one theory, Ajayaraja I founded the city of Ajayameru (modern Ajmer). The Prabandha-Kosha states that he commissioned the Ajayameru fort, which later came to be known as the Taragarh fort of Ajmer. The Akhbar ul-Akhyar calls it the first hill fort of India. However, the Prithviraja Vijaya attributes the establishment of Ajmer to his descendant Ajayaraja II (12th century CE).Template:Sfn According to historian R. B. Singh, Ajayaraja I is more likely to be the founder of Ajmer, considering the fact that inscriptions dated to 8th century CE have been found at Ajmer.Template:Sfn Singh theorizes that Ajayaraja II later significantly developed the town and moved the kingdom's capital from Shakambhari to Ajmer.Template:Sfn Others, such as Shyam Singh Ratnawat and Krishna Gopal Sharma, believe that it was Ajayaraja II who founded Ajmer.Template:Sfn
Ajayaraja I was succeeded by his son Vigraharaja I.Template:Sfn
References
Bibliography
- History of the Chāhamānas{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. N. Kishore(1964)
- History and culture of Rajasthan: from earliest times upto 1956 A.D.{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Centre for Rajasthan Studies, University of Rajasthan(1999)