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Mahindu (r. c. 994–1015 CE), also known as Mahendra or Mahindra, was an Indian king belonging to the Naddula Chahamana dynasty. He ruled the area around Naddula (present-day Nadol in Rajasthan).
Reign
Mahindu succeeded his father Vigrahapala on the throne of Naddula.Template:Sfn
According to the Bijapur inscription of the Hastikundi Rashtrakuta prince Dhavala, a ruler named Mahendra helped him against Durlabharaja. F. Kielhorn identified this Mahendra with Mahindu, the king of Naddula. D. R. Bhandarkar identified Durlabharaja as Durlabharaja Chaulukya.Template:Sfn However, historian Dasharatha Sharma points out that Durlabharaja Chaulukya had not ascended the throne when this inscription was issued. Sharma, therefore, identified Durlabharaja as Durlabharaja Chahamana,Template:Sfn
Dhavala seems to have been a close ally of Mahindu, and helped him against the Paramara king Munja.Template:Sfn
Hemachandra's legend
Dvyashrya-Kavya, a legendary text by the Chaulukya court scholar Hemachandra, states that Mahendra-raja organized a swayamvara (husband-choosing ceremony) for his sister Durlabha-devi. Besides Durlabharaja, he invited the rulers of Anga, Andhra, Kashi, Kuru, Mathura and Ujjayini to this ceremony. Durlabha-devi chose Durlabharaja as her husband. Out of jealousy, the other invitees formed a confederacy and attacked his contingent, while he was returning to his capital. Durlabharaja defeated their combined army.Template:Sfn Mahindu's younger daughter Lakshmi-devi married Nagaraja, the younger brother of Durlabharaja.Template:Sfn
On basis of this legend, historian R. B. Singh theorizes that the Chahamana-Chaulukya rivalry concluded with a matrimonial alliance.Template:Sfn He also concludes that Mahindu was a powerful ruler, because of which several distant kings responded to the swayamvara invitation.Template:Sfn
Other historians doubt the historicity of this legend. According to A. K. Majumdar, the king of Naddula was a relatively insignificant ruler, and it is hard to believe that so many major rulers left their kingdoms to attend his ceremony at a time when northern India was under attacks from Mahmud of Ghazni.Template:Sfn Moreover, it is unlikely that Durlabharaja would have been able to defeat a confederacy of all these powerful kings.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
Successors
Mahindu had two sons: Ashvapala and Anahilla.Template:Sfn He was succeeded by Ashvapala, followed by Ashvapala's son Ahila. Anahilla succeeded Ahila on the throne of Naddula.Template:Sfn
References
Bibliography
- Chaulukyas of Gujarat{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan(1956)
- Early Chauhān Dynasties{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. S. Chand / Motilal Banarsidass(1959). ISBN 9780842606189
- The Growth of the Paramara Power in Malwa{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Progress(1978)
- Bhoja Paramāra and His Times{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Bharatiya Vidya Prakashan(1984)
- History of the Chāhamānas{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. N. Kishore(1964)