Gurjar rulers The Gurjara-Pratihara kingdom and other contemporary kingdoms. According to some historical accounts, the kingdom with capital at Bhinmal (or Srimal) was established by the Gurjars. A minor kingdom of Bharuch was the offshoot of this Kingdom. In 640-41 CE, the Chinese traveller Xuanzang (Hieun Tsang) described the kingdoms of Su-la-cha (identified with Saurashtra) and Kiu-che-lo (identified with Gurjara) in his writings. He stated that the Gurjaras ruled a rich and populous kingdom with capital at Bhinmal (Pilo-mo-lo). According to his expositor, M. Vivien de St. Martin, Su-la-cha represents the modern Gujarat, and Kiu-che-lo (Gurjjara), "the country of the Gujars", represents the region between Anhilwara and the Indus River, i.e. Sindh region. Vincent Smith believed that the Pratihara dynasty, which ruled a large kingdom in northern India from the 6th to the 11th centuries, and has been mentioned as "Gurjara-Pratiharas" in an inscription, was certainly of Gurjara origin. Smith also stated that there is possibility of other Agnikula Kshatriya clans being of same origin. Dr. K. Jamanadas also states that the Pratihara clan descended from the Gurjars, and this "raises a strong presumption that the other Rajput clans also are the descendants from the Gurjaras or the allied foreign immigrants". D. B. Bhandarkar also believed that Pratiharas were a clan of Gurjars. In his book The Glory that was Gujardesh (1943), Gurjar writer K. M. Munshi stated that the Pratiharas, the Paramaras and the Solankis were imperial Gujjars. According a number of scholars Chauhan was a prominent clan of Gurjars. H. A. Rose and Denzil Ibbetson stated that there is no conclusive proof that the Agnikula Rajput clans are of Gurjara origin; they believed that there is possibility of the indigenous tribes adopting Gurjara names, when their founders were enfiefed by Gurjara rulers. Some other historians believe that although some sections of the Pratiharas (e.g. the one to which Mathanadeva belonged) were Gurjars by caste, the Pratiharas of Kannauj were not Gurjars and there was no Gurjara empire in Northern India in 8th and 9th century., though from the work of other historians it has been known that Kannauj was capital of Gurjara-Pratihara.[47][48][49] Historian Sir Jervoise Athelstane Baines also stated Gurjars as forefathers of Sisodiyas, chauhan, Parmar, Parihar and Chalukya. Chavdas, also known as Gurjar Chapas was also one of the ruling clans of Gurjars, who extended the power of the race in the south. The pratiharas belonged to the same clan that of Gurjaras was proved by the "Rajor inscription".From the phrase "Gurjara Pratiharanvayah" inscribed in the "Rajor inscription". It is known that the Pratiharas belonged to the Gurjara clan.The Rashtrakuta records and the Arabian chronicles also identify the Pariharas with Gurjaras. Over the years, the Gurjars were assimilated mainly into the castes of Kshatriya varna, although some Gurjar groups (such as Gaur Gurjars of central India) are classified as Brahmins.During the Muslim rule, many of the Gurjars converted to Islam. With the rise of Islam, Muslim Gujjars no longer adhered to their Kshatriya or Brahmin classification but retained clan names as a form of tribal recognition.Places such as Gujranwala, Gujar Khan, Gujar Kot, Gujrat in Pakistan and the state of Gujarat in India are a testament to the Gurjar influence in the past. Gurjara-Pratihara Rulers (650-1036 AD) Dadda I-II-III (650 - 750) Nagabhata I (750 - 780) Vatsaraja (780 - 800) Nagabhata II (800 - 833) Ramabhadra (833 - 836) Mihir Bhoja the Great (836 - 890) Mahendrapala I (890 - 910) Bhoj II (910 - 913) Mahipala I (913 - 944) Mahendrapala II (944 - 948) Devpala (948 - 954) Vinaykpala (954 - 955) Mahipala II (955 - 956) Vijaypala II (956 - 960) Rajapala (960 - 1018) Trilochanpala (1018 - 1027) Jasapala (Yashpala) (1024 - 1036) Military dress and Equipment of early Medieval period Gurjars The Epic Ancient Indian (Bharata)Gurjara Kingdom and other contemporary kingdoms. The military code of Gurjaras are mentioned in the Kathakosaprakarana, Yasastilaka champu and the Tilakamanjari.Author S. R. Bakshi states that the description for Gurjar soldiers of Medieval period in the Yasastilaka champu is given as follows: 1. They had dhotis coming up to knees. 2. Their loins were girt with daggers mounted on the handles of buffalo horns. 3. The close and dense growth of hair that covering their bodies constituted as it were as armour for their entire body. 4. They appeared to be three-headed on account of quivers on both the right and left sides of their heads. 5. They surpassed even Krpa, Krpadharma, Karna, Arjuna, Drona, Drupada, Bhaga and Bhargava in shooting swiftly, vigorously and accurately even distand objects.
Posted on: Mon, 01 Jul 2013 07:58:08 +0000
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