Gahadavala dynasty
The Gahadavala dynasty (IAST: Gāhaḍavālas) also Gahadavalas of Kannauj was a Rajput dynasty that ruled parts of the present-day Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, during 11th and 12th centuries. Their capital was located at Banaras (now Varanasi) in the Gangetic plains, and for a brief period, they also controlled Kannauj.
Gahadavala dynasty | |||||||||||||
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| 1089 CE–1197 CE | |||||||||||||
A Kalachuri-style 'seated goddess' coin of Govindachandra (r. c. 1114–1155 CE). 41⁄2 masha, gold. Obv: Four-armed Lakshmi seated cross-legged on lotus on obverse side holding a lotus in the upper two hands.
Rev: Inscription in Nagari script :'Shrimad-Govindachandra'.
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Approximate territory of the Gahadavalas circa 1150, during the reign of Govindachandra. | |||||||||||||
| Capital | Banaras and Kannauj | ||||||||||||
| Government | Monarchy | ||||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||||
• Established | 1089 CE | ||||||||||||
• Disestablished | 1197 CE | ||||||||||||
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| Today part of | India | ||||||||||||
Chandradeva, the first monarch of the dynasty, established a sovereign kingdom sometime before 1090 CE, after the decline of the Kalachuri power. The kingdom reached its zenith under his grandson Govindachandra who annexed some of the Kalachuri territories, warded off Ghaznavid raids, and also fought the Palas. In 1194 CE, Govindachandra's grandson Jayachandra was defeated by the Ghurids, which effectively ended the dynasty's imperial power. The kingdom completely ceased to exist when Jayachandra's successors were defeated by the Delhi Sultanate Mamluk dynasty ruler Iltutmish (r. 1211–1236).