Gurjar history

The Vedic Vayupurana describes a battle waged among the ancient Aryans. It was as a result of this war that Anavs part of the Chandravanshi clan and Gurtar ( Guzar ) of suryabanshi had to immigrate to wester Aryabart area of modern Iran (Iran means "land of Aryans") to Tarim basin.

It was in these regions, where the fertile soil of the mountainous country is surrounded by the Turanian desert, that the prophet Zarathushtra (Zoroaster) was said to have been born and gained his first adherents. Avestan, the language of the oldest portions of the Zoroastrian Avesta, was once called "old-iranic" which is related to Sanskrit.

Chandravansi known as Sythians and Suryabanshi known as Guzar/Gusur by Tibbetian , Yuezhi by Chineese , Tocharian by Romans and Tushara by Poranic Indians.

1. Gurjar /Gujjar :
The Royal Aryan, The
descendents of Ancient Yuezhi
By: Adesh Katariya
[email protected]
[phone]

2. Gurjar/Gujjar
•The Vedic Vayupuranadescribes a battle waged among the ancient
Aryans. It was as a result of this war that Anavspart of the
Chandravanshiclan and Gurtar( Guzar ) of suryabanshihad to
immigrate to westerAryabartarea of modern Iran (Iran means
"land of Aryans") to Tarim basin.
•
•It was in these regions, where the fertile soil of the mountainous
country is surrounded by the Turaniandesert, that the prophet
Zarathushtra(Zoroaster) was said to have been born and gained his
first adherents. Avestan, the language of the oldest portions of the
Zoroastrian Avesta, was once called "old-iranic" which is related to
Sanskrit.
•Chandravansiknown as Sythiansand Suryabanshiknown as
Guzar/Gusurby Tibbetian, Yuezhi by Chineese, Tocharian by
Romans and Tusharaby PoranicIndians.

3. Migration of Gujjars(Yuezhi )from
Tarim Besin
•In 176 BC, the Yuezhi were driven from Tarim Besin to westward
by the Xiongnu, a fierce people of Magnolia.
•The Yuezhi under the leadership of the Kushanascame down
from Central Asia and swept away all earlier dynasties of the
Northwest in a great campaign of conquest. They established an
empire which extended from Central Asia right down to the
eastern Gangetic basin.
•In Bactria, they conquered the Scythians and the local Indo-
Greek kingdoms, the last remnants of Alexander the Great's
invasion force that had failed to take India.
•From this central location, the Kushan Empire became a wealthy
trading hub between the peoples of Han China, Sassanid Persia
and the Roman Empire. Roman gold and Chinese silk changed
hands in the Kushan Empire, at a very tidy profit for the middle-
men.

4. Migration from Tarim Besin

6. Ban Gujjarsstill live like Yuezhi of
ancient central Asia

7. The Van Gujjars("forest Gujjars") are found in
the Shivalikhills area of North India.
The Van Gujjarsfollow Islam, and they have their
own clans, similar to the Hindu gotras.
They are a pastoral semi-nomadic community,
practisingtranshumance.
In the winter season, the Van Gujjarsmigrate
with their herds to the Shiwalikfoothills, and
in summer, they migrate to pastures high up in
the mountains.

8. Walking throughdifferent landscapes, such as towns, villages and dense forests,for almost
three weeks, they finally reach their summerhome –lush alpine meadows laced with gurgling
streams. Leaving their cattle to graze, the nomads rest, sing, play, and relax for the season.

9. •Due to their deep bond with their animals,Van Gujjarsnever eattheir buffaloes
or sell them for slaughter. The traditionally vegetarian tribe doesn’t hunt, and
even though they share the Shivalikswith tigers, leopards and bears,it’s very rare
forthe tribetokill wild animals out of fear for their own safety.

10. First Gurjar Kingdom : Kushana Empire
•AfterMigrationfromTaerimBesin,theYuezhiGurjardefeated
theShakasandthePahlavas/Parthiniansandwentontocreate
abigempireinAfganistan,PakistanandNorthernpartsofIndia,
KnownasKushanaEmpire.
•ThefirstimportantruleroftheKushanadynastywas‘Kujula
Kadphises’orKadphisesI.HeoccupiedthevalleyofKabuland
hadalsoissuedcoinsinhisname.Hewasthensuccededbyhis
son,WimaKadphisesorKadphisesII.Hehadconqueredthe
areasofNorthernindiatillMathura.Hehadissuedcoins
proclaiminghimselfasaShivadevoteeandastherulerof
wholeworld.
•ThereaftertheKushanaempirewasruledbyKanishka.Heis
consideredthemostimportantruleroftheKushanadynasty.

12. •UnderKaniskaI(flourished1stcenturyCE)and
hissuccessors,theKushankingdomreachedits
height.Itwasacknowledgedasoneofthefour
greatEurasianpowersofitstime(theothers
beingChina,Rome,andParthia).
•TheKushanswereinstrumentalin
spreadingBuddhisminCentralAsiaandChina
andindevelopingMahayanaBuddhismand
theGandharaandMathuraschoolsofart.

13. •The Kushans becameaffluentthrough trade,
particularly with Rome, as their large issues of
gold coins show.
•These coins, which exhibit the figures of Greek,
Roman, Iranian, Hindu, and Buddhist deities and
bear inscriptions in adapted Greek letters, are
witness to the toleration and to the syncretism
in religion and art that prevailed in the
Kushanempire.
•After the rise of theSāsānian dynastyin Iran
and of local powers in northernIndia, Kushan
rule declined.

14. Kushana Polity and Administration
•Nothingmuchisknownabouttheadministrativemachineryof
theKushana.
•Perhapsthewholeempirewasdividedintoprovinces,each
ruledbyamahakshatrapa(amilitarygovernor),whowas
assistedbyakshatrapa;buthowmanyprovincesweretherein
theempire,isnotknown.
•SourcesindicatethatKushanahorsemenworetrouserswhile
riding.AheadlessstatueofKanishkafoundatMathurareflects
thesame.
•AprominentfeatureofKushanapolitywasthetitle
ofdevaputra,i.e.,sonofGod,usedbytheKushanakings.It
indicatestheclaimtodivinitybytheKushanakings.

15. The Contributions of Kushana Gurjars
•The Kushanasoccupy a special place in the ancient Indian
history because of theircontribution to various aspects of life.
•Their vast empire helped in the growth ofinternal and external
trade. It resulted in the rise of new urban centres.
•The rich stateof economy under the Kushanasis also
evidenced by the large number of gold andcopper coins that
they struck.
•Even in literature and medicine, India made progress. Charaka,
known as father of Ayurveda, wrote a book on medicine
calledCharaksamhitawhereas Asvaghosha, aBuddhist scholar,
wrote Buddhacharita,a full length biography of the Buddha.
Boththese scholars were believed to be the contemporaries of
king Kanishka.
•The Kushanaspatronized the Gandhara and the Mathura
schools of sculptural art which are known for producing the
earliest images of Buddha and Buddhisattavas.

16. •The successors of Kanishka had ruled for another
one hundredand fifty years. His son Huvishka
kept theempire intact. While Mathura became
an important city under his rule, like his father
Kanishka he was also a patron of Buddhism
religion.
•The last significant Kushana ruler was Vasudeva.
The Kushana empire got muchreduced in his
rule. Various inscription with his name are found
in and aroundMathura. He was a worshipper of
Siva.
•And afterVasudeva, petty Kushan princes ruled
for sometime in northwesternIndia after which
the empire faded away.

17. Kushan art
•The art and culture ofGandhara, at the crossroads of the
Kushan hegemony, constitute the best known
expressions of Kushan influences to Westerners.
•Several direct depictions of Kushans from Gandhara have
been discovered, represented with a tunic, belt and
trousers and play the role of devotees to the Buddha, as
well as theBodhisattvaand future BuddhaMaitreya.
•In the iconography, they have never been associated
with the Hellenistic "Standing Buddha" statues of an
earlier historical period. The style of these friezes
incorporating Kushan devotees, already strongly
Indianized, are quite remote from earlier Hellenistic
depictions of the Buddha.

18. Kushan king or
prince,Greco-
Buddhist
artofGandhar
(2nd-3rd century CE)

19. A Buddhist devotee in
Kushan dress, Mathura,
2nd century. The Kushan
dress is generally
depicted as quite stiff,
and it is thought it was
often made of leather
(Francine Tissot,
"Gandhara").

20. King Kanishka,
Mathura art,
Mathura Museum.

21. Kumara/Kartikeya
with
aKushanadevote
e, 2nd century CE

22. Kushan prince making a donation to aBoddhisattva.

23. Standing Female, 1st century
CE Terracotta. This lively
female figure comes from an
area of Pakistan where
merchants from around the
Mediterranean had long
maintained trading posts.
The area, known in antiquity
as Gandhara, developed an
unusual hybrid style of art and
culture that was at once
Hellenic and Indic.Brooklyn
Museum

24. •EkMukhiSiva Linga,
Kushana period
(Government
Museum, Lucknow).
•The Siva Lingais
one of the most
profound symbols
of humankind.
•It is the “mark” of
the unmanifest
eternal manifesting
itself in
innumerable forms
of the world.

25. Kushan Dynastic Ring.....Gold finger
ring

26. Huna Gurjar Kingdom
Gurjar of Huna gotr( subtribe) have established
two kingdoms in Central Asia ,
1.BectrianKungdomof Hepthelites
2.Aryabart(Indian) Kingdom of Hepthelites.

27. BectrianKungdomof Hepthelites
Procopius claims that the Hephthaliteslive in a
prosperous territory, are the only Huns with fair
complexions, do not live as nomads, acknowledge a
single king, observe a well-regulated constitution,
and behave justly towards neighboring states.
At the summit of their power around 550 AD, the
Hephthalitesruled a roughly triangular empire
extending over most of Afghanistan, Pakistan,
Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgystan, and Uzbekistan.
They soon built up a considerable empire extending
from the Caspian to the Indus, including Chorasmia,
Sogdiana, and part of north-western India.

28. The Huna Kings of Central Asia
•Akshunwar
•NapkiMalka

30. First major invasion of India by the
Hunas: 458 AD
The Gupta Empire in India reigned in the Ganges basin during the
5th century, and the Kushan dynasty occupied the area along
the Indus. After defeating the Kushanas, the Hunas entered the
subcontinent from the Kabul valley.
They entered Punjab and the Gupta Empire failed to protect the
northeast frontier of the empire and this made easier for the
Huns to enter an unguarded entrance in the Gangetic valley,
just into the heart of the Gupta Empire. This was in 458 AD.
The Hephthalites, known as the Hunas in India kept on invading
India until the Gupta ruler Skandaguptarepulsed them. The
Hunas, under the leadership of Toramana, suffered a crushing
defeat by the Gupta emperor Skandagupta.

31. Second invasion of India by the Hunas:
About 470 AD
The Hunas waited till 470 AD, till the death of the Gupta ruler
Skandaguptato invade India again in a proper manner.
During this time, the Guptashad been ruling over a greater part of
India. This time Hunas were under the leadership of Mihirkula(also
known, as Mihirgulaor the “Indian Attila”).
He was the successor and son of Toramana, and known as a very
tyrant ruler and a destroyer. This time, the Hunas were successful in
their invasion of India.
They temporarily overthrew the Gupta Empire. Mihirkularuled from
his capital at Sakal, which is today the modern Sialkot.
The Huna power in India collapsed after the defeat of Mihirkula.
Mihirkulawas defeated successively by two Indian rulers,
Yasodharmanof Malwaand NarasimhaguptaBaladityaof the later
Gupta dynasty.

32. Aftermath of the battles: Winner and
Loser
•Before the defeat of the Hunas by Skandagupta, the first
invasions of the Hunas displaced the Gupta Empire rule
from the North Western part of India.
•This invasion also influenced the chieftains and regional
kings to become more ambitious and rebel against the
Gupta Empire.
•The Hunas ruled over Gandharand central Punjab and also
controlled the Kushans. The first Hun king Toramanaruled
northern India as far as Malwain central India.
•After his death, his son Mihirkula, who destroyed the Gupta
Empire, ruled over North Western India for thirty years.
•However, Mihirakulawas driven out of the plains and into
Kashmir and died in about 542 A.D. After his death, the
political power of the Hunas declined.

33. Huna Kingdom of India
•Thefirst king of the White hunsin India isknown
by the name Tunjinaor Khingila. However this
name comes witha title of “Tegin” as well.
•This title denotes governor or warlord. However
there is an entirely other title of the Kaganthat is
given to the overlord of the White Huns,whose
seat is told to benear Bukhara.

34. List of Huna Rulers in India
The rulers concerned with here are those of the Indo-Hunas, as
they are most closely related to ourmainsubject of the
Gandhara region. Various lineages are given in places, but
most scholars seemtoagreeon the following chronology:
•Tunjina: The first to initiate Indian invasions. 455-484 CE
•Toramana: Son of Tunjina. 484-515 CE
•Mihirakula: Son of Toramana. 515-533 CE
•Pravarasena: Youngest half-brother of Mihirakula. 537-597 CE
•Gokarna:; Son of Pravarasena
•Khinkhila:Sonof Gokarna
•Yudhishthira/Judhishthira: Son of Khinkhila
•Lakhana:GrandsonofYudhishthira

35. Huna coin of King LakhanaofUdyana, legend "RAJA
LAKHANA (UDAYA) DITYA ".

36. The "Hephthalite bowl", NFPPakistan, 5th or 6th century
CE.British Museum.

37. Victory pillar ofYashodharmanat
Sondani,Mandsaurclaiming victory over the Huns.

38. Huns silver coin copying Gupta horse type 5th
century CE

39. Migration of Huna to West
•In spite of the fact that the first historically recorded Turkish state is that of
the Asian Huns in the third century B.C., it is highly probable that many
centuries earlier major part of Yuezhi Gurjar peoples migrated from
tochristanto the south and west. These earlier migrations were due to
several motives.
•European Hunas subjugated Tibet, the Tunghuzs, the Small Yuechis, and
some other tribes. Some went as far as Scythia, where they were able to
conquer a number of less fearsome tribes. Combined, these peoples
became the Huns.
•During the last two centuries scholars in different disciplines of the social
sciences have advanced various theories about the origins of the Western
Huns.
•Recent cultural and ethnographic sources have made it clear that the
Western Huns were of the yuezhiorigin, and that they were the
descendents of the Asian Huns.
•The northern Huns began to migrate towards the west at the beginning of
the second century, where they re-united with the tribes of Chi-chi.Due to
the pressure of nomadic tribes in the middle of the fourth century, the
Huns began a massive migration westwards .

40. Western Huna before Attila
•By 432 C.E., the Huns were united under Rugila, whose
death in 434 left his nephews Attila and Bleda(the sons
of Rugila'sbrother Mundzuk) in control over all the
united Hun tribes.
•At the time of their accession, the Huns were
bargaining with Byzantine emperor Theodosius II's
envoys over the return of several renegade tribes who
had taken refuge within the Byzantine Empire.
•The following year Attila and Bledamet with the
imperial legation at Margus(present day Požarevac)
and, seated on horseback in the Hunnic manner,
negotiated a successful treaty.

41. •As the sole King of the Huns, Attila invaded the
Eastern Roman Empire, seizing the Balkans, and
threatening earthquake-ravaged Constantinople in
447.
•The Roman Emperor sued for peace, handing over
6,000 pounds of gold in back-tribute, agreeing to
pay 2,100 pounds annually, and returning fugitive
Huns who had fled to Constantinople.
•These refugee Huns were probably the sons or
nephews of the kings killed by Rua. Attila had
them impaled.

43. Battle of the Catalaunian Plains
The Battle of the Catalaunian Plains (or Fields),
also called the Battle of Châlonsor the Battle of
Maurica, took place in AD 451 between a
coalition led by the Roman general Flavius Aëtius
and the Visigothicking Theodoric I against the
Huns and their allies commanded by their leader
Attila.
It was one of the last major military operations of
the Western Roman Empire though Visigothic
soldiers also formed the core of the allied Roman
army.
The battle was a strategic victory for the Romans,
stopping the Huns' attempt to conquer Roman
Gaul.

45. A depiction of Attila in the BadischesLandesmuseum,
Karlsruhe, Germany

46. Hunnic Descendants in West Asia and
Europe
•Bulgars:Many now accept that the Bulgarsare the
descendants of the Huns. The ancestor of the Bulgarsis
KobratHan, who was the son of Irnek. Irnekwas the
son or grandson of Attila. So the Bulgarsare directly
descended from the Huns.
•Magyars (Hungarians) : The Magyars (Hungarians) are
also the descendants of the Huns (a false assumption,
although Hungary itself did contain some Huns, plus
Avarsand many others -Ed). The dynasty of Arpad,
which founded the present-day Hungary, is descended
from the dynasty of Attila.

48. The Khazars Kingdom
•Khazar is Turkish pronounce of Gurjar, after the death of
Huna king Attila , Hunnish Gurjar kingdom collapsed and
remaining Huna soldiers established another kingdom to fill
the vacuum created in Eurasia after Hunnic Empire.
•Actually, Khazar established one of the largest politiesof
medieval Eurasia, with the capital ofAttilaand territory
comprising much of modern-day EuropeanRussia,
westernKazakhstan, easternUkraine,Azerbaijan, large
portions of the northernCaucasus(Circassia,Dagestan),
parts ofGeorgia, theCrimea, and northeastern Turkey.
•Before their migration to the west, the Khazars were one of
the Turkish tribes living under the rule of the Asian Huns.

49. •The Khazars originally were part of Great Yuezhi tribe , who
did not assiciatedwith Kushana kingdoms. From time
immemorial the homeland of the Khazars was in the heart of
Asia. It was a very hostile nation, constantly at war with its
neighbours. The Khazars were finally driven out of Asia by
neighbouringcountries in Asia with whom they were
continually at war. The Khazars fled their Asian homeland and
invaded eastern Europe to escape further defeats in Asia.
•The very hostile Khazars did not find it difficult to subdue and
conquer the 25 peaceful agricultural nations occupying
approximately 1,000,000 square miles in eastern Europe. In a
comparatively short period the Khazars established the
largest and most powerful kingdom in Europe, and probably
the wealthiest also.
•Between 100 and 800AD an incredibly evil society evolved in
Khazaria. During this time, Like Gujjar of Asia ,Khazars become
known to surrounding countries as thieves, murderers, road
bandits, and for assuming the identities of those travellers
they murdered as a normal occupational practice and way of
life.

51. •Khazariawasthefirstfeudalstatetobeestablished
inEasternEurope.
•Duringthe9thand10thcenturies,Khazariawasoneofthe
majorarteriesofcommercebetweennorthernEurope
andsouthwesternAsia,aswellasaconnectiontotheSilk
Road.
•Khazarsplayedaroleinthebalanceofpowersanddestiny
ofworldcivilization.
•AfterKubrat'sGreatBulgarawasdestroyedbytheKhazars,
someoftheBulgarsfledtothewestandfoundeda
newBulgarstate(presentdayBulgaria)neartheDanubian
Plain,underthecommandofKhanAsparukh.Restofthe
BulgarsfledtothenorthoftheVolgaRiverregionand
foundedanotherstatetherecalledVolgaBulgaria(present
dayChuvashia).

52. By serving as abuffer statebetweenChristiansandMuslims,
Khazars blocked the western spread ofIslaminEurope.
It was the military might of the Khazars that made it
impossible for armies of Islam to roll west into eastern
Europe and possibly even into Scandinavia.
Scholars say that only one tribe Gurjar/Gujjar /khazarwas
the tribe , who counter the Islamic attacks : In east at Indian
border and in West in turkey .
Scholars Also say that if Arabs had occupied what is now
Ukraine and Russia, the Ruswould never have been able to
push south and east from the Baltic to establish Russia

54. Khavarsin Hungary
TheKhavars(called oftenKabars) who settled
inHungaryin the late 9
th
and early 10
th
centuries
may have included Khazars among their number.
According to the archaeologist-historianGábor
Vékony, the native language of the Khavarswas
Khazar.
According to the TurkologistProf.AndrásRóna-
Taspart of the Khazars -who rebelled but then
were subverted by the Khazar Khagane-joined
with the Magyarsand then took part with them
in the Settlement of Hungary at the end of the
9
th
century CE.

55. Khazar place names today
•Today, various place names invokingKhazarpersist.
Indeed, theCaspian Sea, traditionally known as
theHyrcanianSeaandMazandaranSeainPersian,
came to be known toIraniansas theKhazar Seaas an
alternative name.
•Many other cultures still call the Caspian Sea "Khazar
Sea";e.g."Xəzərdənizi" in Azerbaijani, "HazarDenizi"
in Turkish, "Bahr ul-Khazar" in Arabic (although "Bahr
Qazween" is becoming more popular now), "Darya-ye
Khazar" in Persian. In Hungary, there are villages (and
people with family names) called Kozárand Kazár.

56. MaitrikGurjar King
•MaitrikDynasty was established atVallabhiPurabySenapati
Bhattarakin around470 CE. There is a strong possibility that
Maitrikas, who were ruling as feudatories to Guptasand later to
Yasodharmanwere of Saka(Kshatrapa) origin. The territory they
ruled and their names also support this fact very much.
•Bhattarakwas the army chieftain ofYashodharman.
•ThisMaitrikdynasty was the branch ofKushansonly.
•Maitrikasmade their capital atBallabhior VallabhiPura.
•Bhattarakawas succeeded by his sonDharasena(I),both of
them called themselves Senapatis. Then came Dharasena’s
younger brotherDronasimha,the first of maitrikasto use the
titleMaharajaor KING. His younger brother wasDhruvsena
(I),who in turn was followed by his younger brotherDharapatta.
•These five kings ruled for a short span of time (hardly 30 years).
•Next Maitrikruler, Dharapatta’sson, namelyGuhasenaruled till
524 AD.

57. •KingNasirbanofPersia(Full name was Naushervan-E-
Adil)invadedGujaratin524 AD,GuhasenaDied during
war, his pregnant queen,Pushpavati, was on a
pilgrimage to northern parts (Idardistrict, better
known as Mewar). On receiving the news, Pushpavati
went into hiding in the wilderness ofthe idardistrict.
There she was said to have given birth to a
sonGuhilorGuhaditya(named after his father)who
founded theRoyal Guhilotfamily in 569 AD.
•However VallabhiPurawas later recovered
byDharasena-II (571-572).

58. •Dharasena-IIwas succeeded by his sonSiladitya-I
Dharmaditya.He ruled between 606 AD and 612 AD,
covered an extensive territory. His was the most powerful
kingdom inWestern India.Siladityawas succeeded by his
younger BrotherKharagrha-I,Kharagrahawas succeded
by his sonDharasena-IIIwho annexed Gujarat to his
territory.
•A successor of hasty temper,Dhruvasena-II Baladitya,
the younger brother ofDharasena-IIIruled till641
AD.Secondsomnathtemplewas built by next
rulerDharasena-IVin649 AD,Who used the
titleslikeParamabhattâraka,Mahârâjâdhirâja,Paramêsh
vara,andChakravarti.There was a lot of trouble after the
death ofDharasena-IV, but was only restored during the
next rulerDêrabhatawho wasthe son’s son of the
illustriousShîlâditya(I.),who was the(elder)brother of
his father’s father (KharagrahaI.).

59. Gurjara-Pratihara Empire
•The Gurjara-Pratihara, often simply called Pratihara
(Parihara) Empire, was an imperial dynasty of Gurjar tribe
that ruled much of Northern India from the mid-7th to the
11th century.
•Its territories were greater in extent than those of the Gupta
empire when at its peak and it began to decline in the early
10th century when it faced several invasions by the south
Indian Rashtrakutadynasty.
•Kannaujbecame the capital of the imperial Gurjara-
Pratiharas, who in the tenth century were titled as
Maharajadhirajaof Āryāvarta("Great King over Kings of the
abode of the Aryans". i.e. Lords of Northern India).

61. Origin of Gurjara Pratiharas.
•The Pratihara dynasty is referred to as Gurjara Pratiharanvayah, i.e.,
Pratihara clan of the Gurjaras, in line 4 of the Rajorinscription (Alwar).
•The historian RamashankarTripathisays that the inscription confirms the
Gurjara origin of the Pratiharas. In line 12 of this inscription, occur words
which have been translated as "together with all the neighbouringfields
cultivated by the Gurjaras".
•Here, the cultivators themselves are clearly called Gurjarasand therefore it
is reasonable to presume that, in line four too, the term bears a racial
signification.
•The Rashtrakutadynasty records, as well as the Arab writers like Abu Zaid
and Al-Masudi(who allude their fights with the Juzror Gurjara of the
north), indicate the Gurjara origin of the Pratiharas.
•The Kanaresepoet Pampa expressly calls MahipalaGhurjararaja.
•This epithet could hardly be applied to him, if the term Ghurjararajabore a
geographical sense denoting what after all was only a small portion of
Mahipala'svast territories. Tripathibelieves that all these evidences point
to the Gurjara ancestry of the Pratiharas.
•

62. Rulers of Gurjara Pratiharas–650 to
1036 AD.
1. DaddaI-II-III 650 –750 AD
2. NagabhataI 750 –780 AD
3. Vatsaraja 780 –800 AD
4. NagabhataII 800 –833 AD
5. Ramabhadra 833 –836 AD
6. MihiraBhojaI 836 –890 AD
7. MahendrapalaI 890 –910 AD
8. Bhoj II 910 –913 AD
9. MahipalaI 913 –944 AD
10. MahendrapalaII 944 –948 AD
11. Devpala 948 –954 AD
12. Vinaykpala 954 –955 AD
13. MahipalaII 955 –956 AD
14. VijaypalaII 956 –960 AD
15. Rajapala 960 –1018 AD
16. Trilochanpala 1018 –1027 AD
17. Jasapala(Yashpala) 1024 –1036 AD

63. Coinage of Gurjara Pratihara Dynasty
•Coins of Pratihara Dynasty display several stages
of evolution and reveal that, they have been
issued over a long period, possibly 50 to 100
years. Gurjara Government had a stable currency
system dependent on the Agricultural Revenue
system and the military department, matched by
the concurrent needs of both local and export
traders for a medium of exchange.

64. Gurjar Emperor Mihir Bhoj

65. AnhaneriBabdi, made by King Bhoj

66. Battle of Rajasthan
•The Battle of Rajasthan is a battle (or series of battles)
where the Gurjar Hindu alliance defeated the Arab
invaders in 738 CE and removed the Arab invaders and
pillagers from the area east of the Indus River and
protected whole India.
•The final battle took place somewhere on the borders of
modern Sindh-Rajasthan. Following their defeat the
remnants of the Arab army fled to the other bank of the
River Indus.
•The main Indian kings who contributed to the victory
over the Arabs were the north Indian Gurjar Emperor
NagabhataI of the Pratihara Dynasty and the south
Indian Gurjar Emperor VikramadityaII of the Chalukya
dynasty in the 8th century.
•The Muslim conquest of Persia by Arab forces in a short
space of time contrasts sharply to the defeat of the Arab
armies by the Hindus.

67. •JunaydibnAbdal-Rahmanal-Murri, the successor
of Muhammad ibnQasim, finally subdued the
Hindu resistance within Sindh.
•Taking advantage of the conditions in Western
India, which at that time was covered with several
small states, Junaidled a large army into the region
in early 730 CE.
•Dividing this force into two he plundered several
cities in southern Rajasthan, western Malwa, and
Gujarat.

68. •The battle was fought between 5,000-6,000 Gurjar
Infantry and cavalry facing more than 30,000 Arabs.
•The Gurjar fought bravely and managed to kill the
Arab leader Emir Junaidduring the war.
•This enhanced the morale of the Gurjar hinduforces
while the Arabs disorganized and demoralized due
to their leaders death retreated and were frequently
attacked by local forces until they reached the indus
river taking great casualties.
•In the Gwalior inscription, it is recorded that
Gurjara-Pratihara emperor Nagabhata"crushed the
large army of the powerful Mlechchaking." This
large army consisted of cavalry, infantry, siege
artillery, and probably a force of camels.

69. Aftermath of Rajasthan Battle
•Junayd'ssuccessor TamimibnZaidal-Utbiorganized a fresh campaigns
against Rajasthan but failed to hold any territories there.
•He would be further pushed across River Indus by the combined forces of
the King of Kannauj, NagabhataC.E. thus limiting the Arabs to the
territory of Sindhacross River Indus.
•The Arab chronicler Sulaimandescribes the army of the Pratiharasas it
stood in 851 CE,
"The ruler of Gurjars maintains numerous forces and no other Indian
prince has so fine a cavalry. He is unfriendly to the Arabs, still he
acknowledges that the king of the Arabs is the greatest of rulers. Among
the princes of India there is no greater foe of the Islamic faith than he. He
has got riches, and his camels and horses are numerous.

70. Later events of Rajasthan Battle
•The Arabs in Sindhtook a long time to recover from their
defeat. In the early 9th Century the governor Bashar
attempted an invasion of India but was defeated.
•Even a naval expedition sent by the Caliphs was defeated by
the Saindhavaclan of Kathiawar.
•After this the Arab chroniclers admit that the Caliph
Mahdi,gaveup the project of conquering any part of India'.
•The Arabs in Sindhlost all power and broke up into two warring
Shiastates of Mansurahand Multan, both of which paid tribute
to the Gurjara Pratiharas.
•The local resistance in Sindh, which had not yet died out and
was inspired by the victories of their Indian neighbors
manifested itself when the foreign rulers were overthrown and
Sindhcame under its own dynasties like the Soomrasand
Sammas.

71. Symbolism of Wild Boar
•The Boar is an immensely courageous and fearless animal. Its
ferocity and tenacity in battle is well known. It protects its loved
ones and defends its territory vigorously. It roams in the wild doing
what it pleases at a place and time of his choosing. It is carefree and
has a devil may care attitude.
•The boar is known to hold its ground and charge even Lions when
threatened. Its thick skull, snout and sharp 'tusks' (teeth) are ideal
to head-butt and ram an opponent and gore it to death. In certain
ancient cultures, the boar is a symbol of fertility, virility and
strength.
•All these endearing qualities makes this animal a popular symbol of
many kings, rulers and dynasties. Wild boar's meaning is most
profound when it comes to defense.
•Indeed, many indigenous cultures adopted the boar as a symbol of
war, warriors and mighty courage. It is what also gives the South
Indian gold coins its popular name, the 'Varaha', also known as
Gadyanaand Pagoda

72. Gurjara Pratihara art
•The Gurjara-Pratihara rulers great patrons of arts, architecture
and literature.Mihir Bhoj, was the most outstanding ruler of the
dynasty.
•Notable sculptures of this period, includeViswaroopaform of
VishnuandMarriage of Siva and ParvatifromKannauj.
Beautifully carved panels are also seen on the walls of temples
standing atOsian,AbhaneriandKotah.
•The female figure named asSursundariexhibited in Gwalior
Museum is one of the most charming sculptures of the Gurjara-
Pratihara art.
•The image of standingLaksmiNarayana(Plate 42) fromAgroha,
now preserved in theChandigarh museum, is also a fine piece of
art of the Gurjara-Pratihara period.
•They are known for their open pavilion temples. The gretatest
development of Gurjar Pratihara style of temple building took
place atKhajuraho.
•Gurjar Pratihar rulers also built manyJain temples.

74. Sun Temple, Bharoli

75. Sun Temple, Sesai, (Shivpuri)

76. Sun Temple, Madhkhera

77. Mala devitemple, gyaraspur

78. Group of Temples, Naresar

79. The BateshwarGroup of Temples

80. ChausathYoginiTemple Mitavali

87. ChaulukyaGurjar Kingdom
•TheChaulukyaswere dominant power in theDeccanduring
6th to 8th century AD. And again during 10th century AD,
they regained their power and ruled till 12 century.
•The Chaulukyaswho ruled fromBadamiwere theWestern
Chaulukyas.
•The one who ruled fromKalyaniare referred asLater
Western Chaulukyasand the Chaulukyasof Vengiare known
to the historians as theEastern Chaulukyas.
•The legendary history of the Chaulukyasmakes their origin
very controversial.But the use of the word GurjarNathand
Gurjeshwarby later chaulukyarulers made it very much clear
that they were Gurjars by origin.
•Earlier they were feudatories to MaitrikGurjars but later
claimed independence.

89. •Pulakesin-I
With the modest beginning underJayasimhaand his sonRanaraga,
Chaulukyasruled from about 535 to 566 AD.But the real dynasty is
known to be founded by the MaharajaPulakesin-I.Pulakesi-I took up
many titles such as Satyasrayaand was a scholar too.Though not any
conquests are credited to him, he is stated to have ruled from Badami,
the present day Bijapur.
•Kritivirman-I
Pulakesin-I was succeeded by his son Kritivirman-I. He constructed
several temples and buildings in the town of Vatapi. The political
influence of Chaulukyasspread over a wider region embracing southern
part of Maharastra,Mysoreand Tamilnadu.He defeated the rulers of
Vanga, Anga, Kalinga, Vattura, Magadha .......He is also stated to have
broken up the confederacy ofKadambas.
•Mangalesa
Mangalesa, the brother of Kritivirman-I ascended the throne in 598
AD.TheKalachuriswere conquered by Mangalesaand the whole of
central and northern marathacountry was brought into the territory.The
eventual civil was between Mangalesaand his nephew Pulakesi-II cost
Mangalesahis own life.

90. •Pulakesi-II
Pulakesiascended the throne in 610 AD and ruled till
642 AD. The reign was not a bed of roses for him,
various parts of Chaulukyasassumed
independence.The internal rebellion and the
frequent invasion byAppayikaandGovindawere
eventually subdued.
•Vikramaditya-I
After the death of Pulakesi-II, Badamiand some of
the southern districts remained in the hand of
Pallavas.Though Chaulukyasthrone remained
vacant from 642 AD -655 AD, Vikramaditya-I
managed to ascend the throne in 655 AD.He
recovered Badamiand brought the whole kingdom
under his control.

91. •Vinayaditya
The next successor Vinayadityaruled from 681 to 696 AD and
carried on campaigns against Cholas, Pandyas, Pallavas, Aluvas.
By defeating the Lord of the entireUttarapatha, he acquired the
bannerPalidhvaja.
•Vikramaditya-II
Vikaramaditya-II was a son of Vijayaditya.He ruled from 734 AD -
745 AD.He defeated the Pallavaking thus putting off the
continuing hostilities.With this conquest, he took possession of
musical instruments, banner, elephants, rubies which belonged
to thePallavas.He destroyed the power of the Chola, Kerala,
Pandya.
•Kritivarman-II
The son of Vikramaditya-II,Kritivarman-IIsucceeded to reign for
the next eleven years.He was the last and glorious ruler of
Chaulukyas.For the next fifty years, the Chaulukyapower was
totally eclipsed by theRashtrakutas.Dantidurgadefeated
Kritivarman-II to gain the control of Chaulukyasonce for all.The
subsequent attempt by Kritivarman-II to regain the control was
futile.

92. Solanki Gurjar Kingdom
•TheSolanki dynastyruled parts of what are
nowGujaratandKathiawarin India between 950-1300 CE.
•The kings of the dynasty used the self-
designationChaulukya.
•The dynasty ended whenAlauddinKhaljiconquered Gujarat.
•In 1026, Gujarat was raided byMahmud of Ghazni, including
theSomnathtemple.
•After 1243, the Solankis lost control of Gujarat to their
feudatories, of whom theVagheladynastyofDholkacame to
dominate.
•After 1292, the Vaghelasbecame tributaries of theSeuna
(Yadava) dynastyofDevagiriin theDeccan Plateau.

93. •In support of their Gurjar-origin theory, Bhandarkar
andHoernlecited the name change of "Lata" province to
"Gurjaratra" during the Solanki reign. Bhandarkarexplained that if
the Solankis had not been Gurjars, it is inconceivable how that
province could have named "Gurjaratra" (country ruled or
protected by Gurjars) when it was up-till their advent known as
"Lata".
•AsokeMajumdarcriticized Bhandarkar'stheory, pointing out that
the term "Lata" was never used to describe the whole of Gujarat,
and that the Gurjara kings had ruled the region before the
Solankis. These included theGurjara-Pratiharas, as well as
theGurjarasof Nandipuri.
•D. P. Dikshitalso criticisedBhandarkar'stheory, arguing that there
is no evidence that the area came to be known as "Gurjaratra" or
Gujarat during the Solanki reign.
•Majumdarargues that the Solanki rulers were referred to as the
kings of the Gurjaras, because they ruled the country that was
already known asGurjaraby their time. He points out that even
theGangachief MarasimhaII assumed the title "king of Gurjaras"
after defeating a northern king on behalf of theRashtrakutas.

94. Solanki Kings(941 CE –1172 CE)
•Mularaja(941–996 CE)
•Chamundaraja(996–1008 CE)
•Vallabharaja(1008 CE)
•Durlabharaja(1008–1022 CE)
•BhimaI (1022–1064 CE)
•Karna(1064–1092 CE)
•JayasimhaSiddharaja(1094–1143 CE)
•Kumarapala(1143–1172 CE)
•Ajayapala(1172–1174 CE)
•MularajaII (1174–1177 CE)
•BhimaII (1177–1240 CE)
•Tribhuvanapala(1240–1244 CE)

95. Sun Temple SabhaMandap

96. TarangajiJain temple