The early history of Chudasama dynasty of Saurashtra (now in Gujarat, India) is almost lost. The bardic legends differs very much in names, order and numbers so they are not considered reliable. Mandalika Kavya, a Sanskrit poem by Gangadhara, gives some information on dynasty but it has little historical value. Some of their inscriptions gives their early genealogy but they too differ in order of succession. Ranchhodji Diwan, A. K. Forbes, James Burgess[1] and Gaurishankar Oza had tried to fix genealogy and chronology. Based on the dates of the inscriptions assigned to Chudasama kings and other literary sources, the genealogy and chronology of latter half of the dynasty can be established fairly. Still it is certain that they ruled about from about Vikram Samvat (VS) 900 to VS 1527 (c. 875 CE to 1472 CE).[2] [3] [4]
[5] There is no inscription of the period before the king Mandalika I available. Still it is certain that they had established their rule in the Saurashtra region before the Chaulukya king Mularaja came to power in Anahilavada because literary sources tell about battles between Chudasama kings and Chaulukya kings; Mularaja and Jayasimha Siddharaja. Dhandusar inscription (VS 1445) says that the founder of the dynasty was Chudachandra (also known as ChudaSamma). A Vanthali inscription tells about Mandalika, a kings whose kingdom was captured by Jagatsimha, a feudatory of Chaulukya king Viradhavala. This Mandalika king must be another Mandalika king mentioned in latter half genealogy. As Viradhavala is known to live in VS 1288, he must be assigned the same date. As Vanthali inscription date VS 1346, it must have been under the Jagatsimha's family till then. It seems that a later Chudasama king Mandalika regained Vanthali when Chaulukya rule weakened. So the later genealogy starts from him in later inscriptions. The Chudasamas continued to rule till VS 1527 (1472 CE) when they were defeated by Gujarat Sultan Mahmud Begada. As inscriptions says about their resistance to Gujarat Sultans, it can be said that they were the most powerful dynasty in Saurashtra region at that time.[3] [6]
| Ruler | Relationship | ReignCE | Accessionyear Samvat | Ra Khengar Mahal/ Neminath Templeinscription on Mount Girnar[7] | Hani Vav Dhandhusar inscription[8] | Mahaprabhu Bethak near Revatikund, Girnar inscription[9] | Uparkot Junagadh[10] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| c. VS 1506-07/c. 1454 CE | VS 1445/1389 CE | VS 1473/1417 CE | VS 1507/1451 CE | |||||
| Mandalika I | son of Yashodhavala | 1294–1306 | 1350 | Mandalika | Mandalika | |||
| Navaghana | son of Mandalika I | 1306–1308 | 1362 | Navaghana | ||||
| Mahipala I | son of Mandalika I | 1308–1331 | 1364 | Mahipaladeva | Mahipala | |||
| Khengara | son of Mahipala I | 1331–1351 | 1387 | Shangara (Khangara) | Khengara | Khengara | ||
| Jayasimha I | son of Khangara | 1351–1378 | 1407 | Jayasimhadeva | Jayasimha | Jayasimha | ||
| Mahipala II | son of Jayasimha I | 1378–1384 | 1435 | |||||
| Mokalasimha/Muktasimha | son of Jayasimha I | 1384–1396 | 1440 | Mokalasimha | Mokalasimha | Muktasimha | ||
| Mandalika II | son of Mokalasimha | 1396–1400 | 1452 | Mandalika | ||||
| Meliga | son of Mokalasimha | 1400–1416 | 1456 | Melangadeva | Meliga | Maligadeva | ||
| Jayasimha II | son of Meliga | 1416–1430 | 1472 | Jayasimha | ||||
| Mahipala III | son of Meliga | 1430–1451 | 1486 | Mahipaladeva | Mahipala | |||
| Mandalika III | son of Mahipala III | 1451–1472 | 1507 | Mandalika | Mandalika |
Ranchhodji Amarji, Diwan or prime minister of Junagadh State wrote Tarikh-i-Sorath in Persian in 1825. Ranchhodji wrote that Chudasamas belonged to Chandravanshi and they are descendants of Shri Sadashiv and said to have come from Sindh. He wrote that the regular succession of nine men named Navghan, ten named Jakhra, eleven named Alansingh and other individuals of with various names have ruled.
He had written the following chronology in Tarikh-i-Sorath:
| Accession dateSamvat | dateCE | Ruler | Relation | Reign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rao Dayat | Tale of marrying daughter of Siddha Rao (Jayasimha Siddharaja?) of Gujarat. | ||||
| 874 | 817 | Navghan | son of Dayat | saved by Devait of Alidhar(Gir Somnath District) from Siddha Rao when boy, regained Junagadh. Conquered Sindh. | |
| 916 | 859 | Khengar | son of Navghan | 36 years, attacked Patan, slain by Siddha Rao, tale of Ranik Devi who ended ner life in VS 952 (895 CE) | |
| 952 | Mularaja | son of Khengar | 35 years and six months | ||
| 987 | Jakhra | son of Mularaja | 21 years | ||
| 1009 | Ganraj* | son of Jakhra | 38 years and 4 months | ||
| 1047 | Mandalika | son of Ganraj | 48 years and 2 months, joined Bhimadeva against Mahmud of Ghazni who had attacked Somnath temple | ||
| 1095 | Hamira Deva | son of Mandalika | 13 years and some days | ||
| 1108 | Vijayapala | son of Hamira Deva | 54 years and six months | ||
| 1162 | Navaghana | son of Vijayapala | 2 years | ||
| 1184 | Mandalika | son of Navghana | 11 years | ||
| 1195 | Alansingh | son of Mandalika | 14 years | ||
| 1209 | Dhanesh | son of Alansingh | 5 years. some copies says 9 years. | ||
| 1214 | Navghan | son of Navghan | 9 years | ||
| 1224 | 1167 | Khengar | 46 years | ||
| 1270 | Mandalika | son of Khengar | 22 years, 3 months, 22 days. Some copies says 32 years. | ||
| 1302 | Mahipala | son of Mandalika | 34 years, five months, 3 days. Some copies says 34 years. | ||
| 12 Magshar 1336 | 1279 | Khengar | son of Mahipala | 54 years and 13 days. conquered Diu and other 17 islands, repaired Somnath, Sams Khan took Junagadh under Tughluq order. Khengar took refuge in Mount Girnar. | |
| 1390 | Jayasingh | son of Khengar | 11 years, 8 months, 11 days. | ||
| 6 Bhadarva 1402 | Mugatsingh or Mokalsingh | son of Jayasingh | 14 years, 13 days. | ||
| 4 Ashvad 1412 | Madhupat | son of Mugatsingh | 5 years, one month, six days. | ||
| 10 Kartika Sud 1421 | Mandalika | son of Madhupat | 17 years, 6 months, 3 days. | ||
| 1439 | Malek | brother of Mandalika | son of slave-girl. 11 years, 11 months, 24 days. | ||
| 1468 | Jayasingh | son of Malek | captured Zanzira (?). 18 years, 3 months, 14 days. | ||
| 1486 | Khengar | son of Jayasingh | Ahmad Shah of Gujarat attacked Junagadh, Khengar and his divan Hira Singh took refuge in Uparkot in 1470 (?) where he died. 22 years. | ||
| 1489 | Mandalika | Kiwamu-al-Mlik, Amir of Sultan Mahmud, attacked Junagadh in VS 1520 and captured Mandalik in 1527 (1470 CE) when Junagadh fort fell. Mandalika embraced Islam and died in Ahmedabad where he is buried in Manek Chowk. after 2 years, his son restored as Jagirdar came to known by title of Raizada. |
| Accession dateSamvat | dateCE | Ruler as Jagirdar | Relation | Reign | Thanadar | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1529/1528 | Bhupat Singh | 31 years. | Tatar Khan, son of Zafar Khan | |||
| 1560 | Khengar | son of Bhupat Singh | 22 years. | Malik Ayaz and Tatar Khan Ghori | ||
| 1581 | Navghan | son of Khengar | 28 years, 11 months, 20 days. | Sayyid Kasam and Mujahid Khan Belim | ||
| 1608 | Shri Singh | son of Navghan | 34 years, 1 month, 10 days | Khan Azam Kokaltash became Subahdar of Ahmedabad in place of Khan Khanan and conquered Junagadh in 1633. | ||
| 1642 | Khengar | son of Shri Singh | 22 years | Mahmud Shah and Bahadur Shah of Gujarat who gave Junagah as Jagir to his Amirs. 13 years with Tatar Khan as Thanadar. |
James Burgess translated Târikh-i-Soraṭh in English as Târikh-i-Soraṭh, a history of the provinces of Soraṭh and Hâlâr in Kâthiâwâd from Gujarati translations of Persian manuscripts. The translation was edited by James W. Watson and published finally in 1882. He had consulted several manuscripts and taken support of an inscription in Vastupal Jain Temple on Mount Girnar to fix the chronology given by Ranchhodji Amarji which he had published in Report on the Antiquities of Kathiawad and Kachh and subsequently in the translation as an editor note. He had added information of other sources and had done conjectural corrections in the dates as seem required. These corrections are applied only to the dates when converted into CE and where doubtful marked with a (?).[11] [1]
Ranchhodji had listed the reigns of the first four kings beginning with Navaghana I extend over 151 years and then a blank occurs of 22 years between Navaghana II and his successor Mandalika I. Burgess had included Khengar II (1107? CE) omitted by Ranchhodji. Burgess notes that Ranchhodji had omitted Navghana (1235?) after Mandalika whom he had assigned 22 years and 3.75 years, beginning in VS 1270 and the next ruler Mahipala's reign begin in VS 1302 thus 10 years were unaccounted for, or about the same time Navaghana IV reigned. He also noted that Ranchhodji gave three successors of Mugatsingh in order; Madhupat (VS 1416-1421), Mandalika (VS 1421-1439), Malek (VS 1439-1450) which is probably derived from an inscription in Revatikunda which gives following genealogy: Mandalika lll; his son Mahipala; his son Khangara lV; his son Jayasimha; his son Mugatsimha; his sons Mandalika and Melak; and Jayasimha, son of Melak. The chronology in the text is confirmed by the Mandalika Kavya. Burgess had allowed the dates VS 1421 and 1439 to stand but proposed alteration to 1428 and 1433.[11] [1]
Burgess has noted that some copies give the date VS 874 of Navghan's accession, and allow 42 years for his reign. He disapproves of James Tod's counting Chudachandra as the fortieth prince before his own time, and the eighth before Jam Unad, whom Tod had placed in VS 1110, assuming that Chudachand must have lived about VS 960.[1]
| MS dateSamvat | Probable date CE | Ruler | Relation | Reign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | 904? | Ra Dyas or Dyachh | the third descent from Ra Gariyo/Graharipu, the grandson of Ra Chandrachud, the first of Chudasama dynasty | Ra Dyas was defeated and slain by the king of Patan VS 874 (917 CE). Some copies give VS 874 as the date of Naughan's accession and allow 42 years for his reign counting Chudachand as the fortieth prince before his own time, and the eighth before Jam Unad whom he places in VS 1110 assumes that Chudachand must have lived about VS 960. Very little dependence however can be placed on such a computation. He says he was contemporary with Ram Kamar, the fourteenth prince of Ghumli. | |
| 894 | 937? | Navaghana or Naughan | son of Ra Dyas | invaded Sindh and defeated Hamir, the Sumara prince VS 890. | |
| 916 | 959? | Khangar | son of Navaghana | killed at Bagasara by the Anhilvada Raja, possibly by Mularaja who ruled from 942 to 996 CE and defeated Graharipu of Vanthali. | |
| 952 | 968? | Mularaja | son of Khangara | perhaps of Anhilvada. | |
| 1009 | 992? | Navaghana II | son of Mularaja | ruled for 38 (18?) years.* | |
| 1078 | 1021? | Mandalika, son of Navaghana | joined Bhima I of Gujarat in pursuit of Mahmud of Ghazni VS 1080, A.H. 414. | ||
| 1095 | 1038 | Hamir Deva | son of Mandalika | 13 years. | |
| 1108 | 1051 | Vijaypala | son of Hamiradeva | ||
| 1162 | 1085? | Navaghana III | subdued the Raja of Umeta | ||
| - | 1107? | Khangara II | slain by Jayasimha Siddharaja of Anahilvada Patan. | ||
| 1184 | 1127 | Mandalika II | 11 years | ||
| 1195 | 1138 | Alansimha | 14 years | ||
| 1209 | 1152 | Ganesha or Dhanesha | 5 years | ||
| 1214 | 1157 | Navaghana or Naughana IV | 9 years | ||
| 1224 | 1167 | Khangara III | 46 years | ||
| 1270 | 1213 | Mandalika III | son of Khangara III | 22 years. Mentioned in the Girnar inscription. | |
| - | 1235? | Navaghana or Naughan V | Amarji omits Nanghana after Mandalika, to whom he assigns a reign of 22 years 3.75 months, beginning in VS 1270 and then makes Mahipala's reign begin in VS 1302, leaving 10 years unaccounted for, or about the same time as Navaghan IV reigned. | ||
| 1302 | 1245 | Mahipaladeva (Ra Kavat) | 34 years, built a temple at Somanath Patan | ||
| 1336 | 1279 | Khangara IV | son of Mahipaladeva | repaired the temple of Somanath, conquered Div &c. Shams Khan took Junagadh | |
| 1390 | 1333 | Jayasimhadeva | son of Khangara IV | 11.75 years, and subdued 84 petty chiefs. | |
| 1402 | 1345 | Mugatsimha or Mokalsimha | son of Jayasimha | 14 years | |
| 1416 | 1359 | Melak Deva | son of Mugatsimha | saved Jhala Krishnaji, who sought his protection from the Yavana. | |
| 1421 | 1371 | Mahipaladeva II or Madhupat | married Kunta, daughter of Arjuna, the son of Bhimaji. Arjuna was succeeded by Dudavanish (? Duda of Sathi). | ||
| 1439 | 1376* | Mandalika IV | son of Mahipaladeva | defeated Sangana of Okha | |
| 1450 | 1393 | Jayasimhadeva II | apparently "the Rai of Jerend or Jiran" mentioned in Firishtah as defeated by Muzaffar Shah I of Gujarat in 1411 CE. He is said to have taken Zanzira (?) from the Gujarat Sultanate. | ||
| 1469 | 1412 | Khangara V | war with Ahmad Shah | ||
| 1489 | 1432 | Mandalika V | restored the Uparkot in VS 1507, subdued by Mahmud Begada in 1469-70 CE. |
After their subjugation to the Ahmedabad kings, the dynasty seems to have been preserved as tributary Jagirdars for another century; the list of these princes stands thus:
| Accessiondate CE | Jagirdar | relation | reign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1472 | Bhupat | cousin of Mandalika V | 32 years | |
| 1503 | Khangara VI | son of Bhupat | 22 years | |
| 1524 | Navghana VI | son of Khangara | 25 years | |
| 1551 | Shrisimha | 35 years, Gujarat subdued by Akbar | ||
| 1585 | Khangara VII | till about 1609 |
Note that some copies give the following chronology:
| Year in AD | Ruler | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1047 | Jakhara | successor of Mularaja | |
| - | Gunaraja | ?Kunaraja | |
| 1076 | Mandalika |
| YearSamvat | YearAD | Ruler | Reign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 952 | 895 | Mularaja | 36 years | |
| 988 | 931 | Jakhara | 21 years | |
| 1009 | 952 | Navghana II | 38 years | |
| 1047 | 990 | Gunaraja | 31 years | |
| 1078 | 1021 | Mandalika | 17 years |
James W. Watson, in Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency: Kathiawar Volume VIII (1884), had given the chronology of Chudasama kings. The early kings in chronology were based on the bardic legends and latter chronology was based on the inscriptions.[12]
Harold Wilberforce-Bell wrote The History of Kathiawad from the Earliest Times in 1916.[13] He expanded on the chronology of Watson. In corroboration to inscriptions, the kings starting Mandalik I were correct in chronology but dates of accession varies from later chronologies. He presented following chronology:
| Ruler | Accessionstart CE | Accessionend CE | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chudachandra | 875 | 907 | Founder of dynasty | |
| Mularaja | 907 | 915 | ||
| Vishwavarah | 915 | 940 | ||
| Graharipu | 940 | 982 | Uparkot fort rebuilt. Battle with Chaulukya Mularaja | |
| Kavat | 982 | 1003 | Uga Wala tale | |
| Dyas | 1003 | 1010 | Battle with Chaulukya Dularaj (Durlabhraja?) | |
| Chaulukya viceroy | 1010 | 1020 | ||
| Navghan | 1020 | 1044 | Regained from Chaulukya with help from Ahirs. Expedition to Sindh. Sack of Somnath in 1026 by Mahmud of Ghazni. | |
| Khengar I | 1044 | 1067 | 23 years | |
| Navghan II | 1067 | 1098 | 21 years. Defeated by Siddharaj | |
| Khengar II | 1098 | 1125 | Youngest of four son of Navghan II, defeated chief of Umeta, broke gate of Analihavad Patan and Siddharaj attacked in return, Tale of Ranik Devi | |
| Navghan III | 1125 | 1140 | Navghan III regained throne expelling Chaulukya viceroy | |
| Kavat II | 1140 | 1152 | 12 years | |
| Jayasimha/Graharipu II | 1152 | 1180 | ||
| Raisimha | 1180 | 1184 | ||
| Mahipal II/Gajraj | 1184 | 1201 | ||
| Jayamal | 1201 | 1230 | ||
| Mahipal III | 1230 | 1253 | battles with Kathis. | |
| Khengar III | 1253 | 1260 | subdued Kathis. | |
| Mandalik I | 1260 | 1306 | Alaf Khan raided Saurashtra, lost Vanthali to Rathod chief. | |
| Navghan IV | 1306 | 1308 | ||
| Mahipal IV | 1308 | 1325 | 17 years | |
| Khengar IV | 1325 | 1351 | Restored Somnath and expelled Delhi Sultanate appointed governor. | |
| Jayasimha II | 1351 | 1369 | 18 years | |
| Mahipal V | 1369 | 1373 | recovered Vanthali in 1370. | |
| Muktasimha | 1373 | 1397 | Tughluq order to remove capital to Vanthali | |
| Mandalika II | 1397 | 1400 | 3 years, | |
| Malek | 1400 | 1415 | Brother of Mandalika II. Conflict with Ahmad Shah I of Gujarat. | |
| Jyasimha III | 1415 | 1440 | 25 years | |
| Mahipal IV | 1440 | 1451 | ||
| Mandalik III | 1451 | 1470 | Defeated by Mehmud Begada in 1470 and told Mandalik to embrace Islam. His descendant restored as Jagirdar. |