History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v1.c7.15

v1.c7.15

Before going on to describe the kingdoms of Mid-India we must notice a small kingdom not visited by Hiuen Tsang, the ruler of which in the beginning of the next or 8th century laid the foundation of the Mewad kingdom so noted in modern history for its great heroism and its constancy to Rajput traditions. This was the small kingdom of Eder in the south-west of Mewad, founded by a son of Gūhāditya of the Valabhi family of Kshatriyas, in the middle of the sixth century. At this time, i. e., in the first half of the seventh century, the ruler in this family was named Nāgāditya Śilāditya who is mentioned in an inscription dated 646 A. D. (see Rajputana Gazetteer, Mewad Agency, Vol. II) In this family is said to have been born Bappā Rāwal who in the beginning of the 8th century seized Chitod and inaugurated the Mewad family of Rajputs as we shall have to relate hereafter. The origin of the Mewad family thus traced to the Valabhi kings is doubted by many historians, for reasons which we shall have to discuss in our second volume.