History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v3.c34.s2.31

v3.c34.s2.31

Yaśaḥkarṇa was succeeded by his son Gayakarṇadeva who also appears to have ruled long and vigorously as inscriptions show. He married Ālhaṇadevī a princess of the Guhilot family of Mewad. An inscription recorded by her gives her pedigree as follows (Bheraghat inscription Ep. Ind. II. p. 10): "In the Gobhilagotra was Hansapāla whose son was Vairisiṃha, whose son was Vijayasiṃha. He married Śyāmalādevī daughter of Udayāditya king of Dhārā and their daughter was Ālhaṇadevī." This description is important in many respects. First, the Rajputs had begun to look upon their family or clan as gotra, Gobhila being of course Gohila. They probably began to count their Rishi gotra as of no importance, the theory being propounded that their Rishi gotra was the gotra of their Purohitas. The family namegotra is found in many inscriptions of this period. Secondly, the line of the Guhilot kings is correctly given as Hansapāla, Vairisiṃha and Vijayasiṃha in Mewad chronicles and inscriptions, of which we had some doubt (see Ind. Ant. XVIII p. 216). Thirdly, instead of Mewad, the word Prāgvāṭa is here used. It is difficult to determine what Prāgvāta meant though unquestionably it included Malwa. Fourthly, Udayāditya Paramāra was king of Malwa. He is said to be king of Dhārā which thus clearly appears to be in his possession. It is lastly important to note that this Haihaya family of Chedi was considered of the best Rajput blood as it had marriage relations with the Guhilots of Mewad and the Paramāras of Malwa two best Rajput families and with Pṛthvīrāja Chauhan whose mother the queen of Someśvara was a Kalachūri princess, as will be noted later on, probably a daughter of Ālhaṇadevī herself or her son Narasinhavarman.