History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v3.c34.s5.8

v3.c34.s5.8

Lastly, the suggestion that Gaharwars are looked down upon by other Rajputs is not correct. And if they are, there must be other reasons which apply to the Gaharwars of the present day. The fact now known that the ruling family of Kanauj was Gāhadavāla must finally set at rest such an idea, for Jaichand and Govindachandra and Chandra were considered best Rajputs of their days. It is suggested by Sir Vincent Smith that the Gāhadavālas were originally Bhars. There is no proof whatever of this supposition. There is an important verse* in the interesting inscription of Madanapāla-Govindchandra already noticed (I. A. XVIII p. 15) which may be quoted in this connection. The verse may be translated thus; "When the two famous races of Kshatriyas born of the Sun and the Moon were desolate, the creator thinking that the whole world is nearly void of the sound of Veda recitation inclined his mind to incarnate himself to re-establish the ways of religion as also to rehabilitate the two famous races of Kshatriyas". "Then there was born in the above family king Śrī-Chandradeva crest-jewel of kings and he dispelled the darkness caused by the insolent soldiers of the enemy". This shows that Chandra, the founder of the Gāhadavāla family, was then popularly considered as having rehabilitated the solar and lunar race Kshatriyas and the Vedic religion. It seems clear that he was looked upon as an orthodox Kshatriya who was well-versed, like Rāma, in both Veda and the Dhanurveda-vidyā. This also shows that there was a great slaughter before that time of Kshatriyas by the forces of Mahmud and his successor Masa'ud and also a great relaxation in the observance of the Vedic religion in the conduct of the remnant. Chandradeva Gāhadavāla was, therefore, properly enough looked upon as an incarnation of Brahmā himself, the first reciter of the Veda and the creator of Brahmins and Kshatriyas. It cannot, therefore, be supposed that the Gāhadavāla family of Kanauj could in those days have been looked down upon as lower grade Kshatriya; and it ought to have been enumerated among the 36 royal clans; and was in fact included under the chief clan name Rathod.