History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v3.c34.s6.2

v3.c34.s6.2

The Gāhadavālas in their inscriptions do not say that they came from the Deccan as the Senas of Bengal in their inscriptions distinctly say that they came from Karṇāṭa and call themselves Karṇāṭa-Kshatriyas. But non-mention is not conclusive unless the mention is necessary. The official bardic record book in the Bikaner State Library states that the Rathods originally belonged to Ayodhyā and a king thence went direct to Kanauj and took possession of it. This is, however, not quite reliable, as Kanauj is known, in historic times from about 400 A. D. to the 11th century A. D., to have been in the possession of the Maukharis, the Vardhanas, the Varmās and the Pratihāras (see Vol. I and II). Moreover, this record mentions Jaichand and his father Bijepāl, but not Govindachandra and his ancestors. The bardic record at Jodhpur does not also give Govindachandra and his predecessors. In one bardic book at Jodhpur, no reference is made to the Deccan as at Bikaner, but in another it is stated that a king named Nandapāla son of Vipula became king of Karṇāṭaka and his descendants came to Kanauj and Jaichand son of Bijepāl is given as the last. Bijepāl's father's name is given as Abhaichand (which may be another name of Govindachandra). His father's name is given as Brahma and Chandra is stated in inscriptions to be an incarnation of Brahmā. This tradition, therefore, may be taken to indicate that the Gāhadavālas came from the Deccan Karṇāṭaka. But the name of Kalyan city is not mentioned even in this record.