VĀRĀṆASĪ IN THE GĀHAḌAVĀLA PERIOD

ABSTRACT

The Decline and disappearance of the Gurjara-Pratīhāra empire in circa CE 1030 ushered in an era of political disintegration and anarchy in Northern India. The erstwhile feudatories asserted their independence. Antarvedī was disturbed by the invasion of Mahmud of Ghazni and North Indian political powers were busy with their local conflicts. There was a political vacuum giving an open invitation for showing bravery to any ambitious power in the region. In this disturbed condition the Gāhaḍavāla dynasty was established by Candradeva in about CE 1089 which ended the political uncertainty that prevailed in the Middle Gangā Valley and the dynasty under the able rule of his successors Madanapāla,Govindacandra,Vijayacandra and Jayaccandra continued to rule over the region till the Muslim conquest in CE 1193. The history of this dynasty is known to us principally through their inscriptions numbering 117, if we set aside the brief mention of them in the contemporary and near-contemporary literary works. They were in the possession of Kānyakubja and Vārāṇasī and it is generally believed that the former was their capital, though their inscriptions show that they had closer and long continued association with Vārāṇasī. In the ensuing paper it is proposed to discuss the condition of Vārāṇasī in the time of the Gāhaḍavālas.

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