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History of the Chudasama Rajputs

The Chudasama Rajputs are one of the earlier Rajput migrants into Kathiawar. According to bardic tales and limited historical records, after the fall of Vallabhi, the vassal in charge of Wamansthali (present day Vansthali, near Junagadh), declared independence and set up his own dominion with a capital at Wamansthali. Little is known about this line or rulers, but a certain king of this line, Wala Ram, had given his daughter in marriage to a chieftain of Sindh. These Rajputs, supposedly known as the Sama Rajputs, had settled in Sindh due to Mohammedan pressure in their original dominions further north.

Wala Ram did not have a male issue, and hence he adopted his nephew, a prince of the Sama clan, by the name of Ra Chuda. Ra Chuda, upon being proclaimed the ruler of Wamansthali, assumed the new appellation of Chudasama. The Chudasama line ruled over the regions in and around Wamansthali for over 600 years.

Ra Chuda enjoyed a long and prosperous rule, and was succeeded by his grandson, Mulraj, due to the untimely death of his son Hamir. Ra Mulraj, and his successor, Ra Vishwar, both were successful in military campaigns, crushing their neighbors who defied them. They rose to significant prominance in western Gujarat and carved a powerful niche for their dynasty in the history of Kathiawar. The successor of Ra Vishwar was Ra Grahar, a powerful, but tyrannical ruler. He was a contemporary of Mulraj, the first Solanki ruler of Anhilwar. Ra Grahar is supposed to have built the fort at Junagadh, known as Uparkot. The growing power of the Chudasama dynasty, and the tyrannical acts of Ra Grahar resulted in a conflict between him and Mulraj Solanki, at which time, after a major and decisive battle, Mulraj slew the Ra and greatly weakend his kingdom. The Jadeja ruler from Kutch, Lakho Phulani is supposed to have fought along side the Ra in this battle, and also lost his life when he attacked Mulraj during a truce negotiation. After this battle, the Chudasama kingdom was witnessed repeated attacks from the more powerful Solanki rulers of Gujarat.

Ra Kawat, was the next ruler in this line, and is famous in bardic tales for his battle with Uga Vala, the, chief of Talaja, and a maternal uncle to the Ra. Ra Kawat was victorious in this battle and ousted Uga Vala from his holdings. However, he is supposed to have been assasinated on his return from this campaign. Ra Dasji, the son and successor of Ra Kawat, witnessed the next attach by the Solanki ruler, Durlabraj Solanki of Anhilpur. The Ra defended his holdings but was finally besieged in his fortress in Uparkot. Durlabhraj however, forced his way into the fortress and slew the Ra, along with his loyal supporters. Wamansthali was captured and brought under the control of the Solanki ruler, and a general was placed in charge of the administration.

Ra Dayaji however, had a young son, Ra Navghan, who had miraculously escaped being captured by the Solanki soldiers with the help of his mother, and had been taken up by an Ahir family to be raised in strict secrecy. The Ahirs, who had been staunch supporters and extremely loyal to the Chudsama rulers, sacrificed their own son in place of the young Ra, when questioned by the Solanki general. Upon reaching adulthood, Ra Navghan gathered a strong group of young supporters and loyalists and after repeated attacks, was able to recapture Wamansthali from the Solanki ruler. Stirring tales are told about the exploits and the chivalry of this brave ruler of the Chudasama dynasty. On one occasion, he crossed the wastelands of Kutch into the borders of Sindh, and gave a crushing defeat to the Muslim tyrant, Hamir Sumro, who was then ruling over Sindh. However, there is no mention of the Chudasama having played any part in the defense of the attack on Somnath by Mahmud of Ghazni, which occurred during the reign of Ra Navghan.

Ra Navghan ruled for 24 years, and was succeeded by his son, Ra Khengar, who had a long and relatively peaceful rule of 23 years. The next in line, was Ra Navghan-II who also ruled peacefully for the better part of the 21 years of his reign. During the last years of his reign, he witnessed the long and determined attack on his capital, under the illustrious Siddhraj Jaisinh. As fortune would have it, the Ra did not live to see the result of his siege, and the resistance against the Solanki was continued by his brave son and successor, Ra Khengar-II. In spite of a brave resistance and a determined defense by the Ra, Siddhraj, was resilient, and finally broke into the fortress of Uparkot, killing the Ra and his sons. He captured the wife of the Ra, the queen Rainak Devi, and carried her back with him with the intention of espousing her. However, the queen refused his advances and preferred the buring pyre to dishonor, on the banks of Bhogavo river, near the town of Wadhwan.

Siddharaj left a Viceroy at Junagadh, who remained but a short time, for the people of Junagadh quickly expelled him, and elected a new sovereign, Ra Naughan III,who died in a.d. 1140 and was succeeded by his son,Ra Kawat II, who ruled uneventfully for about twelve years. In a.d. 1152 Jayasinha Chudasama, son of Ra Kawat, ascended the gadi of his ancestors under the title of Ra Grahario II. He died about a.d. 1180, after a reign spent chiefly in plundering expeditions into other regions of Gujarat. He was succeeded by his son Ra Raisinha, who in A.D. 1184 was followed by Ra Mahipal II, known as Gajraj. Gajraj died in a.d. 1201, and his son, Ra Jaymal, succeeded him. Ra Mahipal III succeeded his father on the latter's death in a.d. 1230, and he spent much time in fighting against the Kathis. They defeated an army sent against them under one of the Ra's generals, and he was obliged to collect another force and to proceed against them in person. The ruler of Dhank, a Vala Rajput chieftain, supported him, but in spite of the strong combination against them, the Kathis did not suffer serious defeat. They even captured several villages belonging to Dhank. They remained undefeated when Ra Mahipal III died in a.d. 1253, and it was left to his son, Ra Khengar III, to complete the work his father had begun. Before his short reign of seven years was ended, he had compelled the Kathis to acknowledge defeat and to take service under him. Ra Mandlik I ascended the gadi in a.d. 1260, at a time when the Mahomedans were beginning to establish themselves in Gujarat, and to change plundering raids into permanent occupation of the country.

Ra Mandlik I faced the vicious invasion of Alaf Khan, General and Brother-in-Law to Mohammed Khilji, the ruler of Delhi. Alaf Khan successfully demolished once again, the splendid temple of Somnath, but was greatly hampered in his attacks by the forces of Ra Mandlik I. Alaf Khan subjugated all territories between Talaja and Okha, and left a Mahomedan Viceroy to administer the territory. Ra Mandkli I was later engaged by a Rathore ruler by the name of Jagatsinh, and the Chudasamas lost control of their ancestral wamansthali for almost 100 years, before winning it back in 1356 AD. Ra Mandlik I died in a.d. 1306, and for the next two years Ra Noghan IV ruled in Junagadh. Ra Mahipal IV succeeded him in a.d. 1308, and reigned for seventeen uneventful years, when he died and was succeeded by his son Ra Khengar IV. The new ruler determined to rid Saurashtra of the Mahomedan Viceroy in the South, and soon after he began his reign he made a vigorous onslaught on the Viceroy and drove him out of the peninsula. Prabhas Patan and Somnath thus for the first time came under the Chudasama rule, and Ra Khengar rescued the famous temple from the decay into which it had fallen during the Mahomedan occupation of the country and restored it to its former splendor.

But his success against the Mahomedans was not to be for long, for Mahamad Tughlak Shah marched on Junagadh and spent two rainy seasons in besieging the fort, which he eventually captured. Ra Khengar, however, had his kingdom restored to him, and Mahamad Taghlak returned to Delhi. However, in a.d. 1346 another incident was the cause of a second visit being paid to Saurashtra by the King of Delhi. A cobbler named Taghan, who had been raised to power in Gujarat, raised a rebellion amongst the Gujarat nobles against the Mahomedan Governor. Mahamad Taghlak marched with an army on Anhilwad to restore order, and Taghan fled to Junagadh and sought protection from Ra Khengar. In a.d. 1348 Mahamad Taghlak again led an army against Junagadh and again reduced it.

Mulraja I further extended the kingdom by bringing the regions of Saurashtra and Kutch under his sway. His capital was the present day town of Patan. He was succeeded by other illustrious rulers, notable among were Sidhrag Jayasinh and Kumarpala, who further extended the kingdom.

The period under Solanki reign is considered as the most glorious in the history of Gujarat. The present name Gujarat was adopted during this period. The period saw tremendous development in architecture, language and scripts. Numerous artistic temples were built, famous among them being the Rudramala Temple and the Sun Temple at Somnath. Jainism also made inroads in the kingdom during the Solanki rule.

The Solanki rule saw a decline during the 13th century following the annexation of the Gujarat region by various Muslim rulers. The most famous plunder was that of the Somnath Sun temple by Mahmud Ghazni, a Turkish ruler from Afghanistan. Following the fall of the Solanki dynasty some parts of Gujarat was ruled by the Vaghela Dynasty, whose rule persisted only for 76 years.

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