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{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2019}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name = Madanapala
| title = Parama-bhattaraka Maharajadhiraja Parameshvara Parama-Maheshvara
| succession = Gahadavala king
| reign = c. 1104–1113 CE
| predecessor = [[Chandradeva]]
| successor = [[Govindachandra (Gahadavala dynasty)|Govindachandra]]
| spouse = Ralhadevi, Prithvishrika
| issue = Govindachandra
| house-type = Dynasty
| house = [[Gahadavala]]
| father = Chandradeva
}}
'''Madana-pala''' ([[IAST]]: Madanapāla, r. c. 1104–1113 CE), also known as Madana-chandra, was an Indian king from the [[Gahadavala]] dynasty. He ruled the Antarvedi country in present-day [[Uttar Pradesh]], including [[Kanyakubja]] and [[Varanasi]].

Madanapala's son [[Govindachandra (Gahadavala dynasty)|Govindachandra]] played an active role in his administration, and repulsed the [[Ghaznavid]] and [[Pala Empire|Pala]] invasions.

== Early life ==

Madanapala was a son of the Gahadavala king [[Chandradeva]]. An 1107 CE inscription gives his titles and name as ''Parama-bhattaraka [[Maharajadhiraja]] Parameshvara Parama-Maheshvara Shriman Madanapala-[[deva (Hinduism)|deva]]''.{{sfn|Roma Niyogi|1959|p=55}}

Inscriptional evidence suggests that Madanapala married at least two women: Ralhadevi (IAST: Rālhadevi) and Prithvishrika (IAST: Pṛthvīśrīkā). Ralhadevi was the mother of his successor Govindachandra.{{sfn|Roma Niyogi|1959|p=64}}

== Military career ==

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"type": "Feature",
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The Gahadavala inscriptions attribute grand military victories to Madanapala using conventional praises, but do not provide any specific details.{{sfn|Roma Niyogi|1959|p=55}} His son [[Govindachandra (Gahadavala dynasty)|Govindachandra]] appears to have led the major wars that happened during his reign. These wars were of defensive nature, and did not lead to annexation of any enemy territory.{{sfn|Roma Niyogi|1959|p=63}}

=== Conflict with the Ghaznavids ===

Madanapala's 1104 CE Bashai inscription states that his father Chandradeva had made [[Kanyakubja]] his capital, which suggests that he continued to rule from the same city. However, his 1105 CE Kamauli inscription omits the verse about Kanyakubja, although it contains the other introductory verses from the Bashai inscription.{{sfn|Roma Niyogi|1959|p=56}} It appears that the Gahadavalas lost Kanyakubja somewhere between 1104 CE and 1105 CE.{{sfn|Roma Niyogi|1959|p=57}}

The enemy to whom they temporarily lost Kanyakubja was most probably a general of the [[Ghaznavid]] ruler Mas'ud III. ''Diwan-i-Salman'' by the contemporary Muslim historian Salman states that Mas'ud III launched a holy war against [[Hindustan]] (or Hind). According to Salman, the Hind was ruled by the "god-forsaken" chief Malhi, and its capital was Kanauj (Kanyakubja). Salman further states that Kannauj (Kanyakubja) was like the [[Qibla]] for the infidels (non-Muslims), and all the treasures of Hindustan were concentrated there. The 13th century text ''[[Tabaqat-i Nasiri]]'' also states that a general named Hajib Tughatigin invaded India during the reign of Mas'ud III. This general crossed the [[Ganga river]], and reached places so far that no previous invader other than [[Mahmud of Ghazni]] had reached.{{sfn|Roma Niyogi|1959|p=58}}

The "Malhi" mentioned by Salman appears to be Madanapala, as he was the ruler of Kanyakubja during 1104-1105 CE. According to Salman, the Ghaznavids captured Malhi, and released him only after the payment of a ransom. The inscriptions issued by prince Govindachandra indicate that he managed to restore the Gahadavala power in Kanyakubja and its surrounding area by 1109 CE. A peace treaty was probably concluded between the two parties, as indicated by the 1109 CE Rahin inscription. According to this epigraph, Maharajaputra (prince) Govindachandra fought repeatedly against "Hammira", and made him lay aside his enmity. Hammira is the Sanskrit form of the Arabic title "[[Emir|Amir]]", which was used by the Ghaznavids.{{sfn|Roma Niyogi|1959|p=57}}

Subsequently, the Ghaznavids appear to have launched another attack on the Gahadavala kingdom, which was not successful. ''Kṛtya-Kalpataru'', written by the Gahadavala courtier Lakshmidhara, states that Govindachandra killed the Hammira.{{sfn|Roma Niyogi|1959|p=60}} This incident may have happened during the reign of Madanapala, or early in the reign of Govindachandra.{{sfn|Roma Niyogi|1959|p=61}}

=== Conflict with the Palas ===

Sometime before 1109 CE, the [[Pala Empire|Palas]] of eastern India invaded the Gahadavala kingdom, probably as a retaliation of [[Chandradeva]]'s earlier invasion of their kingdom. The 1109 CE Rahin inscription boasts that prince Govindachandra subdued the elephants of [[Gauḍa (region)|Gauda]] (the Pala kingdom). The ''Kṛtya-Kalpataru'' declares that the mere sport of Govindachandra threatened the elephants of Gauda.{{sfn|Roma Niyogi|1959|p=63}} This war appears to have ended with a peace treaty concluded through a matrimonial alliance: Govindachandra married a relative of the Pala king [[Ramapala]].{{sfn|Roma Niyogi|1959|p=63}}

== Successor ==

Madanapala was succeeded by his son [[Govindachandra (Gahadavala dynasty)|Govindachandra]], who had played an important part in administration and military campaigns during his father's reign.{{sfn|Roma Niyogi|1959|p=56}} Even as a prince, Govindachandra issued multiple inscriptions, which record grants approved by what appears to be a regency council. Based on these inscriptions, the historians earlier speculated that Madanapala was only a nominal ruler, possibly because of an illness. However, in 1929, an inscription issued by Madanapala himself was discovered, which invalidated this theory.{{sfn|Roma Niyogi|1959|p=55}}

== Coins ==

Some silver and copper coins featuring "bull-and-horseman" design have been attributed to Madanapala. Such coins were prevalent in the contemporary northern India. One side of the coins features the horseman, encircled by the king's short name (''Madana'', ''Mada'' or ''Shri-Ma''). The other side features a humped bull with the legend ''Madha[va]-Shri-Sama[nta]''.{{sfn|Roma Niyogi|1959|p=64}}

However, numismatist P. C. Roy believes that these coins have been wrongly attributed to the Gahadavala king. According to him, these coins were issued by a [[Tomara dynasty|Tomara]] king of same name. He points out that there is no epigraphic or literary evidence about the issue of coins by the Gahadavala ruler Madanapala.{{sfn|P. C. Roy|1980|p=97-99}}

== Inscriptions ==

The following inscriptions from Madanapala's reign have been discovered:{{sfn|Roma Niyogi|1959|pp=246-247}}

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Date of issue (CE)
! Place of discovery
! Issued at
! Issued by
! Purpose
|-
| 25 December 1104
| [[Etawah district]]: Bashai (Basahi)
| Asatika on Yamuna
| Govindachandra (prince)
| Village grant issued with the consent of Purohita Jaguka, Mahattaka Balhana, and Pratihara Gautama{{sfn|Roma Niyogi|1959|p=54}}
|-
| 24 October 1105
| [[Varanasi district]]: Kamauli
| Vishnupura on Ganga
| Govindachandra (prince)
| Village grant issued with the consent of Queen Ralhadevi, Purohita Jaguka, Mahattaka Balhana, and Pratihara Gautama{{sfn|Roma Niyogi|1959|p=54}}
|-
| 1107
| [[Pratapgarh district, Uttar Pradesh|Pratapgarh district]]: [[Barera]] (or Badera)
| Varanasi
| Madanapala
| Village grant
|-
| 16 December 1109
| Unknown
| Varanasi (Adikeshava [[Ghats in Varanasi|Ghatta]])
| Prithvishrika (''Maharajni'' or queen)
| Village grant
|-
| 3 January 1109
| [[Etawah district]]: Rahin (or Rahan)
| Asatika on Yamuna
| Lavanapravaha (''ranaka'' or feudatory), approved by Govindachandra (prince)
| Village grant issued with the consent of Mahattaka Gangeya.{{sfn|Roma Niyogi|1959|p=55}}
|}

== References ==
{{reflist|30em}}

=== Bibliography ===

* {{cite book |author=P. C. Roy |title=The Coinage of Northern India |publisher=Abhinav |year=1980 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f2Et2zZGJPUC&pg=PA53 |isbn=9788170171225 }}
* {{cite book |author=Roma Niyogi |title=The History of the Gāhaḍavāla Dynasty |publisher=Oriental |year=1959 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EJQBAAAAMAAJ |oclc=5386449 }}

{{Gahadavala dynasty}}

[[Category:Gahadavala kings]]
[[Category:12th-century Indian monarchs]]
[[Category:12th-century maharajadhirajas]]

Madanapala (Gahadavala dynasty) - Revision history

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