Chandravarman II (Chandel ruler)
Chandravarman II (Hindi: चन्द्रवर्मन चन्देल (द्वितीय), reign. 831–845 AD) also known as Nannuka varman, Different from earlier Chandel ruler Pramati Chandravarman I). He was the ruler of the Chandel dynasty of Chanderi. His main achivement was against the Abbasids. In 833 AD, on the side of the Pratiharas, he attacked Baghdad, the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate of Arabia, destroyed it and killed 7 of their generals and burnt the palace, while there Caliph al-Mu'tasim hid somewhere out of fear. He defeated Pratihara dynasty and founded the Chandel dynasty of Jejakabhukti.[1][2][3]
| Chandravarman II | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nṛpati, Mahipati | |||||||||
| Founder of Chandelas of Jejakabhukti | |||||||||
| Reign | 831-845 CE | ||||||||
| Predecessor | Satyavarman | ||||||||
| Successor | Vakpativarman | ||||||||
| Wife | Aranya-Devi, (Raghuvanshi Princess) | ||||||||
| Son | Vakpativarman | ||||||||
| |||||||||
| Sanskrit | श्रीमन्मत् चन्द्रवर्मन देव चन्देल | ||||||||
| House | Haihaya Yadava, Chandravansh | ||||||||
| Dynasty | Chandel | ||||||||
| Father | Satyavarman | ||||||||
| Mother | Indrani-Devi (Ikshvaku princess) | ||||||||
| Religion | Vaishnavism, Hinduism | ||||||||
Ancestory
According to 6th cen. Book Sashivansh Vinod and Bilaspur inscription Hariharvarman, a 118th or 71th Chandravanshi Chandel king from Chanderi, Bundelkhand after Shishupala made his elder son Govindvarman the king of his kingdom before leaving Kahlur, while he took the remaining four sons with him to the temple of Naina Devi where he formed the new kingdom.[4][5][6] In the lineage of Govindvarman, king Satyavarman born whoose son was Chandravarman II. The poetic ballads about the Chandelas also do not mention Nannuka at all, and instead name "Chandravarman II" as the founder of the Chandel dynasty.
However, Nannuka is mentioned as the dynasty's founder in two inscriptions found at Khajuraho, dated Vikrama Samvat 1011 (954 CE) and 1059 (1002 CE). These two inscriptions, eulogistic in nature, do not provide much information of historical value.[3]
Life
After becoming king, In 833 AD, on the side of the Pratiharas, he attacked Baghdad, the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate of Arabia, destroyed it and killed 7 of their generals and burnt the palace, while there Caliph al-Mu'tasim hid somewhere out of fear. The 954 CE inscription states that he had conquered many enemies, and that other princes feared and obeyed him. It also states that he was "shaped like the god of love", and "playfully decorated the faces of the women of the quarters with the sandal of his fame".[7] The inscription also praises him using vague phrases, such as "a touchstone to test the worth of the gold of the regal order".[8] The 1002 CE inscription describes him as the Sun and the pearl-jewel of his family. It compares his archery skills to that of the legendary hero Arjuna. It praises his modesty and generosity, and calls him the "delight of his subjects".[9]
The epigraphic records do not mention the circumstances in which the Chandel kingdom was established.[8] The titles given to Nannuka in the Chandel records include nṛpa, narpati and mahīpati. These are not very high titles, and therefore some modern historians believe that he was only a small feudatory ruler.[9] According to the local tradition of Bundelkhand, the Chandelas became rulers of that region after subduing the Pratiharas. Historian R. K. Dikshit notes that, in absence of any historical evidence, it is hard to believe that Nannuka defeated the imperial Pratiharas. He could have overthrown a local branch of the Pratiharas.[9]
External Links
References
- ↑ Pradesh (India), Uttar (1988). Uttar Pradesh District Gazetteers: Hamirpur. Government of Uttar Pradesh.
- ↑ Gangoly, Ordhendra Coomar (1957). The Art of the Chandelas. Rupa.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Dikshit 1976, p. 25.
- ↑ India, Anthropological Survey of (1996). Himachal Pradesh. Anthropological Survey of India. ISBN 978-81-7304-094-8.
- ↑ Massy, Charles Francis (1890). Chiefs and Families of Note in the Dehli [sic], Jalandhar, Peshawar and Derajat Divisions of the Panjab. Printed at the Pioneer Press.
- ↑ Census of India, 1991: Una (in हिन्दी). Controller of Publications. 1995.
- ↑ Dikshit 1976, pp. 25-26.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Mitra 1977, p. 27.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Dikshit 1976, p. 26.
Bibliography
- Dikshit, R. K. (1976). The Candellas of Jejākabhukti. Abhinav. ISBN 9788170170464.
- Mitra, Sisirkumar (1977). The Early Rulers of Khajurāho. Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 9788120819979.