Chahamana raid on Jejakabhukti

Chahamana raid on Jejakabhukti
Date 1182 Location Jejakabhukti country Result Chandela victory Chahamana campaign failed
Belligerents
Chahamanas of Shakambhari	Chandel Empire
Commanders and leaders
Prithviraj Chauhan	Paramardivarman

The Chahamana raid on Jejakabhukti was a military expedition launched by Prithviraj Chauhan III against the Chandel Empire in 1182 CE, during the reign of Paramardi Varman. The Chahamanas raided and plundered Chandela territory as far as Madanapur, but failed to establish permanent control over Madanapura or capture the Chandela capital, Kalanjara. Paramardi subsequently recaptured the territory after defeating or repulsing Prithviraja III.

Background

In the late 12th century, the Chandel Empire was one of the most prosperous and economically wealthy empires in India. Seeking to plunder its territories and increase the revenues of his kingdom, the Chahamana ruler Prithviraja III launched a military expedition into Chandela territory in 1182, during the reign of Emperor Paramardi Varman.

Raid

In 1182, Prithviraja III raided Jejakabhukti. The Chahamana campaign reached the area of Madanapura, where the invading forces plundered the surrounding territory. The available inscriptional evidence records the plundering of the territory but does not state that Mahoba was captured or occupied by the Chahamanas. Nor does it establish a permanent Chahamana conquest of Jejakabhukti.

The campaign was followed by the withdrawal of the Chahamana forces. The Chandela ruler Paramardi Varman retained control of his kingdom, and the Chahamanas did not establish a permanent occupation of Jejakabhukti. The territories conquered by the Chahamanas as far as Madanapura were subsequently recaptured by Paramardi Varman, and the Chahamanas were repulsed.

Aftermath

The raid did not result in the annexation of Jejakabhukti by the Chahamanas. Paramardi Varman continued to rule the Chandel Empire after the campaign, even after the execution of Prithviraja III by Muhammad of Ghor a decade later.

During the later period, Chauhan bards presented the episode as a historical victory through poetic accounts, while their own inscriptions do not record a victory, occupation, or defeat of Paramardi.

Bardic fictions

According to the medieval ballads, Prithviraj was returning to Delhi after marrying the daughter of Padamsen. During this journey, he was attacked by Turkic forces (Ghurids). The Chauhan army managed to repulse the attacks, but suffered serious casualties in the process. They lost their way, and arrived in the Chandela capital Mahoba. The Chauhan force, which had a number of wounded soldiers among them, unknowingly set up a camp in the Chandela royal garden. They killed the keeper of the garden for objecting to their presence. When Paramardi learned about this, he sent some soldiers to counter the Chauhan force. The Chandelas suffered heavy losses in the ensuing conflict. Paramardi then decided to send another force led by his general Udal against Prithviraj. Udal advised against this proposal, arguing that it would not be appropriate to attack wounded soldiers or to antagonize a powerful king like Prithviraj. However, Paramardi was under the influence of his brother-in-law Mahil Parihar (Pratihara), who secretly harboured ill-will against the Chandelas. Mahil instigated Paramardi to go ahead with the attack plan. The Chandela force led by Udal then launched a second attack against the Chauhan army, but was defeated. The situation subsided when Prithviraj left for Delhi.

Unable to bear Mahil Parihar's political scheming, Udal and his brother Alha left the Chandela court. They took shelter with Jaichand, the Gahadavala ruler of Kannauj. Mahil then sent a secret message to Prithviraj Chauhan, informing him that the best generals of Paramardi had left Mahoba. Instigated by him, Prithviraj set out from Delhi in 1182 CE and marched to the Chandela territory via Gwalior and Bateshwar. First, he besieged Sirsagarh, which was held by Malkhan, a cousin of Alha and Udal. Prithviraj tried to win over Malkhan, but Malkhan remained loyal to Paramardi and fought against the invaders. After Malkhan killed eight generals of the invading army, Prithviraj himself took charge of the battle. The Chandelas ultimately lost the battle, and Malkhan was killed.

Prithviraj then started a march towards Mahoba. Facing an imminent defeat, Paramardi and his nobles sought a truce on the advice of his chief queen Malhan Devi. Prithviraj agreed to the truce, but remained encamped on the banks of the Betwa River in the Chandela territory. The Chandelas, meanwhile, requested Alha and Udal to come back from Kannauj. The two brothers were initially hesitant, but agreed to return after their mother appealed them to honour their allegiance to the Chandelas. Jaichand dispatched an army led by his best generals, including two of his own sons, to support the Chandelas. Paramardi himself became nervous, and retreated to the Kalanjara fort with some of his soldiers. His son Brahmajit, along with Alha and Udal, led the Chandela army against Prithviraj Chauhan. In the ensuing battle, the Chandelas were defeated. Brahmajit, Udal and the two sons of Jaichand were killed in the conflict. After his victory, Prithviraj sacked the Chandela capital of Mahoba.

Next, Prithviraj dispatched his general Chavand Rai to Kalanjara. The Chauhan army captured the fort, took Paramardi as prisoner, and marched back towards Delhi. According to the Parmal Raso, Alha's son Indal Kumar launched a surprise attack on the returning Chauhan army, and freed Paramardi. Out of shame, Paramardi later committed suicide at the Gajraj temple. Parmal Raso states that his 50 wives committed sati (self-immolation) after his death. According to Chand Bardai, he retired to Gaya and died there. The Prithviraj Raso states that Prithviraj appointed Pajjun Rai as the governor of Mahoba. Later, Paramardi's son Samarjit recaptured Mahoba with help of Narasimha, an officer of Jaichand. Samarjit then ruled the territory between Kalanjara and Gaya. However, no such prince is mentioned in the epigraphical records.

The exact historicity of this legendary narrative is unreliable, as well as the claim of Chauhan occupation of Mahoba or Kalanjara by Chauhans is not supported by historical evidence. Moreover, it is known that Paramardi did not die or retire immediately after the Chauhan victory. He is known to have issued several inscriptions after this event: the Kalanjara rock inscription, the 1183 CE Mahoba stone inscription, the 1187 CE Ajaygarh stone inscription, the 1195 CE Baghari (Bateshvar) stone inscription, and the 1201 CE Kalanjara stone inscription. These records give imperial titles for Paramardi Varman, indicating that he remained a sovereign emperor. The Muslim chronicles also provide evidence that Paramardi Varman ruled until the beginning of the next century, when the Delhi Sultanate invaded the Chandela kingdom. These evidences suggest that Paramardi Varman was never really lost his sovereignty, not was defeated by Prithviraja, as well as he captured the occupied territories till Madanpur in a month. All these stories are nothing but a bardic fiction, propagated by Bhats via Prithviraja Raso and Parmalaraso.