Chavda Kingdom
Encyclopedia
The Chavda Kingdom or Chapa dynasty also known as Gujar Chapas was an ancient Hindu
Kshatriya
dynasty which ruled northern Gujarat from 746
AD to 942
AD.
It is stated in Bombay Gazetteer that Chavdas were Gurjars. Historians such as Vincent Arthur Smith
, Peter N. Stearns, William Leonard Langer also mentioned that Chapas or Chapotkatas were one of the ruling clans of the Gurjars.
states in his book "White Hun' Coin of Vyaghramukha of the Chapa (Gurjara) Dynasty of Bhinmal" that Chapa, Cahuda, Chavda, Chavotaka and Chapotkata are identical.
Mr. Jackson regards Chapa as being the original form, Chapotkata a sanskritized variant, meaning 'strong bowman'.
The chavda was a branch of the Gurjars who extended the power of the race in the south.
However, others believe, that Chawuras of Saurashtra or Gujarat were neither of Solar or Lunar race and consequently, it is supposed they were Scythians. They must have established themselves in India at very remote period, for we find Gehlots inter-married with them, when they were rulers of Balabhi
. The capital of Chawdas was at Deobander, near Somnath
on west coast of Kathiawar.
They settled down in Gujarat and later Saurashtra. The first king of the Chawra Kingdom was Jayshikhari Chawra. Panchsar, a city in north Gujarat, was capital of chapa Gurjara dynasty at the time of Jayshikhari Chawra.
He was assassinated even before his son Vanraj Chavda
was born.
Vanraj Chavda went on to be the most successful Chawra ruler, founding historical cities such as Anhilpur Patan
and Champaner
.
There were five Chawra kings after Vanraj.The last king Samantsinh Chawra did not have any children so he adopted his nephew Mulraj Solanki who overthrew him in 942
and set up what came to be known as the Solanki
dynasty.
Solanki and Chavda dynasty have also ruled over Kutch in mediveal peiod 921 AD to 1500 AD. It was after Chawda dynasty became weak Jadeja
emerged as powerful and ruled Kutch till India's independence. In Saurahstra, Chavda kings once held sway over Port of Diu, Dwarka
, Wadhwan
, Prabhash Patan, Shiyalbet, Harshad (Minalpur), Chorwad, Koylana-Ghed, okha
etc. Further, Varsoda
Principality in Gujarat was ruled by Chawda kings till Independence on India in 1947.
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
Kshatriya
Kshatriya
*For the Bollywood film of the same name see Kshatriya Kshatriya or Kashtriya, meaning warrior, is one of the four varnas in Hinduism...
dynasty which ruled northern Gujarat from 746
746
Year 746 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 746 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Byzantine Empire :* Byzantine forces regain Cyprus...
AD to 942
942
Year 942 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar.- Asia :* Kaminarimon, the eight-pillared gate to Japan's Kinryuzan Sensouji Temple, is erected....
AD.
It is stated in Bombay Gazetteer that Chavdas were Gurjars. Historians such as Vincent Arthur Smith
Vincent Arthur Smith
Vincent Arthur Smith was born in 1843 in Dublin which was then part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. He was an Indologist, historian and art historian who worked in the Indian Civil Service and retired early to devote himself to his writing.His Oxford History of India, covering...
, Peter N. Stearns, William Leonard Langer also mentioned that Chapas or Chapotkatas were one of the ruling clans of the Gurjars.
History
Historian Vincent Arthur SmithVincent Arthur Smith
Vincent Arthur Smith was born in 1843 in Dublin which was then part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. He was an Indologist, historian and art historian who worked in the Indian Civil Service and retired early to devote himself to his writing.His Oxford History of India, covering...
states in his book "White Hun' Coin of Vyaghramukha of the Chapa (Gurjara) Dynasty of Bhinmal" that Chapa, Cahuda, Chavda, Chavotaka and Chapotkata are identical.
Mr. Jackson regards Chapa as being the original form, Chapotkata a sanskritized variant, meaning 'strong bowman'.
The chavda was a branch of the Gurjars who extended the power of the race in the south.
However, others believe, that Chawuras of Saurashtra or Gujarat were neither of Solar or Lunar race and consequently, it is supposed they were Scythians. They must have established themselves in India at very remote period, for we find Gehlots inter-married with them, when they were rulers of Balabhi
Vallabhi
Vallabhi is an ancient city located in Saurashtra peninsula in Gujarat, in western India, near Bhavnagar. Also known as Vallabhipura, it was the capital of the ancient Maitraka dynasty.- Origins and history :...
. The capital of Chawdas was at Deobander, near Somnath
Somnath
The Somnath Temple located in the Prabhas Kshetra near Veraval in Saurashtra, on the western coast of Gujarat, India, is one of the twelve Jyotirlinga shrines of the God Shiva. Somnath means "The Protector of Moon God". The Somnath Temple is known as "the Shrine Eternal", having been destroyed...
on west coast of Kathiawar.
They settled down in Gujarat and later Saurashtra. The first king of the Chawra Kingdom was Jayshikhari Chawra. Panchsar, a city in north Gujarat, was capital of chapa Gurjara dynasty at the time of Jayshikhari Chawra.
He was assassinated even before his son Vanraj Chavda
Vanraj Chavda
Vanraj Chavda was the most prominent king of the Chavda Kingdom or "Gurjar Chapa dynasty" , a Hindu Kshatriya dynasty which ruled Gujarat from 746 AD to 942 AD.- History :...
was born.
Vanraj Chavda went on to be the most successful Chawra ruler, founding historical cities such as Anhilpur Patan
Patan, Gujarat
Patan was a capital of Gujarat in medieval times. It is the administrative seat of Patan District in the Indian state of Gujarat and administered by municipality. The city contains many Hindu and Jain temples as well as few mosques, dargahs and rojas...
and Champaner
Champaner
Champaner चंमपानेर شمبنر is a historical city in the state of Gujarat, in western India. It is located in Panchmahal district, 47 kilometres from the city of Vadodara. The city was briefly the capital of Gujarat....
.
There were five Chawra kings after Vanraj.The last king Samantsinh Chawra did not have any children so he adopted his nephew Mulraj Solanki who overthrew him in 942
942
Year 942 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar.- Asia :* Kaminarimon, the eight-pillared gate to Japan's Kinryuzan Sensouji Temple, is erected....
and set up what came to be known as the Solanki
Solanki
The Solanki was a royal Hindu Indian dynasty that ruled parts of western and central India between the 10th to 13th centuries. A number of scholars including V. A. Smith assign them Gurjar origin....
dynasty.
Solanki and Chavda dynasty have also ruled over Kutch in mediveal peiod 921 AD to 1500 AD. It was after Chawda dynasty became weak Jadeja
Jadeja
Jadeja belong to the Yaduvanshi rajputs or Chandravanshi rajputs. They are one of the 36 royal dynasties of old tracing their origins to Lord Krishna...
emerged as powerful and ruled Kutch till India's independence. In Saurahstra, Chavda kings once held sway over Port of Diu, Dwarka
Dwarka
Dwarka also spelled Dvarka, Dwaraka, and Dvaraka, is a city and a municipality of Jamnagar district in the Gujarat state in India. Dwarka , also known as Dwarawati in Sanskrit literature is rated as one of the seven most ancient cities in the country...
, Wadhwan
Wadhwan
Wadhwan is a city and a municipality in Surendranagar district in the Indian state of Gujarat.-Demographics: India census, Wadhwan had a population of 61,739. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Wadhwan has an average literacy rate of 71%, higher than the national average of...
, Prabhash Patan, Shiyalbet, Harshad (Minalpur), Chorwad, Koylana-Ghed, okha
Okha
Okha is a town in Sakhalin Oblast, Russia. Population: 29,000 ; 27,963 ; 36,104 .-Geography:The town lies on the east coast of the far north of the island of Sakhalin, approximately 850 km north of the regional capital Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, near the shoreline of the Sea of Okhotsk.-History:The...
etc. Further, Varsoda
Varsoda
Varsoda is a small village located in northern part of Gujarat, India on the bank of the Sabarmati River. It is approximately 25 km away from Gandhinagar, the state capital of Gujarat.-History:...
Principality in Gujarat was ruled by Chawda kings till Independence on India in 1947.