Political History of Northern India

SR No.: 001744
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Gulabchandra Chaudhary
Publisher: Sohanlal Jain Dharm Pracharak Samiti Amrutsar
Publication Year: 1954
Total Pages: 482
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, History, & Culture
File Size: 10 MB

Page 151

CHAPTER VII
THE DYNASTIES OF RAJASTHANA
THE CĀHAMĀNAS
The Jains supply valuable information about the history of Cāhamănas, though not as amply as about the history of the Paramāras already dealt with or of the Caulukyas to be traced later.
Origin: There are nearly one hundred inscriptions belonging to this family including many Jain inscriptions. Some of them throw light on the origin of this family. A Jain inscription from Bijolia dated V.E. 1226 (A.D. 1170) of the time of Pșthvīrāja's father Someśvara, gives the genealogy of this dynasty from a Cāhamāna, the eponymous prince, born from the Süryamandala to whom the Přthvīrāja-vijaya and Hammira-mahākāvya of the Jain Nayacandrasūri trace the origin. The Sundhā Hill inscription, composed by the Jain teacher Jayamangala of Bịhadgaccha, dated V.E. 1319, records that 'formerly there was a hero Cāhamāna, a source of joy to the great Rși Vatsa'.? The Bijolia inscription, after Cāhamāna, mentions one Vişnu or Väsudeva and then, in the 12th verse it refers to 'a vipra named Sāmanta belonging to Vatsa gotra'3 Thus these two Jain inscriptions associate the one or the other member of this branch with the holy Vatsa, certainly a Vedic Rşi, who was born in the Solar race of the Aryans.
This fact can also be confirmed by a number of other inscriptions of the dynasty, for instance, the Seväời copper plate, dated 1119 A.D. described the originator of the Cāhamāna dynasty as belonging to Solar race of the Kşatriyas. The Jain work Hammira-mahākāvya of Nayacandrasūri, the grandson of the spiritual adviser of Hammīra of Ranathambhora (c. 1283-1301 A.D.), records the tradition as follows:
"Once upon a time, Brahmã wandered in search of a holy place where to hold a sacrifice. The lotus which he held in his hand fell on
1 El., XXVI, pp. 84-112, V. 10 : 27 Arafatfatisalat: 1 2 Ibid., IX, p. 70 ff. V. 4: HEHETETayit....geam TITA
दैत्यतिमिरः श्रीचाहमानः पुरा। 3 Ibid., XXVI, Vs. II-12: saraqitutHITYAT TAHTIST ofta antsta facuit:1
विप्रः श्रीवत्सगोत्रेऽभूदहिच्छत्रपुरे पुरा।
सामन्तोऽनन्तसामन्तः पूर्णतल्ले नृपस्ततः । 4 Ibid., XI, pp. 304 ff. 16