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MARCH, 1925)
ANCIENT TOWNS AND CITIES IN GUJARAT AND KATHIAWAD
Godhra existing in Kathiawad. But no Godhrá is known to exist in Kathiawad, and the doubt as to whether the Valabhi dominion extended so far a few years before its fall is entirely dispelled by the grant of Siladitya VI, which shows that in 447 G.E. or 766 A.D. the Valabhi empire extended to Anandapura or Wadnagar. If Siladitya VI could hold Wad. nagar, there is nothing improbable in Siladitya V holding Godhra.
Being fairly distant from Anahilapattana, the capital of the Chavotakas and the Solankis, Godhra seems to have become, some time after the fall of Valabhi, a seat of a petty local dynasty, professing allegiance when necessary to the Aņahilapattana or Dhara house. Tejahpala, the minister of Kumarapala, was betrayed by a King of Godraha at a critical time in his operations against the King of Bharoch.
अथ गोद्रहलाटदेशनायौ मरुनाथैनिभृतं निबद्धसन्धी ।
विधुरे परिहत्य तत्र मित्रद्वितयं तत्कटकादपयतुस्तान् ॥90 How long the local chiefs oontinued to rule, we do not know; but it cannot be for a long time. The Muhammadan invasion must have swept away this chiefship along with many others.
15a. Ghogha. The old name of the place is Gundigad. It was a port of some consequence under the Valabhis; but its influence declined with the fall of Valabhi, when it simply became a nuser of sailors. During the Muhammadan period, however, it developed into a great city with a large market.
16. Chandravati. At the junction of the Banas and the Swalen, about 40 miles north-west of Sidhapur, is situated a small village, Chandravati. Though now hardly of any importance, the place was once & capital; for the Parmar chiefs of Abu, who were feudatories of the Solankis, were residing at this very Chandråvati. The Parmar principality of which Chandravati was the capital was an important one; and its help was found to be of great value by the suzerain power. In his campaign against Arņorâja, Kumarapala was put to much trouble owing to the defection of the Parmar chief; Bhimadeva II on the other hand could turn the scales against Qutb-u-Din, when he was assisted by his vassal Dhardvarshs of Chandravati.
The Parmar rule came to an end with the Muhammadan conquest of Gujarat in 1303, and Chandravati's importance naturally began to decrease. The city has suffered from Moslem vandalism ; nothing but ruins now exist at the old site. The ruins are overgrown with jungle, and what was indicative therein of the city's former greatness has been already sold by the Gerwar chiefs. The extent of the ruins, now consisting of choked up wells and foundation, indicates, however, that it must have been a fair-sized town with a population of about 20,000.
17. Champaper. Champaner, 25 miles east of Baroda is an old place. It is said to have been founded by Champå during the time of Vanar&ja" (c. 775). The local chiefs oontinued to rule as Anahile pattana feudatories till the time of the Moslem conquest.
0 Kuthewar Gas
91 Rdo M614, p. 72.
