Indian Antiquary Vol 56

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, Krishnaswami Aiyangar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 195

SEPTEMBER, 1927]
THE GUHILA KINGS OF MEWAR
169
ourselves have heard the theory advanced that the massacre at Cawnpore was grossly exaggerated, if it ever took place, and we think in all probability we shall see this theory developed in our generation and a convincing alibi set up for the Nana Sahib.
We fear we have been somewhat lengthy. Indian Histo. y lo only a small section of history and this Conference is representative of many histories of many peoples. But we do wish to urge the need of caution in dealing with the established facts and episodes of the history of India, particularly in the light of the "bias" which is so common to-day, and which is frequently due to the fact that historical students cannot dissociate their academic inquiries and conclusions from the taint of current Indian politics. Established facts in the history of any country are like well-known landmarks. To remove them or destroy them without good cause renders the offender liable to the penalties set forth in the Commination Service.
THE GUHILA KINGS OF MEWAR.
BY R. R. HALDER. For some time past I have been meditating on the real origin of the princes of Mewâr. My desire for a solution of the problem was increased by some letters, which showed that other people were equally interested in the subject and, like myself, were much perplexed about it. Colonel Tod in one place speaks of the Mewås rulers as "Children of the Sun", “Sun of the Hindus," etc.; and in another place complicates the issue by over reliance on other historians. Even a scholar like Vincent A. Smith has called Guhila, the founder of the Guhila dynasty of Mewar, a Nagar Brahman and almost believed in the connection of his lineage with the Rajas of Valabhi. In one or two inscriptions, again, some of the rulers of Mewar are said to be Brahmanas.
It is prima facie surprising that this ancient dynasty, the rulers of which belong to the same line and have ruled in the same lands where conquest placed them for & period of about 1400 years; who claim descent from Kuša, the elder son of the deified Râma, the patriarch of the solar race, thereby commanding universal homage in India ;-should be represented as losing even the ordinary prestige of the Kshatriya race-not to speak of the patronymic Súryavamsi-ands being merged in the Brahmana caste..
Let us see what Colonel Tod writes on the matter :-"At least ten genealogical lists, derived from the most opposite sources, agree in making Kanaksen the founder of this dynasty; and assign his emigration from the most northern of the provinces of India to the peninsula of Saurashtra in s. 201, or A.D. 145. We shall, therefore, make this the point of outset, though it may be premised that: Jai Singh, the royal historian and astronomer of Amber connects the line with Sumitra (the 56th descendant from the deified Rama), who appears to have been the contemporary of Vikramaditya, A.c. 56 .. .
"By what route Kanaksen, the first emigrant of the solar race, found his way into Saurashtra from Lohkot, is uncertain : he, however, wrested dominion from a prince of the Pramara race, and founded Birnagara in the second century (A.D. 144). Four generations afterwards, Vijayasen, whom the prince of Amber calls Nushirwan, founded Vijayapur, supposed to be where Dholka now stands, at the head of the SaurAshtra peninsula. Vidarba was also founded by him, the name of which was afterwards changed to Sihor. But the most celebrated was the capital, Valabhipura, which for years baffled all search, till it was revealed in its now humbled condition as Walai, ten miles west of Bhaunagar. The existence of this city was confirmed by a celebrated Jain work, the Satrunjaya Mahatma. The want of satisfactory proof of the Rana's emigration from thence was obviated by the most unexpected discovery of an inscription of the twelfth century, in a ruined temple on the
Since this paper was written I have come across another new distortion, namely that the attack on the Lucknow Residency was never really taken seriously by the mutineers who could have taken the place any day that they wished !!-H.L.O.G.
1 Smith's Akbar, p. 81.