Chamundaraja (Chaulukya dynasty)
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| Chamundaraja | |
|---|---|
| King of Gujarat | |
| Reign | 996–1008 |
| Predecessor | Mularaja |
| Successor | Vallabharaja |
| Issue | Vallabharaja and Durlabharaja |
| dynasty | Chaulukya (Solanki) |
| Father | Mularaja |
Chamundaraja (IAST: Cāmuṇḍarāja; r. 996–1008) was an Indian king who ruled parts of present-day Gujarat from his capital at Anahilapataka (modern Patan). He was a member of the Chaulukya (also called Chalukya or Solanki) dynasty.
Military career
The Vastupāla-Tejaḥpāla praśasti includes conventional praise for Cāmuṇḍarāja, boasting that he decorated the earth with the heads of his enemies, but does not name any specific enemies. According to the 12th century Jain author Hemacandra, Cāmuṇḍarāja defeated the Lata Chalukya chief Bārapa, although other chroniclers attribute this victory to his father Mūlarāja. Therefore, it appears that Cāmuṇḍarāja participated in the war against Bārapa as a prince.[1]
According to the 12th century Vādnagar praśasti inscription, a king named Sindhurāja fled with his elephant forces when he saw Cāmuṇḍarāja's army at a distance, thus losing his well-established fame. This king can be identified with Sindhurāja, the Paramāra king of Gujarat's neighbour Mālava. According to Sindhurāja's court poet Padmagupta, the Paramāra king defeated the rulers of Vāgaḍa and Lāṭa, which bordered Cāmuṇḍarāja's kingdom. It is possible that the ruler of Lāṭa was a vassal of Cāmuṇḍarāja at this time. Accordingly, Cāmuṇḍarāja came to the rescue of his vassal, forcing Sindhurāja to retreat. The 14th century Jain chronicler Jayasiṁha Sūri claims that Cāmuṇḍaraja killed Sindhurāja in a battle. However, this claim doesn't appear in the earlier sources, and therefore, cannot be taken literally.[2]
The Cālukyas of Kalyani captured the Lāṭa region during Cāmuṇḍarāja's reign. The 1007 Lakkundi inscription mentions that the Kalyani Chalukya ruler Satyāśraya had returned from a successful campaign in the Gūrjara country. The Kalyani Chalukya poet Ranna also states that Satyāśraya defeated the Gūrjaras with an elephant force. One theory is that the "Gurjara" ruler defeated by Satyāśraya in this particular campaign was Cāmuṇḍarāja. However, there is no direct evidence to support this identification. It is possible that the ruler defeated by Satyāśraya was the Lata Chalukya ruler Bārapa or an obscure descendant of the Gūrjaras of Nāndīpurī.[3]