The Katyuri kings were a medieval Hindu Rajput's ruling clan of
Khasha origin from
Joshimath
Joshimath, also known as Jyotirmath, is a city and a municipal board in Chamoli District in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. Located at a height of 6150 feet (1875 m), it is a gateway to several Himalayan mountain climbing expeditions, trekki ...
that ruled over the regions in present day regions of
Kumaon Kumaon or Kumaun may refer to:
* Kumaon division, a region in Uttarakhand, India
* Kumaon Kingdom, a former country in Uttarakhand, India
* Kumaon, Iran, a village in Isfahan Province, Iran
* , a ship of the Royal Indian Navy during WWII
See also
...
,
Uttarakhand in India and parts of
Doti/
Sudurpashchim Province in
Nepal
Nepal (; ne, :ne:नेपाल, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne,
सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in S ...
from 700 to 1200 CE. The founder of this dynasty, King Vasu Dev was originally a Buddhist ruler, but later he started following Hindu practices sometimes attributed to a vigorous campaign of Hindu philosopher
Adi Shankara (788–820 CE).
King
Bhu Dev was known for extensively eradicating Buddhist practices in his kingdom and the Bageshwar stone inscription of Bhu Dev writes himself as "Brahmana Parayana" and "Parama Shramana Rupu" meaning a follower of
Brahmans
Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests (purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers (guru o ...
and an arch rival of Buddhist Bhikshus. The Katyuri Kings were known for constructing several Hindu temples in present-day
Uttarakhand as later they followed Brahminical practices.
After fragmentation and disestablishment of the Katyuri kingdoms, their offshoots rose as
Askot
Askot or Askote ( Kumaoni:असकोट) is a small Himalayan town in Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand in India. It is the part of Kanalichhina development Block and Didihat Tehsil.
The place is also famous for the Askot Musk Deer Sanct ...
Katyuri Paal Rajwar in
Pithoragarh
Pithoragarh ( Kumaoni: ''Pithor'garh'') is a Himalayan city with a Municipal Board in Pithoragarh district in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is the fourth largest city of Kumaon and the largest in Kumaon hills. It is an education hub of t ...
, another Katyuri Paal
Doti Rainka in modern
Doti district
Doti District ( ne, डोटी जिल्ला ), part of Sudurpashchim Province, is one of the 77 districts of Nepal. This district, with Silgadhi as its headquarters, covers an area of with a population of 207,066 in 2001 and increasing ...
of Nepal, King Brahm Deo's branch state in Sui (Kaali Kumaon)(after whose name Brahmdeo Mandi of Nepal was founded), another Katyuri house at Baramandal, one of them maintained its sovereignty over
Baijnath and finally one each Katyuri house in
Dwarahat
Dwarahat is a town, near Almora town and a nagar panchayat in Almora district in the state of Uttarakhand, India.
Geography
Dwarahat is located at . It has an average elevation of 1,510 metres (4954.068 feet).
Demographics
India c ...
and Lakhanpur.
Name
They called their state ''Kurmanchal'', the land of
Kurma, the second
avatar of
Vishnu, from which the present name is derived. Their capital was Kartripura.
History
Origin
Most of the scholars agreed upon the
Khasha origin of Katyuris. European and Chinese historians believe Katyuris to be natives of
Kumaon Kumaon or Kumaun may refer to:
* Kumaon division, a region in Uttarakhand, India
* Kumaon Kingdom, a former country in Uttarakhand, India
* Kumaon, Iran, a village in Isfahan Province, Iran
* , a ship of the Royal Indian Navy during WWII
See also
...
such as
E. T. Atkinson, in the first volume of his book ''Himalayan Gazetter'', proposes the Katyuris to be natives of Kumaon, and traces their roots in the ruined town of
Karvirpur on the bank of
Gomati.
However, historian
Badri Datt Pandey proposed descent from
Shalivahana
Shalivahana (IAST: Śālivāhana) was a legendary emperor of ancient India, who is said to have ruled from Pratishthana (present-day Paithan, Maharashtra). He is believed to be based on a Satavahana king (or kings).
There are several contradicto ...
ruling house of
Ayodhya while historian Price Powell claims their origin back to the
Kunindas, having found coins from the Kuninda period (
Kuninda Kingdom). However, both of the origin theories are seriously doubtful over various internal evidences that shows the Katyuris belonged to the
Khasha people that entirely dominated the inner Himalayan belt upto Nepal. The rule of Kunindas were limited only to the foothill tracts and not in the interiors of Uttarakhand and the coins could have reached in the interiors by travel of traders and pilgrims. Another historian
Rahul Sankrityayan traces their ancestry to
Shaka
Shaka kaSenzangakhona ( – 22 September 1828), also known as Shaka Zulu () and Sigidi kaSenzangakhona, was the king of the Zulu Kingdom from 1816 to 1828. One of the most influential monarchs of the Zulu, he ordered wide-reaching reforms that ...
s and further identifies
Khashas and
Shaka
Shaka kaSenzangakhona ( – 22 September 1828), also known as Shaka Zulu () and Sigidi kaSenzangakhona, was the king of the Zulu Kingdom from 1816 to 1828. One of the most influential monarchs of the Zulu, he ordered wide-reaching reforms that ...
s to be a part of the same race. The Shakas were in India before the first century BCE while the Khashas spread over the
Himalaya and extensively populated the mountainous regions of Uttarakhand and the later waves of Shakas got diffused into them. Previously, Khashas had strongly established themselves from Afghanistan to Nepal from ancient period and as per internal evidences, they managed the village level theocratic republics like Gram-Rajya and Mandals under various local clans and identities. Katyuri was one of the ruling houses of
Joshimath
Joshimath, also known as Jyotirmath, is a city and a municipal board in Chamoli District in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. Located at a height of 6150 feet (1875 m), it is a gateway to several Himalayan mountain climbing expeditions, trekki ...
that claimed the sovereignty over other Gram Rajyas of the entire territory. The Katyuris ruled from
Joshimath
Joshimath, also known as Jyotirmath, is a city and a municipal board in Chamoli District in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. Located at a height of 6150 feet (1875 m), it is a gateway to several Himalayan mountain climbing expeditions, trekki ...
in the
Alaknanda
The Alaknanda is a Himalayan river in the Indian state of Uttarakhand and one of the two headstreams of the Ganges, the major river of Northern India and the holy river of Hinduism. In hydrology, the Alaknanda is considered the source ...
Valley and later they shifted their capital to
Baijnath.
Kingdom
The Katyuri dynasty was founded by Vashudev Katyuri (sometimes spelled Vasu Dev or Basu Dev);
the ancient Basdeo temple in the city - the oldest stone temple in
Uttarakhand - is attributed to him.
His reign is most commonly believed to be from 850 to 870 CE.
The Kingdom was then named ''Jyotiryana'', and had its capital at
Joshimath
Joshimath, also known as Jyotirmath, is a city and a municipal board in Chamoli District in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. Located at a height of 6150 feet (1875 m), it is a gateway to several Himalayan mountain climbing expeditions, trekki ...
in the
Alaknanda
The Alaknanda is a Himalayan river in the Indian state of Uttarakhand and one of the two headstreams of the Ganges, the major river of Northern India and the holy river of Hinduism. In hydrology, the Alaknanda is considered the source ...
Valley.
Vasu Dev was of Buddhist origin, but later started following Hindu practices. The Hindu practices of Katyuri kings in general is sometimes attributed to a vigorous campaign of
Adi Shankara (788-820 CE).
Later they shifted their capital to
Baijnath from
Joshimath
Joshimath, also known as Jyotirmath, is a city and a municipal board in Chamoli District in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. Located at a height of 6150 feet (1875 m), it is a gateway to several Himalayan mountain climbing expeditions, trekki ...
,
during their reign they dominated lands of varying extent from the "Katyur" (modern-day Baijnath) valley in Kumaon, between 7th and 11th centuries C.E., and established their capital at Baijnath in
Bageshwar district; which was then known as ''Kartikeyapura'' and lies in the centre of "Katyur" valley. ''Brahmadev mandi'' (a trading and business center in a flat area of the then Katyuri kingdom) in the
Kanchanpur District
Kanchanpur District ( ne, कञ्चनपुर जिल्ला ), a part of Sudurpashchim Province in the Terai plain, is one of seventy seven districts of Nepal. The district, with Bhimdatta as its district headquarters, covers an area o ...
of Nepal was established by Katyuris king Brahma Deo (Brahma Dev). Brahmadeo Mandi still exists by this name.
At its peak, the Katyuri dynasty of Kumaon extended from
Sikkim in the east to
Kabul,
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
in the west, before fragmenting into numerous principalities by the 12th century. it is believed that from king Dham Deo and Vir Deo the downfall of this powerful dynasty began. Virdeo used to collect heavy taxes and forced his people to work as his slaves, King Virdeo teased his subjects by his tyranny to the extent that he forcibly married his own maternal aunt Tila (Tilottama Devi). It is said that the Kumaoni folk song "''Mami tile dharo bola''" became popular from that very day.
After the death of king Virdeo a civil war among his sons started. Fierce fight took place among them. Whole of the kingdom was ruined. The people of this very family divided the whole kingdom among themselves, they declared themselves independent kings and established their own kingdoms in various parts of Kumaon,
King Brahmdeo of this family (after whose name Brahmdeo Mandi was founded) established his kingdom in
Sui. His first fort lay in Sui and the
Rawat king of was under him. The second branch started ruling
Doti. The third established itself at
Askot
Askot or Askote ( Kumaoni:असकोट) is a small Himalayan town in Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand in India. It is the part of Kanalichhina development Block and Didihat Tehsil.
The place is also famous for the Askot Musk Deer Sanct ...
. Fourth settled down at Baramandal. The fifth maintained its sovereignty over
Baijnath and . The sixth branch ruled in
Dwarahat
Dwarahat is a town, near Almora town and a nagar panchayat in Almora district in the state of Uttarakhand, India.
Geography
Dwarahat is located at . It has an average elevation of 1,510 metres (4954.068 feet).
Demographics
India c ...
, later they were displaced by
Chand kings.
Later offshoots
The Rajwar dynasty of
Askot
Askot or Askote ( Kumaoni:असकोट) is a small Himalayan town in Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand in India. It is the part of Kanalichhina development Block and Didihat Tehsil.
The place is also famous for the Askot Musk Deer Sanct ...
in
Pithoragarh
Pithoragarh ( Kumaoni: ''Pithor'garh'') is a Himalayan city with a Municipal Board in Pithoragarh district in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is the fourth largest city of Kumaon and the largest in Kumaon hills. It is an education hub of t ...
was set up in the 1279 AD, by a branch of the Katyuri Kings,
headed by Abhay Pal Deo, who was the grandson of Katyuri king, Brahm Deo. The dynasty ruled the region until it became part of the
British Raj through the
Treaty of Sugauli in 1816.
Doti, another branch of the Katyuri dynasty, came under
Nepal
Nepal (; ne, :ne:नेपाल, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne,
सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in S ...
through
Gurkha
The Gurkhas or Gorkhas (), with endonym Gorkhali ), are soldiers native to the Indian subcontinent, Indian Subcontinent, chiefly residing within Nepal and some parts of Northeast India.
The Gurkha units are composed of Nepalis and Indian Go ...
expansion in 1790.
Later one more strong offshoot was Mahuli Mahson Raj, (
Basti), Uttar Pradesh. The feudal kingdom stretched (47 kilometers) 14 kose. After Brahm Deo's reign the empire disintegrated, with his grandson Abhay Pal Dego continuing his reign from the kingdom of Askote in Kumaon's Pithoragarh district. Abhay Pal, Deo's two younger sons, Alakh Deo and Tilak Deo set out from Askote in 1305 with a large army and after passing through the Terai region and the plains of U.P, came to Gonda/Gorakhpur. This region was covered in thick jungles and swamps and was inhabited by fierce Bhar tribals. The Ghagra river in the south and Rapti river in the east protected the region from heavy attacks.
List of Rulers
The period of certain Katyuri rulers, is generally determined as below, although there is some ambiguity in respect to exact number of years ruled by each King
;List–
* Vasu Dev (700–849 CE) (Possibly legendary)
* Basantana Dev (850–870 CE)
* Kharpar Dev (870–880 CE)
* Abhiraj Dev (880–890 CE)
* Tribhuvanraj Dev (890–900 CE)
* Nimbarta Dev (900–915 CE)
* Istanga (915–930 CE)
* Lalitasura Dev (930–955 CE)
* Bhu Dev (955–970 CE)
* Salonaditya (970–985 CE)
* Ichchhata Dev (985–1000 CE)
* Deshat Dev (1000–1015 CE)
* Padmata Dev (1015–1045 CE)
* Subhiksharaja Dev (1045–1060 CE)
* Dham Dev (1060–1064 CE)
* Bir Dev (Very short period till 1065 CE)
*
Purushottam Singh (Katyuri)
Purushottama ( sa, पुरुषोत्तम, from पुरुष, ''purusha'' "spirit" or "male" and उत्तम, ''uttama'', "highest") is an epithet of the Hindu preserver deity, Vishnu. According to Vaishnavism, Vishnu is the sour ...
Legacy
Architecture
The Katyuri Kings were known for constructing several temples in present-day
Uttarakhand and they followed Brahminical practices.
Most of the ancient temples in Uttarakhand are architectural contributions by the Katyuri dynasty.
Vasu Dev temple at
Joshimath
Joshimath, also known as Jyotirmath, is a city and a municipal board in Chamoli District in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. Located at a height of 6150 feet (1875 m), it is a gateway to several Himalayan mountain climbing expeditions, trekki ...
, several shelters and small shrines along the route to
Badrinath
Badrinath is a town and nagar panchayat in Chamoli district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. A Hindu holy place, it is one of the four sites in India's Char Dham pilgrimage and is also part of India's Chota Char Dham pilgrimage circuit. ...
, as well as the Lakulesha, Mahishasuramardhini, Navadurga and Nataraja temples at
Jageshwar were constructed by Katyuri Kings.
Bhuv Dev (955-970) was follower of Brahminical practices and built
several temples at
Baijnath and
Bageshwar, but the structures are lost and tradition continues.
A relatively rare
Surya temple, is located at
Katarmal, now a remote village near Kosi, which was built by Katarmalla, a lesser known Katyuri ruler and the temple has 44 carved temples around the main temple, but is in a state of neglect after the theft of an important idol.
The Katyuri Kings also build a temple known as Manila Devi near Sainamanur.
See also
*
Doti
*
Bageshwar
*
History of India
*
Kumaon Kingdom
*
Rajula and Malushahi
*
Uttrakhand &
Himachal Pradesh
References
Notes
Citations
Bibliography
* ''Malushahi: The Ballad of Kumaon'' by
Mohan Upreti. New Delhi,
Sangeet Natak Akademi, 1980.
*
*
{{Uttarakhand
Bageshwar
History of Uttarakhand
History of Nepal
Dynasties of India
Dynasties of Nepal
Empires and kingdoms of India
Empires and kingdoms of Nepal
8th-century establishments in India
8th-century establishments in Nepal
Hindu dynasties
Buddhist dynasties of India