Vindhyavarman (reigned c. 1175-1194 CE) was an Indian king from the

Paramara dynasty The Paramara dynasty ( IAST: Paramāra) was an Indian dynasty that ruled Malwa and surrounding areas in west-central India between 9th and 14th centuries. They belonged to the Parmara clan of the Rajputs. The dynasty was established in either t ...

, who ruled in the

Malwa Malwa is a historical region of west-central India occupying a plateau of volcanic origin. Geologically, the Malwa Plateau generally refers to the volcanic upland north of the Vindhya Range. Politically and administratively, it is also syn ...

region of central India. He defeated the

Chaulukya The Chaulukya dynasty (), also Solanki dynasty, was a dynasty that ruled parts of what are now Gujarat and Rajasthan in north-western India, between and . Their capital was located at Anahilavada (modern Patan). At times, their rule extended ...

s, who had annexed the Paramara territory to their own kingdom in the preceding years.

Military career

The reign of Vindhyavarman's father

Jayavarman I Jayavarman I ( km, ជ័យវរ្ម័នទី១) is considered to be the last ruler of the united Chenla, the predecessor polity of the Khmer Empire. He ruled from approximately 657 until around 681. Over the course of his reign, and ...

was followed by a 20-year interregnum. The Paramara kingdom was first usurped by one Ballala, and then came under the suzerainty of the

Chaulukya dynasty The Chaulukya dynasty (), also Solanki dynasty, was a dynasty that ruled parts of what are now Gujarat and Rajasthan in north-western India, between and . Their capital was located at Anahilavada (modern Patan). At times, their rule extended ...

(also known as the Chalukyas of

Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...

). According to an inscription of his grandson Arjunavarman I, Vindhyavarman vanquished the king of Gujarat. Vindhyavarman thus re-established the Paramara sovereignty in Malwa. According to historian R. C. Majumdar, Vindhyavarman accomplished this during the reign of the Chaulukya king Mularaja II (r. c. 1175 – c. 1178). However, A. K. Majumdar believes that Malwa remained under Chaululkya control during Mularaja's reign. During his reign, Malwa faced repeated invasions from the

Hoysala The Hoysala Empire was a Kannadiga power originating from the Indian subcontinent that ruled most of what is now Karnataka between the 10th and the 14th centuries. The capital of the Hoysalas was initially located at Belur, but was later moved ...

s and the

Yadavas of Devagiri The Seuna, Sevuna, or Yadavas of Devagiri (IAST: Seuṇa, –1317) was a Medieval Indian dynasty, which at its peak ruled a kingdom stretching from the Narmada river in the north to the Tungabhadra river in the south, in the western part of t ...

. Vindhyavarman was also defeated by the Chaulukya general Kumara at a place named Goggasthana. But he was able to restore the Paramara power in Malwa before his death, having regained control of the capital Dhara by 1192 CE. He was succeeded by his son Subhatavarman.

Cultural activities

Bilhana, the poet-minister of Vindhyavarman, composed ''Vishnustotra''. According to P. N. Kawthekar, this Bilhana might have been a son or grandson of the 11th century poet

Bilhana Kaviraj, Kavi Bilhana was an 11th-century Kashmiri Pandits, Kashmiri poet. He is known for his love poem, the ''Caurapañcāśikā''. According to legend, Bilhana fell in love with the daughter of King Madanabhirama, Princess Yaminipurnatilaka, ...

. The Jain scholar Ashadhara wrote that he migrated to Dhara when his homeland, the

Sapadalaksha The Chahamanas of Shakambhari (IAST: Cāhamāna), colloquially known as the Chauhans of Sambhar or Chauhans of Ajmer, were an Indian dynasty that ruled parts of the present-day Rajasthan and neighbouring areas in India, between the 6th and 12th ...

country, was conquered by a

mleccha Mleccha (from Vedic Sanskrit ', meaning "non-Vedic", "foreigner" or "barbarian") is a Sanskrit term, initially referring to those of an incomprehensible speech, later foreign or barbarous invaders as contra-distinguished from elite groups. The ...

king (identified as Shihab ad-Din). He names the king of Dhara as Vijayavarman, who is identified as Vindhyavarman. The Paramara king also patronized the Jain scholar Acharya Mahavira.

References

Bibliography

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