Mularaja (), also known as ''Bala Mularaja'' ("Child Mularaja"), was an Indian king from 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 ...

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 nin ...

. He ruled the present-day Gujarat and surrounding areas from his capital

Anahilapataka Patan () is the administrative seat of Patan District in the Indian state of Gujarat and is an administered municipality. It was the capital of Gujarat's Chavda and Chaulukya dynasties in medieval times, and is also known as Anhilpur-Patan ...

(modern Patan). He ascended the throne as a child, and his mother

Naiki Devi Queen Naiki Devi (IAST:'' Nāikī Devī '') was the regent queen of Chaulukya dynasty during her son Mularaja II's infancy from 1175. She was a queen of the Chaulukya king Ajayapala. Biography Her earlier life is not known, according to ' ...

acted as the

regent A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state ''pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy, ...

during his short reign. The Chaulukyas repulsed a

Ghurid The Ghurid dynasty (also spelled Ghorids; fa, دودمان غوریان, translit=Dudmân-e Ğurīyân; self-designation: , ''Šansabānī'') was a Persianate dynasty and a clan of presumably eastern Iranian Tajik origin, which ruled from th ...

invasion when he was 13 years old. The Paramara king Vindhyavarman made attempts to evict the Chaulukyas from

Malwa Malwa is a historical region, historical list of regions in India, region of west-central India occupying a plateau of volcanic origin. Geologically, the Malwa Plateau generally refers to the volcanic plateau, volcanic upland north of the Vind ...

during his reign, and succeeded in regaining control of Malwa either during Mularaja's lieftime or shortly after his death.

Early life

Brahmanwada. Also shown is the location of Kasahrada (modern Kyara in Sirohi district)." width="200" height="175" zoom="5" longitude="71.938477" latitude="24.026397" align="right"> Mularaja succeeded his father Ajayapala on the Chaulukya throne. His mother Naikidevi was the daughter of one Paramardin. According to one theory, this Paramardin was the Goa Kadamba king Shivachitta Paramadideva (1148–1179 CE). Another theory identifies him with the Chandela king Paramardi. The second theory is based on the identification of "Kakaḍādaha" with similar-sounding "Gāḍāraghaṭṭa". The Chandela-era Garra inscription mentions that a Chandela warrior named Rauta Pape lost his life in a battle at Kakaḍādaha. According to the 14th century chronicler Merutunga, Naikidevi fought the Muslims at Gāḍarāraghaṭṭa. This appears to be same as Kasahrada, where a Chaulukya army defeated the

s in 1178 CE. Mularaja ascended the throne as a young child after his father's death. His mother Naikidevi acted as the regent during his short reign.

Battle of Kasahrada

Rebellion in Malwa

The Paramara kingdom of

had come under Chaulukya control during the reign of Mularaja's predecessors. During Mularaja's reign, a

famine A famine is a widespread scarcity of food, caused by several factors including war, natural disasters, crop failure, population imbalance, widespread poverty, an economic catastrophe or government policies. This phenomenon is usually accom ...

occurred in Gujarat. Taking advantage of this, the Paramara king Vindhyavarman made attempts to regain control of Malwa. The Chaulukya general Kumara was in-charge of the operations against Vindhyavarman. According to ''Surathotsava'', written by Kumara's son Someshvara, Kumara defeated Vindhyavarman. After his victory, Kumara destroyed Vindhyavarman's town Gogasthana, sank a well where the Paramara palace once stood, and plundered Malwa. Vindhyavarman was ultimately successful in regaining control of Malwa. According to historian

R. C. Majumdar Ramesh Chandra Majumdar (known as R. C. Majumdar; 4 December 1888 – 11 February 1980) was a historian and professor of Indian history. Majumdar is a noted historian of modern India. He was a former Sheriff of Kolkata. Early life and educatio ...

, he accomplished this during the reign of Mularaja. However, A. K. Majumdar believes that Malwa remained under Chaululkya control during Mularaja's reign.

Death

Mularaja died at a very young age in 1178 CE, and was succeeded by his brother

Bhima II Bhima II (r. c. 1178–1240 CE), also known as ''Bhola Bhima'', was an Indian king who ruled parts of present-day Gujarat. He was a member of the Chaulukya (also called Chalukya or Solanki) dynasty. During his reign, the dynasty's power decli ...

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * * {{Chaulukya dynasty 12th-century Indian monarchs Chaulukya dynasty 1178 deaths