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65-514: It is an atypical design for a Hindu temple, as it has a rectangular sanctum instead of the typical square. It integrates the architectural elements of the Nagara style and the Valabhi prasada. The temple is based on a Gurjara Pratihara -Gopgiri style North Indian architecture. The temple is a classic example of a design based on "musical harmonics" in architecture, one that Hermann Goetz called as

130-522: A naturalistic meaning to darshana : It's a gift; it's like there's a moment in which the thing is ready to let you see it. In India, this is called darshan . Darshan means getting a view, and if the clouds blow away, as they did once for me, and you get a view of the Himalayas from the foothills, an Indian person would say, "Ah, the Himalayas are giving you their darshana"; they're letting you have their view. This comfortable, really deep way of getting

195-610: A cavalry. He is unfriendly to the Arabs, still he acknowledges that the king of the Arabs is the greatest of rulers. Among the princes of India there is no greater foe of the Islamic faith than he. He has got riches, and his camels and horses are numerous." After bringing much of Rajasthan under his control, Vatsaraja embarked to become "master of all the land lying between the two seas." Contemporary Jijasena's Harivamsha Purana describes him as "master of western quarter". According to

260-516: A circumambulatory path. This path has four entrances, one from each cardinal direction which a devotee can use to enter the temple for a darshana . The temple is approached through a flight of stairs leading to a banded doorway containing sculptures of river goddesses Ganga and Yamuna with their waists leaning towards the center, each with a boy and a girl on the lower part. Above them are amorous couples in various stages of courtship and intimacy ( mithuna ). There are male and female dvarapalas along

325-604: A force of camels. Since Tamin was a new governor he had a force of Syrian cavalry from Damascus , local Arab contingents, converted Hindus of Sindh, and foreign mercenaries like the Turkics . All together the invading army may have had anywhere between 10 and 15,000 cavalry, 5000 infantry, and 2000 camels. The Arab chronicler Sulaiman describes the army of the Pratiharas as it stood in 851 CE, "The ruler of Gurjara maintains numerous forces and no other Indian prince has so fine

390-542: A foreign origin for these dynasties. According to this theory, the foreigners were admitted in the Hindu caste system after performing a fire ritual. However, this legend is not found in the earliest available copies of Prithviraj Raso . It is based on a Paramara legend; the 16th century Rajput bards claim heroic descent of clans in order to foster Rajput unity against the Mughals . The original centre of Pratihara power

455-534: A great raid led by the Rashtrakuta ruler Indra III who, in about 916, sacked Kannauj. Under a succession of rather obscure rulers, the dynasty never regained its former influence. Their feudatories became more and more powerful, one by one throwing off their allegiance until, by the end of the tenth century, the dynasty controlled little more than the Gangetic Doab . Their last important king, Rajyapala,

520-530: A grid by increasing the sanctum, not the entire structure, by 50 percent (from 4x4 to 4x6 squares, a ratio of 2: 3), thus enlarging the outer dimensions from 8x8 to 8x10 squares (a ratio of 4:5). The ratio of the thickness of wall to sanctum is 1:2 on the temple's shorter sides, 1:3 on the longer wall. Ratios that emerge from this analysis of the Teli-ka-mandir's plan thus include 1:1, 1:2, 1:3, 2:3, and 3:5 as well as 2:5 and 4:5. These simple ratios governing

585-519: A manifestation or vision of the divine. In Hindu worship , it refers to seeing a deity (especially in image form), or a very holy person or artifact. One can receive darshana or a glimpse of the deity in the temple, or from a great saintly person, such as a great guru . One can also take darshana of a sacred places like Kashi , Yamuna or Mount Kailash . In Hindu practice, adherents often refer to their temple visits as going for darshana rather than simply worship. Darshana, often translated as

650-399: A masterpiece of late Gupta era Indian art. The temple is located inside the fort of Gwalior, north Madhya Pradesh. The city is connected by major highways NH 44 and 46 (Asian Highway 43 and 47), a railway station and airport ( IATA : GWL). It is located near other historic Hindu and Jain temples from the medieval era, as well the major group of Vaishnavism, Shaivism and Shakism temples such as

715-626: A prominent philosopher of the Madhyamaka school of Mahayana Buddhism, wrote that the wise person perceives tattva -darshana, true reality. Darshana also sometimes has a more mundane meaning. For example, Sivananda Saraswati wrote in his book The Practice of Brahmacharya that one of the eight aspects of brahmacharya ( celibacy ) is not to look lustfully at women: "You should carefully avoid ... Darshana or looking at women with passionate resolve". Scholar of religion Richard H. Davis has said that darshana (viewpoint, philosophical school)

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780-445: A sense of something takes time. It doesn't show itself to you right away. It isn't even necessary to know the names of things the way a botanist would. It's more important to be aware of the " suchness " of the thing; it's a reality. It's also a source of a certain kind of inspiration for creativity. I see it in the work of Georgia O'Keeffe ..." Darshan is also a part of the name of India's public broadcaster Doordarshan combining

845-435: A transformation experience of decisive importance for practitioners, be they who have renounced (mundane life) 'ascetics' or householders." The Abhidharma , collections of systematic summaries of the sutras , mention Darshana- citta , i.e. visions . Indian Mahayana philosophers Vasubandhu and Asanga acknowledged five paths to liberation , of which the third is darshana-marga , the "path of seeing". Nagarjuna ,

910-537: Is a matter of controversy. R. C. Majumdar, on the basis of a verse in the Harivamsha-Purana, 783 CE, the interpretation of which he conceded was not free from difficulty, held that Vatsaraja ruled at Ujjain. Dasharatha Sharma, interpreting it differently located the original capital in the Bhinmala Jalor area. M. W. Meister and Shanta Rani Sharma concur with his conclusion in view of the fact that

975-409: Is all empty now and show signs of damage. The niches are topped by tall pediments. The outer dimensions of the sanctum are 60x40 feet with an 80 feet tower above. The doorway into the temple is 35 feet (11 m) high, and it is ornate. Above the doorway is a relief of Garuda, the vahana of Vishnu. Inside, there is another doorway above which is a Ganesha relief. There is a Nandi and lingam inside in

1040-586: Is one of the historic temples within the Gwalior old city. It is in the middle of the old town, built on a high point which makes it stand out from different locations within the fort. The site of the Teli ka Mandir and other historic temples is found in early inscriptions. Some of these refer to the town as Gopagiri. The Telika Mandir is generally dated to between 8th and 9th century based on paleography, art-style, architectural design and small inscriptions found within

1105-605: Is one of three terms in classical Indian discourse that could be considered roughly analogous to what today's English-speakers understand as "religion." The other two terms are dharma (duty, morality, a code of proper conduct) and marga (route, spiritual path). According to Davis, "most Hindu texts accepted that religious paths ( marga ) are relative to the points of view ( darśana ) and moral responsibilities ( dharma ) of practitioners, whose individual circumstances may make one or another course of action more appropriate in their particular situations." Poet Gary Snyder has given

1170-500: Is that Gurjara was the name of the tribe to which the dynasty belonged, and Pratihara was a clan of this tribe. Among those who believe that the term Gurjara was originally a tribal designation, there are disagreements over whether they were native Indians or foreigners. The proponents of the foreign origin theory point out that the Pratihars suddenly emerged as a political power in north India around sixth century CE, shortly after

1235-602: The Bateshwar Temples near Morena with dozens of standing temples and the ruins of over 100 small pancharatha-style temples, the Naresar group with 22 temples, and the Mahua group of temples most of which are dated to between the 6th and 10th century. They exemplify various variations in the Nagara style of Hindu architecture as well as the application of vastu mandala symmetry principles in novel ways. The Telika Mandir

1300-795: The Ghaznavid invasions. These branches fought each other for territory and one of the branches ruled Mandore till the 14th century. This Pratihara branch had marital ties with Rao Chunda of the Rathore clan and gave Mandore in dowry to Chunda. This was specifically done to form an alliance against the Turks of the Tughlaq Empire . There are notable examples of architecture from the Pratihara era, including sculptures and carved panels. Their temples, constructed in an open pavilion style. One of

1365-531: The Gujarat Rashtrakuta dynasty and his younger brother. Bhoja led a cavalry raid into Gujarat against the Dhruva while supporting his Dhruva's younger brother. Although the raid was repulsed by Dhruva II, Bhoja was able to retain dominion over parts of Gujarat and Malwa. Bhoja's feudatory, the‌ Guhilas Samanta named Harsha of Chatsu , is described as : “defeating the northern rulers with

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1430-515: The Hunas invasion of that region. According to them Gujara-Pratihara were "likely" formed from a fusion of the Alchon Huns ("White Huns") and native Indian elements, and can probably be considered as a Hunnic state , although its precise origins remain unclear. Critics of the foreign origin theory argue that there is no conclusive evidence of their foreign origin: they were well-assimilated in

1495-661: The Imperial Pratiharas , was a prominent medieval Indian dynasty which ruled over the Kingdom of Kannauj . It initially ruled the Gurjaradesa until its victory in the Tripartite Struggle in 816 which secured its right to the throne of Kannauj. Cadet branches of the dynasty ruled other minor states in the subcontinent. The Pratiharas were instrumental in containing Arab armies moving east of

1560-651: The Indus River . Nagabhata I defeated the Arab army under Junaid and Tamin in the Caliphate campaigns in India . Under Nagabhata II , the Pratiharas became the most powerful dynasty in northern India. He was succeeded by his son Ramabhadra , who ruled briefly before being succeeded by his son, Mihira Bhoja . Under Bhoja and his successor Mahendrapala I , the Pratihara dynasty reached its peak of prosperity and power. By

1625-661: The Pratiharas fought back repulsed them from fort of Sindan, pushing the Arabs out of Kutch between 833 and 842 AD. Later on, the Arabs lost a best part of Sindh . This was the major conflict between the forces of Mihirbhoja and Imran ibn-musa Around 880, the Gurjara-Pratiharas were defeated in large battle in Ujjain by Krishna II, the Rastrakuta king of Gujarat. However, retribution likely soon followed on

1690-490: The "auspicious sight" of the divine, involves seeing the deity's image ( murti ). This visual experience is charged with religious significance, as the deity is believed to be present in the image, allowing worshippers to receive divine blessings through their gaze. The term darshana also refers to the six systems of thought, called darshanam , that comprise classical Hindu philosophy . The term therein implies how each of these six systems distinctively look at things and

1755-494: The 20th-century has led to misidentification and misclassification of the temple. According to Meister, and Hermann Goetz, the temple was broadly assumed in the colonial era to have been a Vishnu temple that was later converted into Shiva temple, the temple may have actually started as a temple dedicated to the Matrikas (mother goddesses), but one that included the motifs of Vaishnanism and Shaivism. The evidence for these are now in

1820-614: The 8th century. According to Allen, some local literature states it to be from the 11th century, but the evidence suggests that this late chronology is inaccurate. According to Bajpai, the temple may have been built during the reign of the Gurjara-Pratihara Mihira Bhoja. The temple shows signs of extensive damage and change. It was badly damaged in the plunder raids by Muslim army of Qutb-ud-din Aibak and his successor Iltutmish in 1232 CE along with other temples in

1885-517: The Caliph. Arguments of doubtful validity have often been put forward to explain this unique phenomenon. Currently it is believed that it was the power of the Pratihara army that effectively barred the progress of the Muslims beyond the confines of Sindh, their first conquest for nearly three hundred years. In the light of later events this might be regarded as the "Chief contribution of the Pratiharas to

1950-613: The Indian culture. Moreover, if they invaded India through the north-west, it is inexplicable why would they choose to settle in the semi-arid area of present-day Rajasthan, rather than the fertile Indo-Gangetic Plain . According to the Agnivansha legend given in the later manuscripts of Prithviraj Raso , the Pratiharas, Parmar, Chauhan and Chalukya dynasties originated from a sacrificial fire-pit (agnikunda) at Mount Abu . Some colonial-era historians interpreted this myth to suggest

2015-451: The Pratiharas as "Gurjara". The term "Gurjara-Pratihara" occurs only in the Rajor inscription of a feudatory ruler named Mathanadeva, who describes himself as a "Gurjara-Pratihara". According to one school of thought, Gurjara was the name of the territory (see Gurjara-desha ) originally ruled by the Pratiharas; gradually, the term came to denote the people of this territory. An opposing theory

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2080-542: The Pratiharas regained the city, their position continued to weaken in the tenth century, partly as a result of the drain of simultaneously fighting off Turkic attacks from the west, the attacks from the Rashtrakuta dynasty from the south and the Pala advances in the east. The Pratiharas lost control of Rajasthan to their feudatories, and the Chandelas captured the strategic fortress of Gwalior in central India around 950. By

2145-662: The Radhanpur Plate and Prithviraja Vijaya , Vatsaraja led an expedition against the Palas under Dharmapala of Bengal As such, the Palas came into conflict from time to time with the Imperial Pratiharas. According to the above inscription Dharmapala , was deprived of his two white Royal Umbrellas, and fled, followed by the Pratihara forces under general Durlabharaja Chauhan of Shakambhari . The Prithviraja Vijaya mentions Durlabhraj I as having "washed his sword at

2210-476: The center of the Pratihara state, which covered much of northern India during the peak of their power, c. 836–910. Mihira Bhoja first consolidated his territories by crushing the rebellious feudatories in Rajasthan, before turning his attention against the old enemies the Palas and Rastrakutas. After consolidating his rule, he stepped into a war of succession for the throne of Gujarat between Dhruva II of

2275-593: The confluence of the river Ganga and the ocean, and savouring the land of the Gaudas". The Baroda Inscription (AD 812) states Nagabhata defeated the Dharmapala. Through vigorous campaigning, Vatsraj had extended his dominions to include a large part of northern India, from the Thar Desert in the west up to the frontiers of Bengal in the east. The metropolis of Kannauj had suffered a power vacuum following

2340-464: The death of Harsha without an heir, which resulted in the disintegration of the Empire of Harsha . This space was eventually filled by Yashovarman around a century later but his position was dependent upon an alliance with Lalitaditya Muktapida . When Muktapida undermined Yashovarman, a tri-partite struggle for control of the city developed, involving the Pratiharas, whose territory was at that time to

2405-650: The east of the Sutlej river." Kalhana 's Rajatarangini states that the territories of Bhoja extended to Kashmir in the north, and Bhoja had conquered Punjab by defeating ruling 'Thakkiyaka' dynasty . After Devapala's death, Bhoja defeated the Pala emperor Narayanapala and expanded his boundaries eastward into Pala-held territories near Gorakhpur . In the early 8th century, Arabs fought on and off to take over Sindh . Imran ibn-Musa, who governed Sindh, tried to expand Arab rule to nearby areas. When Bhoja became powerful

2470-399: The east. The tower rises about the rectangular sanctum to a height of 80 feet (24 m). Above it is a barrel vault shaped cap of 30 feet (9.1 m), its length perpendicular to that of the sanctum, that reminds one of South Indian gopuram. It likely had amalaka, kalasha and other ornaments on top, but these are all lost to history. The walls of temple has numerous niches for statues, but it

2535-544: The end of the tenth century the Pratihara domains had dwindled to a small state centered on Kannauj. Mahmud of Ghazni captured Kannauj in 1018, and the Pratihara ruler Rajapala fled. He was subsequently captured and killed by the Chandela ruler Vidyadhara . The Chandela ruler then placed Rajapala's son Trilochanpala on the throne as a proxy. Jasapala, the last Pratihara ruler of Kannauj, died in 1036. The Imperial Pratihara dynasty broke into several small states after

2600-499: The entrance to the temple. The temple's vallabhi shikhara mirrors the gopuram of Dravidian temples and it stands on a Nagara base. The temple's outer walls have been extensively carved. The Teli ka mandir is unusual in many ways, and its complex design has led to many contesting proposals for what influenced it or which temples it influenced. Proposals range from it being influenced by Buddhist architecture, or by South Indian temples, or it being an independent masterpiece innovation of

2665-542: The fort following a jauhar , parts of the ruins were then used to apparently build a mosque nearby. The mosque was in turn apparently destroyed by Hindu Maratha army centuries later. The temple was restored by the Hindus after the desecration by Iltutmish forces, which speculated Cunningham, may explain some of the features that appear from a later era. The temple has icons and inscriptions related to all three major traditions of Hinduism: Shaivism, Vaishnavism and Shaktism. One of

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2730-577: The help of the mighty elephant force”, and “loyally presenting to Bhoja the special ‘Shrivamsha’ breed of horses, which could easily cross seas of sand." Besides being a conqueror, Bhoja was a great diplomat. The kingdoms which were conquered and acknowledged his suzerainty includes Travani, Valla, Mada, Arya, Gujaratra, Lata Parvarta and Chandelas of Bundelkhand . Bhoja's Daulatpura - Dausa Inscription (AD 843), confirms his rule in Dausa region. Another inscription states that,"Bhoja's territories extended to

2795-410: The history of India". Known Baddoch rulers are- Badegujar were rulers of Rajogarh Indo-Scythians Indo-Parthians References Sources Darshana In Indian religions , a darshan ( Sanskrit : दर्शन, IAST : darśana ; lit. 'showing, appearance, view, sight') or darshanam is the auspicious sight of a deity or a holy person. The term also refers to any one of

2860-457: The inscriptions nor texts attest to such a name. According to Allen, there is no satisfactory explanation for this name. Local folklore states that the temple was built by oil merchant caste rather than kings, the royal class or the priestly class. The temple has a rectangular triratha sanctum plan that sits on a jagati platform that is a square of 60 feet (18 m). It has a large kapili projecting portico of about 11 feet (3.4 m) towards

2925-518: The inscriptions, for example, is a metrical hymn about Durga. The relief work includes a prominent Garuda, the vahana of Vishnu. Inside the temple is a Shiva linga. The temple was in ruins in the 19th century. Between 1881 and 1883, repairs to the temple were initiated by Major Keith, an officer of the Royal Scots Regiment stationed in Gwalior. The origin of the temple's name is unclear. It literally means Oilman's Temple , but neither

2990-405: The keel vault details suggest that the ideas are markedly different expressions of an idea, rather than a copy. The Teli ka temple of Gwalior is closest in its plan to a 4x4 square grid, yet different. According to Michael Meister this innovation is carried across the temple deliberately in its Bhadra, Pratibhadra, Karna, Kapota, Kumbha, Bhitta and other elements, The Teli-ka-mandir enlarges such

3055-520: The late Gupta era Hindu artists. The temple sanctum plan seems rectangular rather than the typical square, one that makes it the oldest surviving Hindu temple with a rectangular plan in Central India. According to Michael Meister, a professor specializing on Indian temple architecture, the temple is actually a study in squares nevertheless because its rectangles are formed by combining squares. The extensive damage and dislocation of its ruins before

3120-500: The most notable Pratihara style of architecture was Khajuraho , built by their vassals, the Chandelas of Bundelkhand . Māru-Gurjara architecture was developed during Pratihara Empire. Historians of India, since the days of Elphinstone , have wondered at the slow progress of Muslim invaders in India, as compared with their rapid advance in other parts of the world. The Arabs possibly only stationed small invasions independent of

3185-533: The outer and inner doorways, both genders carrying weapons and a kind expression of welcome, and possibly symbolizing the theology in Shaiva and Shakta traditions. Above the river goddess flanked eastern doorway are piled up chaitya-hall style gavaksha ornamentation, which reminds one of the Buddhist designs. The doorway leads to the sanctum sanctorum or garbha griha . There is a decorative sculpture of Garuda at

3250-571: The part of the Pratiharas, as by the end of his reign, Bhoja had successfully exterminated the Gujarat Rashtrakuta line. Hudud-ul-Alam, a tenth-century Persian geographic text, states that most of the kings of India acknowledged the supremacy of the powerful 'Rai of Qinnauj', ( Kannauj was the capital of the Imperial Pratiharas) whose mighty army had 150,000 strong cavalry and 800 war elephants. Bhoja II (910–912)

3315-406: The plan and created by the grid might be compared to harmonic ratios . I know of no evidence to suggest a deep commitment in India to "musical" harmonies in architecture; yet few structures better embody harmonious proportions than the eighth-century Teli-ka-mandir. Gurjara-Pratihara dynasty The Pratihara dynasty , also called the Gurjara-Pratiharas , the Pratiharas of Kannauj or

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3380-655: The port of Bharuch in Gujarat. He established his capital at Avanti in Malwa, and checked the expansion of the Arabs, who had established themselves in Sind . In this battle (738 CE), Nagabhata led a confederacy of Pratiharas to defeat the Muslim Arabs who had till then been pressing on victorious through West Asia and Iran . An inscription by Mihira Bhoja ascribes Nagabhata with having appeared like Vishnu "in response to

3445-466: The prayers of the oppressed people to crush the large armies of the powerful Mleccha ruler, the destroyer of virtue". Nagabhata I was followed by two weak successors, his nephews Devraj and Kakkuka, who were in turn succeeded by Vatsraja (775–805). In the Gwalior inscription, it is recorded that Pratihara emperor Nagabhata "crushed the large army of the powerful Mlechcha king." This large army consisted of cavalry, infantry, siege artillery, and probably

3510-773: The ruins held by the Gwalior Museum and Delhi National Museum. Similarly, the assumed "southern influence" is likely an incorrect hypothesis as well, proposed by those who saw something similar in the South Indian majestic gopuram or the vaulted roofs at Mahabalipuram , Tamil Nadu. However, the influence could have been the other way around or possibly the result of collaboration between pan-Indian artist guilds. Post-colonial era studies have identified similar ruined barrel-vault capped historic temples in many places in north and east India, including those in Odisha. Closer study of

3575-415: The sanctum. The temple entrance and panels have several inscriptions, three of which are short likely from pre-10th century and others are longer from 15th-century. The latter inscriptions suggest that the temple was a Shaiva shrine by the 15th century. One of the inscriptions discovered is a metrical hymn about Durga, which suggests a Shakta tradition influence. The temple lacks a covered mandapa, but includes

3640-594: The scriptures in Indian philosophies. The six Hindu darshana are Nyaya , Vaisheshika , Samkhya , Yoga , Mīmāṃsā , and Vedanta . Buddhism and Jainism are examples of non-Hindu darshans. On the significance of darshana in Mahayana thought, Paul Harrison writes: "By the second century CE... the vision of the Buddha ( buddha-darśana ) and the accompanying hearing of the Dharma ( dharma-śravaṇa ) are represented as

3705-493: The six traditional schools of Hindu philosophy and their literature on spirituality and soteriology . The word darshana , also in the forms of darśana or darshanam , comes from the Sanskrit root of दर्शन dṛś 'to look at', 'to view', vision , apparition or glimpse. Darshana is described as an "auspicious sight" of a holy person, which bestows merit on the viewer. It is most commonly used for theophany , meaning

3770-432: The temple premises. According to Michael Meister, an art historian and a professor specializing in Indian temple architecture, the temple was built by 750 CE, per the most recently discovered inscriptions in Gwalior. George Michell, another art historian and a professor specializing in Indian temples, the temple was complete by the 9th century. Bharne and Krusche place the temple between 700 and 750 CE, while Allen places it in

3835-708: The time of Mahendrapala, the extent of its territory rivalled that of the Gupta Empire stretching from the border of Sindh in the west to Bengal in the east and from the Himalayas in the north to areas past the Narmada in the south. The expansion triggered a tripartite power struggle with the Rashtrakuta and Pala empires for control of the Indian subcontinent . During this period, Imperial Pratihara took

3900-407: The title of Maharajadhiraja of Āryāvarta ( Great King of Kings of Aryan Lands ). Pratihara are known for their sculptures, carved panels and open pavilion style temples. The greatest development of their style of temple building was at Khajuraho , now a UNESCO World Heritage Site . The power of the Pratihara dynasty was weakened by dynastic strife. It was further diminished as a result of

3965-638: The west and north, the Palas of Bengal in the east and the Rashtrakutas , whose base lay at the south in the Deccan . Vatsaraja successfully challenged and defeated the Pala ruler Dharmapala and Dantidurga , the Rashtrakuta king, for control of Kannauj. Around 786, the Rashtrakuta ruler Dhruva (c. 780–793) crossed the Narmada River into Malwa, and from there tried to capture Kannauj. Vatsraja

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4030-720: The writer of the Jaina narrative Kuvalayamala states that it was composed at Jalor in the time of Vatsaraja in 778 CE, which is five years before the composition of Harivamsha-Purana. Nagabhata I (739–760), was originally perhaps a feudatory of the Chavdas of Bhillamala. He gained prominence after the downfall of the Chavda kingdom in the course of resisting the invading forces led by the Arabs who controlled Sindh. Nagabhata Pratihara I (730–756) later extended his control east and south from Mandor, conquering Malwa as far as Gwalior and

4095-770: Was defeated by the Dhruva Dharavarsha of the Rashtrakuta dynasty around 800. Vatsaraja was succeeded by Nagabhata II (805–833), who was initially defeated by the Rashtrakuta ruler Govinda III (793–814), but later recovered Malwa from the Rashtrakutas, conquered Kannauj and the Indo-Gangetic Plain as far as Bihar from the Palas, and again checked the Muslims in the west. He rebuilt the great Shiva temple at Somnath in Gujarat, which had been demolished in an Arab raid from Sindh . Kannauj became

4160-510: Was driven from Kannauj by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1018. The origin of the dynasty and the meaning of the term "Gurjara" in its name is a topic of debate among historians. The rulers of this dynasty used the self-designation "Pratihara" for their clan, and never referred to themselves as Gurjaras. They claimed descent from the legendary hero Lakshmana , who is said to have acted as a pratihara ("door-keeper") for his brother Rama . Multiple inscriptions of their neighbouring dynasties describe

4225-682: Was overthrown by Mahipala I (912–944). Several feudatories of the empire took advantage of the temporary weakness of the Pratiharas to declare their independence, notably the Paramaras of Malwa, the Chandelas of Bundelkhand , the Kalachuris of Mahakoshal , the Tomaras of Haryana , and the Chahamanas of Shakambhari . The south Indian Emperor Indra III (c. 914–928) of the Rashtrakuta dynasty briefly captured Kannauj in 916, and although

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