The Zenith of Power

Dhangadeva (c. 950-1002)

                                                                                       

King Dhangadeva (c. AD 950-999), who was the son of Yashovarman born to his queen Puppa (Pushpa) Devi. He extended the kingdom and ruled over a vast tract stretching between the Yamuna and Narmada rivers. He was the first independent Chandela ruler who refused to acknowledge the suzerainty of the Pratiharas. He was a worshipper of Lord Shiva and installed two lingams, one made of emerald and the other of stone, in the temple then called Markateshvara.

According to verses 45 and 46 of Khajuraho inscription of V.S. 1059, the rulers of Kosala, Kratha, Simhala and Kuntala presented themselves in his hall of audience, and listened humbly to the commands of his chamberlains. It further adds that he was ‘so successful in his wars that the wives of the kings of Kanchi, Andhra, Radha and Anga lingered in his prisons’.

The Mau inscription of the tome of Madanvarman refers to another important achievement of Dhanga. It tells the Chandela ruler ‘having defeated on battle-field the King of Kanyakubja all princes, obtained exalted sovereignty’.

The fragmentary Mahoba stone inscription refers to another achievement of king Dhanga. Introducing Muslim invaders for the first time in the epigraphic records of the dynasty, it tells us that Dhanga ‘by strength of his arms, equalled even the powerful Hamvira (Amir was tilted adopted by the sultan of Ghazni), who had proved a heavy burden for the earth.’

Dhanga, who was blessed with a long span of life, must had a large family, but very little is known of it. The records preserve only the names of his son Ganda, who succeeded him to the throne, and of his younger brother Krsna or Krsnapa. The latter was the governor of the south-western provinces of the kingdom, extending at least from Dudhai in the north to Bhilsa (Vidisha) in the south. He is mentioned in four epigraphs discovered at Dudhai in Lalitpur (U.P.). They describe him as the son of Maharajadhiraja Yashovarman of Chandela anvaya.

Dhanga was highly praised in the records for his good conduct, devotion of law, spirit of sacrifice, discernment, intelligence and love for fine arts.

He was great donor and religious person; he donated money, grain, cows, and land to the Brahmans in the period of solar or lunar eclipses.

The poets Madhava and Rama, who respectively composed the two Khajuraho prasastis (inscriptions), belonged to his court. Madhava was son of the grammarian Dedda and Rama was the son of Balabhadra, who was well-versed in scriptures and grandson of kavichkravati Nandana. He was a scion of Savara (Sabara) family resident at Tarkkarika (Tikuri).

This remarkable ruler was blessed with an unusually span of life. He lives for more than a century, and religious bent of his mind is evidenced by the fact that he thought it fit to end his earthly life at the holy confluence of the Ganga and the Jamuna.

Thus he passed away from this world and gave a solid foundation for this dynasty.

Ganda Deva (c. 1002-1015 AD)

Ganda occupied the throne after the death of his illustrious father. There is not a single inscription of this ruler so far, but his name and achievements figure in the following records of his successors:

1. Mahoba fragmentary stone inscription, 2. Mau stone inscription of Madanvarman reign, 3. Ajaygarh rock inscription of the time of Kirtivarman, and 4. Ajaygarh rock inscription of the reign of Bhojavarman.

The records extol Ganda for his victories and deeds of valour, without giving any concrete instance. These records tell us so little about the king himself, are more informative about some of his ministers.

Vidyadhara (c. 1015-1036 AD)

Vidyadhara, the son and successor of Ganda was one of the most remarkable rulers of his age. But not a single inscription of his reign has been found so far.

The Mau inscription compares him to the divine ruler Vasava (Indra), the Devgarh epigraph details that his ‘ lotus-feet were bowed down to by crowds of princes’. The Mahoba inscription shows his relation with contemporary rulers. It refers that, ‘Bhojdeva, together with Kalchuri-chandra, worshiped, full of fear, like a pupil, (this) master of warfare, who had caused the destruction of the king of Kanyakubja’.

Vidyadhara was first ruler, who had a great battle with Mahmud of Ghazni and restored the power. He was describes as a greatest ruler of India in the Muslim chronicles.

After the great victory on Muslim, he constructed a grand temple of Khajuraho, known as Kandariya Mahadeva Temple.