| Ayudhas | |
|---|---|
| Country | Kingdom of Kannauj |
| Founded | 770 |
| Founder | Vajrayudha |
| Final ruler | Chakrayudha |
| Seat | Kannauj |
| Dissolution | 816 |
The Ayudha dynasty was the short-lived ruling dynasty of the Kingdom of Kannauj from the late 8th to the early 9th century. It ruled as a client kingdom of Dharmapala of Bengal during the reign of Chakrayudha. The dynasty was established when Vajrayudha deposed the Varmans and started ruling over Kannauj.
History
The successors of Yashovarman, the powerful king of Kannauj, were all weak rulers who did not demonstrate the skills to run and defend the kingdom. Kannauj was taken over by Ayudhas, probably during the reign of Bhoja of Kannauj (not to be confused with Mihira Bhoja or Bhoja).
Vajrayudha
Vajrayudha, who ascended to the throne in 770 CE, was the first ruler of the dynasty.
He was probably defeated by the Karkota king of Kashmir, Jayapida. But if Jayapida carried out this campaign in the later years of his career, however the defeated king of Kannauj he defeated must instead have been Vajrayudha's successor, Indrayudha.
Indrayudha
Indrayudha succeeded his father Vajrayudha in 783. He was defeated by the powerful Rashtrakuta king Dhruva Dharavarsha, and the powerful king of the Palas, Dharmapala. Instead of annexing his territory, Dharmapala made Chakrayudha, his protégé, king of Kannauj as his vassal, and this was approved by the rulers of all the neighbouring territories. But then the two brothers, Indrayudha and Chakrayudha , started fighting for the important city of Kannauj.
Chakrayudha
When Dharmapala defeated Indrayudha, he appointed Indrayudha's brother, Chakrayudha, his protégé as the king of Kannauj, but as a vassal under Dharmapala. This arrangement was approved by the rulers of all the neighbouring territories. But then both the brothers, Indrayudha and Chakrayudha started fighting for the important city of Kannauj. Then the Rashtrakuta emperor Govinda III invaded the north and defeated and gained the submission of both Dharmapala and Chakrayudha.
Decline
The invasion of Govinda III that defeated Chakrayudha and his overlord Dharmapala caused in anarchy and confusion in the region. The population was harassed by these invasions. Then the king of the Gurjara-Pratiharas, Nagabhata II, took advantage of the situation, invaded Kannauj, defeated Chakrayudha, and then made Kannauj his capital. This marked the end of the Ayudhas.
Notes
- Civil Services Pre.Exam.Indian History ( From Earliest Times To 1964 A.D.). Upkar Prakashan. 2009. ISBN 978-81-7482-888-0.
- ^ Sen, Sailendra Nath (1999). Ancient Indian History and Civilization. New Age International. p. 264. ISBN 8122411983.
- ^ "Kannauj after Harsha". Jagran Josh. 14 October 2015.
- Singh, Sheo Bahadur (1996). Epigraphy and Art: A Study Based on the North Indian Inscriptions from C.700 to 1200 A.D. Agam Kala Prakashan. p. 7. ISBN 9788173200328.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) - Vishveshvaranand Vishva Bandhu Institute of Sanskrit and Indological Studies, Vishveshvaranand Vedic Research Institute (1969). Vishveshvaranand Indological Journal (in English, Hindi, and Sanskrit). Vishveshvaranand Vedic Research Institute. p. 107.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) - Kumar Maity, Sachindra (1997). Professor A.L. Basham, my Guruji and problems and perspectives of ancient Indian history and culture. Abhinav Publications. p. 193. ISBN 9788170173267.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) - Shyam Manohar Mishra (1977). Yaśovarman of Kanauj. Abhinav. pp. 120–121 OCLC 5782454
References
- "Kannauj after Harsha". Jagran Josh. 14 October 2015.
- Kamath, Suryanath U. (2001) . A concise history of Karnataka : from pre-historic times to the present. Bangalore: Jupiter books. LCCN 80905179. OCLC 7796041.