Solanki
The Solanki were a Hindu dynasty in Gujarat , which temporarily represented a great power in northern India in the 11th and 12th centuries. Their capital was Anhilwada (or Anhilvara ), today's Patan , then one of the largest cities in India.
history
Her ancestor Mularaj Solanki (r. Approx. 942 / 61–996) was allegedly the daughter of the last prince of the local Chavda dynasty (approx. 746–961, Gurjara- Rajputs ). The Solanki are probably also part of the Gurjara Rajputs because they originally belonged to the Fire clan. However, they also claimed to have been connected to the Chalukya of Vatapi and are therefore alternatively referred to as (Chalukya, Chaulukya).
The solanki were often in the shadow of the paramara . Despite severe setbacks against the Paramara king Bhoja of Dhara in the 11th century and the frequently mentioned attack by Mahmud of Ghaznis on Somnath in 1025/26, the Solanki empire finally encompassed all of Gujarat and southern Rajasthan for much of the 12th century . The successful kings of that time were Jayasimha Siddharaja and Kumarapala (descendant of a courtesan and a Jaina ), but even their reigns were not free from uncertainties (e.g. controversy over the succession). At the time of its heyday in the 11th and 12th centuries, Gujarat was a center of trade and at least King Bhimadeva I is famous for promoting foreign traders. In scientific terms, mention should be made of the scholar Hemachandra , a Jain and adviser to Kumarapala.
Under King Bhima II, the simple-minded, (r. 1178-1242) the empire fell apart, initially due to the attacks of the Muslim Ghurids (around 1197) and other enemies. The king fled and gradually lost control of his country. In its place came the ministerial family of the Vaghelas (approx. 1222-1298, a side line of the royal house and the religious community of the Jainas ), who finally dethroned the last Solanki king in 1244.
buildings
The Solanki are famous for their buildings: They were the patrons of the important Shiva temple of Somnath , which they rebuilt together with the Paramara after the sacking and partial destruction by the troops of Mahmud of Ghaznas (1025/26). The Surya Temple of Modhera is one of the highlights of Indian architecture of the 11th century. In addition to construction work on temples, work on step wells and port facilities should also be mentioned. The early Dilwara temples at Mount Abu also go back to court officials Bhimadeva I or other builders of the Solanki or Vaghela empire.
Solanki kings
- Mularaja I. (reg. Approx. 942 / 960–996)
- Chamundaraja (ruled approx. 996-1009)
- Vallabharaja (ruled approx. 1009)
- Durlabharaja (ruled approx. 1009-1022)
- Bhimadeva I (ruled approx. 1022-1064)
- Karnadeva I (ruled approx. 1064-1093)
- Jayasimha Siddharaja I. (ruled approx. 1093–1143)
- Kumarapala (ruled approx. 1143–1174), descendant of Bhimadeva I.
- Ajavapala (ruled approx. 1173–1176)
- Mularaja II. (Ruled approx. 1176–1178)
- Bhimadeva II. Bholo (r. 1178-1242)
- Tribuvanpal (ruled 1242-1244)
literature
- Christian Lassen: Indian Antiquity, Vol. 3 , Leipzig 1858
- Ainslee T. Embree, Friedrich Wilhelm (Ed.): India. History of the subcontinent from the Indus culture to the beginning of English rule. Fischer Taschenbuch Verlag, Frankfurt 2005, ISBN 3-596-60017-0
- Hermann Kulke: Indian history until 1750 . Oldenbourg, Munich 2005, ISBN 3-486-55741-6
- Dietmar Rothermund: History of India. From the Middle Ages to the Present CH Beck, Munich 2011, ISBN 978-3-406-47994-6