Jayasimha Siddharaja

Jayasimha Siddharaja
4th Solanki King
Reign	c. 1094 – c. 1143 CE
Predecessor	Karnadev I
Successor	Kumarapala
Born	1081
Died	1143 Patan, Gujarat
Spouse	Lilavatidevi
Issue	Kanchandevi
Dynasty	Solanki
Father	Karnadev I
Mother	Mayanalladevi[1]

Jayasimha Siddharaja or "Jaysinh Solanki" was the fourth Rajput king of the Solanki dynasty and ruled Gujarat c. 1094 – c. 1143 CE.^[2][1] His rule has been considered a golden era of Gujarat. He belonged to the Solanki Rajput clan. Solanki is one of the 36 royal rajput clans.

Jayasimha reigned over a realm extending to Sapadkhetra or Sambhar (modern day Ajmer) in the north and Konkan in the south, and Kutch in the west up to the boundary with Bundelkhand. His kingdom included Kutch, Saurashtra, Laat (modern south Gujarat), Mewar, Marvar, Malva and Sambhar. Jayasimha was an able warrior, noble king and great admirer of art and culture. He is known for his efficient administration and steps taken for the welfare of the people.

Biography

Early life

There are different accounts available about the early life of Jayasimha, each giving conflicting details. According to some folktales, Jayasimha was born in Palanpur; however, according to popular belief, Palanpur was established after the death of Jayasimha. Most historians agree that he was born in Patan, then the capital of the Solanki dynasty.

At the time of his birth, the kingdom of his father Karndev I was passing through tough times. The kingdom was defeated by a joint army of the states of Shakambhari and Malva. Earlier, Patan had witnessed a strong attack by Muhammad of Gazani, which devastated his state. Gujarat had lost control of much of its territory, and Karndev I was made a tributary to Malva.

Jayasimha acceded to the throne at around the age of eight. His mother, Minaldevi, was a very able administrator who managed the state as regent with the help of a council of ministers. Jayasimha was trained to be a warrior and administrator.

Rise to power

Jayasimha was crowned in 1096 CE during Krishna Paksha (the waning phase of the moon) in the Hindu month of Posha.^[3] The initial years of his rule focused on strengthening his position as the ruler of the dynasty within his family. There was a continuous struggle for power between two clans of Solanki that originated from two wives of Bhimdev I: Bakuladevi and Udaymati. The kingdom had been entrusted to the clan of Udaymati even though her son was younger. Jayasimha marginalised his cousin Tribhuvanpal, the grandson of Bakuladevi, from the politics of Patan. He concentrated powers around his clan and started asserting himself as the ruler of the entire kingdom.

Mindaldevi managed the state with the help of her ministers as a regent during the minority of Jayasimha. Many ministers obtained significant influence during this period. Jayasimha had to struggle with these ministers to concentrate power in his own hands, eventually succeeding and taking the reins of his kingdom as absolute ruler. Many historians believe that this fulfilled the desire of his mother for gathering power within her family. However, Jayasimha doubtlessly asserted himself as the ruler of his state before his family, ministers and public.

Consolidation of the state

Jayasimha led many military conquests to expand boundaries and assert his sovereignty.

Initial victories

In 1108–09, he proclaimed himself as the sovereign ruler of Gujarat and ceased to be feudal to the King of Malva. He titled himself as Maharajadhiraj Parmeshwar (Gujarati: મહારાજાધિરાજ પરમેશ્વર), "Almighty the Supreme King". He defeated some Deccan rulers and won the title of Tribhuvangad (Gujarati: ત્રિભુવનગંડ), "Ruler of Three States".

Victory over Saurashtra

There was continuous rivalry between the rulers of Saurashtra and Patan for generations. Saurastra was ruled by Kings of the Abhir Dynasty during the rule of Solanki. Mulraj defeated Abhir King Grahripu and made him his tributary. Thereafter, rulers of Saurashtra acknowledged the King of Patan as their Prime Ruler and continued as his tributary. However, with the weakening of Solanki, their paramountcy on Saurastra lapsed and their ruler become virtually independent. After Jayasimha consolidated his position in Patan, he decided to tackle the issue of Saurashtra. He built many forts on the way to Saurashtra to build pressure on the rulers of Saurashtra.

He attacked Junagadh, the capital of Saurashtra, in 1114. The King of Saurashtra, Ra'Khengar, was defeated in war and became the captive of Jayasimha. The rule of the Abhir dynasty was abolished from Saurashtra and Jayasimha appointed his minister Sajjan as the administrator of Saurashtra. He departed from the practice followed by his predecessor wherein the defeated king was reinstated upon the payment of an annual tribute.

There are many folk tales about the victory of Junagadh by Jayasimha. According to one, the father of Ra' Khengar, Ra' Navghan, was insulted by Jayasimha. Navghan vowed to take avenge for the same, but he could not complete it due to his ailing health. He called all of his four sons and decide to abdicate in favor of the son who promised to fulfill his pledge. His youngest son, Khengar, promised to do so and hence he was made ruler.

While Jayasimha was conquering Malva, Khengar attacked Patan and broke its gate. He also kidnapped Ranakdevi, the fiancee of Jayasimha, and married her. The angry Jayasimha decided to reduce the fort of Saurashtra to ashes. He attacked Junagadh fort. The nephew of Khengar betrayed and opened the gates of Junagadh fort, and Jayasimha's military conquered the entire fort. Khengar and his two sons died in the war. Jayasimha proposed marriage to Ranakdevi, but she refused. Instead, she choose to perform sati on the funeral pyre of her husband at Vadhvan.

However, there is no historical evidence for this story. The evidence suggests that Khengar was held as a captive in that war and deposed as the ruler of Saurashtra.^[4] There are no historical records to suggest that Khengar had a wife named Ranak who was earlier engaged to Jayasimha. Further, looking at the social conditions prevailing at that time, it was unlikely for any ruler to marry a widow.

Jayasimha started the Sinh Samvant (Gujarati: સિંહસંવત) (calendar of the lion) to commemorate his victory at Saurashtra.

Victory over Barbarak

The North of his kingdom was dominated by various isolated hill tribes ruled by King Barbarak. He was perceived as a demon by local people because of his massive physical strength and appearance. Barbark used to attack and loot nearby towns and places of pilgrimage, creating an atmosphere of fear. He was thought by the general public to practise black magic.

Jayasimha attacked Barbarak in 1123. There was a fierce war between the two armies. Jayasimha's sword was broken into pieces in that war. He started wrestling with Barbarak, who was stronger than him. Jayasimha coiled his hands around the neck of Barbarak, which made him unconscious. Later, Jayasimha spared his life on the request of Barbarak's wife, Pingalika or Pingala.

This victory led to the title of Barbarkjishnu (Gujarati: બર્બરકજિષ્ણુ), literally "one who defeated Barbark". Jayasimha also adopted the title of 'Siddhachakravarti' (Gujarati: સિદ્ધચક્રવર્તી), "Emperor the Achiever". This victory helped Jayasimha to win praise from his public. This was not a just military victory, but it was significant in that his subjects started equating him with the great Vikramaditya. He was believed to have supernatural power and considered to be invincible. Just like Vikram and Vaital, the folktales of Jayasimha and Barbark became popular. This victory strongly established him as ruler in common perception. This huge public support played a vital role in his subsequent actions.

Victory over other Gurjar kings

Jayasimha had captured the entire area of modern Gujarat, namely Saurashtra, Kutch, and North and South Gujarat. He decided to strengthen his kingdom by establishing his paramountcy over the Gurjar rulers to the east of his kingdoms. in 1123, he merged the area of Gvaliar into his kingdom. Similarly, in 1127 he defeated Kota and merged it with his kingdom. Jayasimha defeated his bitter rival Ashwapal or Asharaj of Nadul. He defeated Marvar, and its king became a tributory to Jayasimha. He also took control of Shakambhari state and the Kiradu area of Jodhpur state.^[5] He is believed to have defeated one king of Sindh. He also captured Ajmer and made its king his tributary. To strengthen this alliance, he married his daughter Kanchandevi to Arnoraj Chahman. Later, Arnoraj helped Jayasimha to win Malva. On the southern side, he defeated Vikramaditya VI and won the area up to Konkan.

He had some unsuccessful military forays in Bundelkhand, but they did not affect his power and strength as ruler of west India.

Victory over Malva

Malva had been an old rival of Solanki, and there were frequent wars between the kingdoms. In the initial year of his rule, Jayasimha was a tributary to Malva. However, after asserting his authority, they had frequent clashes. Malva was ruled by Yashoverma. In 1135, Jayasimha attacked Malva. He was assisted by Ajaypal of Ajmer and Arnoraj of Nadul. His attack was so severe that king Yashoverma had to flee from his capital Ujjaini and take refugee in Dhara. However, Jayasimha attacked Dhara and defeated Yashoverma. Jayasimha was determined to kill Yashoverma, but he was rescued by Munjal, one of the ministers of Jayasimha. Yashoverma was held as a captive by Jayasimha, and his minister Mahadev was appointed as the administrator of Malva. Thus, he put an end to the continuous warfare between the two kingdoms with the fall of Malva. Then, Malva state included areas of Chittod and Mevad. These areas also automatically became part of Gujarat. This victory was cherished by his citizens, and many plays and poems were written to commemorate this occasion.

Reign

The regime of Jayasimha is considered to have been the golden era of Gujarat. Trade and commerce were at their height. Gujarat became one of the most prosperous states in India, and wealth accumulated from all directions. Jayasimha promoted art and culture in the state and invited artists from all over the country. He built many temples, palaces, lakes and cities.

Renovation of Sahastraling Lake

His predecessor, Durlabhdev, had built a small lake in Patan. Jayasimha renovated it and named it Sahastraling (Gujarati: સહસ્ત્રલિંગ), literally meaning thousands of lingas (the symbol of Lord Shiva). This was not just a lake but also a great architectural beauty. He diverted the flow of the entire Saraswati River into the lake. Many artificial islands were created on which many temples, palaces, and gardens were built. On the banks of this lake were thousands of temples to Shiva. Apart from these, there were 108 temples to Devi, Yagnashala and Matha for pupils. Jayasimha invited 1001 Brahmans from Varanasi at the time of the renovation of Sahastraling Lake; their successors are known as Audichya Brahmin.^[6]

Education and culture

He built around 40 forts from Thane to Vadhvan, which were true sources of power. Contemporary historians extolled the beauty of his capital Patan. The peak of temples in the city was said to have the power to slow the horses of the Sun God.^[7] Patan was considered to be a city of temples. The Saraswati River passed through its borders. The city had many palaces, gardens, fountains and other huge buildings, showcasing the prosperity of the state.

During his rule, Patan became a major hub for education in western India. Jayasimha encouraged and provided state grants to various scholars. He encouraged free debate, and his court was famous for various noble and expert courtiers. Some prominent members of his court included (i) Tark, an expert in Mahabharat and Parasharsmriti; (ii) Utsah, a Kashmiri pandit; (iii) Sagar, an expert scholar; (iv) Ram, an expert in debating; and (v) Bhav Bruhspati, a sage from the Pashupat Sect of Hinduism, who was later made the chief administrator of the Somnath temple.

Jayasimha was Hindu, but he showed equal tolerance to all other religions. He gave generous grants to persons who practised other religions, notably the Jain scholar Hemchandra. It is believed that people of 98 different faiths and creeds were living peacefully in his capital.^[8] After the fall of Dhara city, Jayasimha brought the books and manuscripts from its library. He also provided state help for artists and scholars from all disciplines.

He encouraged Hemchandra to compile rules for Gujarati grammar. On his inspiration, Hemchandra wrote Siddhahem Shabdanushashan (Gujarati: સિદ્ધહેમ શબ્દાનુશાસન), "Rules of Words". It is believed that on completion of this book, Jayasimha carried a huge procession of his books on his personal elephant. This shows his admiration for education and culture.

Religion

Jayasimha is portrayed as a Shaiva king who supported the Jains. The Jain authors show him treating all the different religious communities impartially.^[9]

Jayasimha was a follower of the Shaivism sect of Hinduism, with Somnath as the prime god. However, he was equally tolerant towards other religions. His court included members of other religions like Jainism and Buddhism. However, he never let any religious leader interfere in political matters. He removed many restrictions which were earlier imposed on Jains. He rebuilt Rudramal at Siddhapur. He also renovated the Somnath temple.

During his rule, there were communal clashes in the city of Khambhat.^[10] Some local people attacked a mosque in the city, and around 80 Muslims were killed in that violence. The imam of that mosque complained to Jayasimha in the form of long poem. Jayasimha himself went to Khambhat in disguise and investigated the matter. When he found truth in the complaint, he ordered the mosques to be rebuilt from state funds and punished all those who were guilty. This was a remarkable act of tolerance to Muslims considering the fact that his Somnath temple was destroyed by a Muslim attacker during the regime of his predecessor. This incident shows his love for justice and his commitment to secularism.

Ministers

Jayasimha was coronated at a very young age. His mother Minaldevi ruled the state as regent with the help of a council of ministers. Hence, his ministers were more powerful when he took charge. He had to struggle with his ministers to consolidate power. His first minister was Shantu, the chief minister when Minaldevi managed the kingdom as regent. He saved the kingdom against attacks by the army of Muhammad of Gazni and King of Malva. However, when Jayasimha started asserting himself as king, Shantu got angry and he left capital in 1123. He decided to side with the King of Malva. However, Jayasimha realised his mistake and called his minister back. But on this way back, Shantu died in Udaipur. One belief is that Jayasimha pretended to apologize to Shantu and, when he returned, he killed him. However, there is no support for this theory.

Another prominent minister of Jayasimha was Munjal. He was the Chief Minister of Karnadev I and was trusted by Minaldevi. In 1135, he stopped Jayasimha from killing the defeated king of Malva, Yashoverma. This shows that he yielded significant influence on the king.

Other ministers included Ashwak or Ashuk, who became Chief Minister after Shantu in 1123. After him, Gagil became chief minister. In 1136 and 1138, Dadak became chief minister. He has been considered as the most powerful of all. He sided with Jayasimha in many prominent battles. In 1137, Ambaprasad became his minister. One other minister is Kak, who was given the title of 'Brahmin Warrior of Gujarat'. A less significant name is Minister Udayan, who was chief administrator of Khambhat, a prominent port at that time.

Minaldevi

Minaldevi ruled Gujarat as the regent of Jayasimha for many years. She is believed to have been a Chaulukya Princess from South India. She is considered to have been intelligent and ambitious, and was described as taking equal care of her subjects. She is thought to have been the chief advisor of Jayasimha and to have had great influence on his decisions. Both enjoyed very cordial and warm relations, with Jayasimha acknowledged the role of his mother in his progress.

As per famous anecdotes, Jayasimha removed a tax levied on pilgrims to Somnath temples. Minaldevi went to pay tribute to Somnath, but she was deeply moved by the plight of poor pilgrims who could not visit temples because they did not have money. Minaldevi cut short her visit to the temple and returned without worshipping. She said that she would not visit Somnath till all members of her state were allowed to visit the temple without paying. On her advice, Jayasimha lifted all taxes levied on pilgrims. Jayasimha built two lakes, one in Viramgam and one in Dholka, in memory of Minaldevi. She died in 1135.

Succession

Jayasimha was succeeded by Kumarapala.^[9]

Jayasimha had no son to succeed him. He was upset about it because his kingdom would not have any successor. He was survived by one daughter, Kanchandevi, who was married to Arnoraj of Ajmer. It is believed that Jayasimha wanted his grandson Someshwar to succeed him. Kumarapala, his nephew, was a prominent member of the Solanki Dynasty from the Bakuladevi clan, a rival clan of Siddharaja. His Jain ministers were in favour of Kumarapala. However, Jayasimha never accepted the claim of Kumarapala on his throne. He banned him from entering his kingdom for 30 years. However, political changes after his death led to the coronation of Kumarapala as King of Gujarat.

Notes

1. Sen, Sailendra Nath (1999). Ancient Indian History and Civilization (2nd ed.). p. 325. ISBN 9788122411980.
2. Majumdar, Ramesh Chandra (1977). Ancient India (8th ed.). p. 333. ISBN 9788120804364.
3. Prabandhchintamani Page 55 by Sindhi Jain Granthmala 'सं ११२० वर्षे पौष वद्य ३ शनौ श्रवणनक्षत्रे व्रुषलग्ने श्रीसिद्धराजस्य पट्टाभिषेकः।
4. Prabandhchintamany Page 23
5. History of Rajputana by Gaurishankar Hirachand Oza Vol 1, P 83
6. Dryashraya by Hemchandracharya. 15. 115
7. Kumarpalcharitra, Hemchandrasuri
8. Ejan 15, 115,121;1,7,39
9. John E. Cort 1998, p. 87.
10. Iliat 2 162-163

References

• John E. Cort, ed. (1998), Open Boundaries: Jain Communities and Cultures in Indian History, SUNY Press, ISBN 0-7914-3785-X