Part 3 - Origin and History of the Vaghelas

Origin: The Vaghelas called themselves Chaulukyas, and even went so far as to trace the rise of their earliest ancestor to the same mythological person as the Caulukya did. The Cambay inscription of Visaladeva thus describes the beginning of the Vaghelas: "Who then will destroy the sons of Diti ? Once upon a time when Brahma was thus thinking, a warrior suddenly came out of the Culuka from (this) Caulukya ..... descended the fearless race of the Caulukyas. In this line of glorious fame flourished king Arnoraja. 155 But that the Vaghelas did not belong to the dynasty established by Mularaja I, is made clear by their court-poet Somesvara, who has stated that the Vaghelas arose from a "different branch of the Caulukyas". 156 The earliest known member of the Vaghela dynasty was one Dhavala, who, according to Merutunga, married Kumarapala's mother's sister; Dhavala's son by Kumarapala's aunt was Arnoraja, mentioned in the Cambay inscription noted above. 157 Arnoraja was the first member of the family to gain any importance. We learn from Udayaprabha Suri that Arnoraja in return for services rendered, received from Kumarapala the village of Bhimapalli. 158 It is possible that Kumarapala rewarded Arnoraja, because he had a successful campaign in Saurastra. Probably Arnoraja acted as a subordinate commander; but later his role was magnified by his descendants. The village Bhimapalli was probably identical with Vyagrahapalli- the tiger's lair-a + 4632 015 N 6

67 village ten miles south-west of Anahilapataka. It was from Vyagrahapalli that the dynasty took their name, Vyagrahapalliya or Vaghela. 159 160 Amoraja's son Lavanaprasada was born during the reign of Kumarapala, when according to Merutunga, Arnoraja was a Samanta. We further learn that the news of Lavanaprasada's birth reached Armoraja when he was in attendance on Kumarapala in the palace. On learning the happy news, the great king is said to have predicted a brilliant future for the new born baby. Arnoraja probably continued his carrier in the army after the death of Kumarapala, though we do not hear of him again till we reach the reign of Bhima II. The reason probably was that he had to remain content with a subordinate rank without any chance of promotion, after his patron Kumarapala's death. But he had a chance to show his valour and loyalty to the throne after the accession of Bhima, when the provincial governors revolted. Amoraja not only proved his devotion, he also displayed other qualities as well, for the revolt was crushed, but Arnoraja died in the attempt to restore order. It was probably during this time that he defeated that the kings of Medapata and Candravati. 161 Probably there were other loyal officers of Bhima like Pratapamalla,and Jagaddeva who also helped in restoring order, but all the Chroniclers who relate his activities were the proteges of Arnotaja's descendents or of their ministers, so that the whole credit for suppressing the rebellion is ascribed to him. However, there is hardly any doubt that Arnoraja played a leading part in rendering the throne safe for Bhima.

68 Arnoraja's son was Lavanyaprasada or Lavanaprasada. He continued to render faithful services to Bhima and was promoted by the grateful king to the highest position in the land. We have already discussed the position of Lavanaparasada in the government of Bhima and have shown that he remained loyal to the king. But it appears that he enjoyed a feudatory status, and Dhavalakka or Dholka was his fief. His official rank was that of a Makamandalesvara and Ranaka. His son by his wife Madanarajni was Viradhavala. According to Merutunga, Madanarajni left Lavanaprasada after the death of his sister, and began to live with her dead sister's husband, Devaraja. She took Viradhavala with her, but when the boy came of age, he became ashamed of the circumstances and went back to his father. 162 Viradhavala shared with his father the burden of government, and he took an active part in repelling the many foreign invasions which at this time threatened Gujarat. The careers of both the father and the son are, however inextricably linked up with the reign of Bhima, and have already been narrated in that connection. Thereafter Viradhavala appointed Vastupala as a Mahamatya of his kingdom. From the good administration, public works and good deeds of Vastupala, Viradhavala was overshadowed by him, and most of all the Chroniclers are giving a testimony to that, they composed their works on the good deeds of Vastupala, one of this was Balacandra Suri's Vasantavilasa Mahakavya.