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Dhanga

Dhanga
Kalanjaradhipati ("Lord of Kalanjara")
Chandela king
Reign c. 950-999 CE
Predecessor Yashovarman
Successor Ganda
Issue Ganda
Regnal name
Dhangadeva
Dynasty Chandela
Father Yashovarman
Mother Pushpa
Regnal name
Dhangadeva

Dhanga (r. c. 950-999 CE), also known as Dhaṇgadeva in inscriptions, was a king of the Chandela dynasty of India. He ruled in the Jejakabhukti region (Bundelkhand in present-day Madhya Pradesh). Dhanga established the sovereignty of the Chandelas, who had served as vassals to the Pratiharas until his reign. He is also notable for having commissioned magnificent temples at Khajuraho, including the Vishvanatha temple.

Dhanga was born to the Chandela king Yashovarman and his queen Puppa (Pushpa) Devi.

The earliest inscription set up during Dhanga's reign is the Chaturbhuj inscription of 953-954 CE (1011 VS). Dhanga must have ascended the throne sometime before this. His ascension was probably undisputed, as his brother Krishna had been deputed to protect the kingdom's Malwa frontier.

Other inscriptions from Dhanga's reign include the Nanaora (or Nanyaura) inscription (998 CE) and the Lalaji inscription at Khajuraho (dated variously as 999 CE or 1002 CE CE). His name also appears in the inscriptions of his descendants.

According to the 953-954 CE inscription, Dhanga's kingdom was bounded by the following areas:

The 998 CE (1055 VS) According to S. K. Mitra, the Nanyaura copper-plate grant, issued while he stayed at "Kashika" (Varanasi), indicates that the present-day Varanasi area was also under his control. However, V. A. Smith pointed out that the king might have been in Varanasi for a pilgrimage.

Dhanga styled himself as Kalanjaradhipati ("Lord of Kalanjara"), but he appears to have retained Khajuraho as the kingdom's capital.

Dhanga's inscriptions do not mention the Pratiharas, who are acknowledged as the overlords of the Chandelas in the earlier inscriptions of the dynasty. This indicates that Dhanga established the Chandela sovereignty.

While Dhanga's inscription claims that the Gopa hill (modern Gwalior area) was part of his kingdom, a contemporary inscription at the Sas-Bahu Temple states that the Gopadri-durga ("Gopa hill fort" or Gwalior Fort) was in possession of the Kachchhapaghata family, having been conquered by Vajradaman. The Kachchhapaghatas were probably the vassals of the Chandelas at this time, and helped them defeat the Pratiharas. This theory is corroborated by the fact that the contemporary Muslim historians use the title Hakim (indicating a subordinate status) to describe the chief who defended the Gwalior fort against Mahmud of Ghazni. Besides, the Mau inscription claims that Dhanga defeated the ruler of Kannauj, who could have been a Pratihara ruler.


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