Jaichand of Kannauj
| Jayachandra | |
|---|---|
| Ashva-pati Nara-pati Gaja-pati Rajatrayadhipati | |
| King of Antaravedi | |
| Reign | c. 1170-1194 CE |
| Predecessor | Vijayachandra |
| Successor | Harishchandra |
| Issue | Harishchandra |
| Dynasty | Gahadavala |
| Father | Vijayachandra |
Jaya-Chandra (IAST: Jayacandra, r. c. 1170-1194 CE) was an Indian king from the Gahadavala dynasty. He is also known as Jayachchandra (IAST: Jayaccandra) in inscriptions, and Jaichand in vernacular legends. He ruled the Antarvedi country in the Gangetic plains, including the important cities of Kanyakubja and Varanasi. His territory included much of the present-day eastern Uttar Pradesh and some parts of western Bihar. The last powerful king of his dynasty, he was defeated and killed in 1194 CE, in a fight against a Ghurid army led by Qutb al-Din Aibak.
A fictional account of Jayachandra (as Jaichand) occurs in the medieval legendary text Prithviraj Raso. According to this account, he was a rival of another Indian king, Prithviraj Chauhan. His daughter Samyukta eloped with Prithviraj against his wishes, and he allied with the foreign Ghurids to ensure Prithviraj's downfall. Because of this legend, he is remembered as a symbol of treachery in the medieval Indian folklore. However, this account is not historically accurate.
Jayachandra was a son of the Gahadavala king Vijayachandra. According to a Kamauli inscription, he was coronated as a king on 21 June 1170 CE. Jayachandra inherited his grandfather Govindachandra's royal titles:Ashva-pati Nara-pati Gaja-pati Rajatrayadhipati ("leader of three forces: the cavalry, the infantry and the elephant corps") and Vividha-vidya-vichara-vachaspati ("patron of different branches of learning").
Jayachandra's inscriptions praise him using the conventional grandiloquent terms, but do not mention any concrete achievement of the king. The records of his neighbouring Hindu kings (Paramara, Chahamana, Chandela and Kalachuri) do not mention any conflict with him either. The Sena king Lakshmana Sena is believed to have invaded the Gahadavala territory, but this invasion may have taken place after Jayachandra's death.
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