Madanapala (Gahadavala dynasty)
| Madanapala | |
|---|---|
| Parama-bhattaraka Maharajadhiraja Parameshvara Parama-Maheshvara | |
| Gahadavala king | |
| Reign | c. 1104-1113 CE |
| Predecessor | Chandradeva |
| Successor | Govindachandra |
| Spouse | Ralhadevi, Prithvishrika |
| Issue | Govindachandra |
| Dynasty | Gahadavala |
| Father | Chandradeva |
Madana-pala (IAST: Madanapāla, r. c. 1104-1113 CE), also known as Madana-chandra, was an Indian king from the Gahadavala dynasty. He ruled the Antarvedi country in present-day Uttar Pradesh, including Kanyakubja and Varanasi.
Madanapala's son Govindachandra played an active role in his administration, and repulsed the Ghaznavid and Pala invasions.
Madanapala was a son of the Gahadavala king Chandradeva. An 1107 CE inscrpition gives his titles and name as Parama-bhattaraka Maharajadhiraja Parameshvara Parama-Maheshvara Shriman Madanapala-deva.
Inscriptional evidence suggests that Madanapala married at least two women: Ralhadevi (IAST: Rālhadevi) and Prithvishrika (IAST: Pṛthvīśrīkā). Ralhadevi was the mother of his successor Govindachandra.
The Gahadavala inscriptions attribute grand military victories to Madanapala using conventional praises, but do not provide any specific details. His son Govindachandra appears to have led the major wars that happened during his reign. These wars were of defensive nature, and did not lead to annexation of any enemy territory.
Madanapala's 1104 CE Bashai inscription states that his father Chandradeva had made Kanyakubja his capital, which suggests that he continued to rule from the same city. However, his 1105 CE Kamauli inscription omits the verse about Kanyakubja, although it contains the other introductory verses from the Bashai inscription. It appears that the Gahadavalas lost Kanyakubja somewhere between 1104 CE and 1105 CE.
The enemy to whom they temporarily lost Kanyakubja was most probably a general of the Ghaznavid ruler Mas'ud III. Diwan-i-Salman by the contemporary Muslim historian Salman states that Mas'ud III launched a holy war against Hindustan (or Hind). According to Salman, the Hind was ruled by the "god-forsaken" chief Malhi, and its capital was Kanauj (Kanyakubja). Salman further states that Kannauj (Kanyakubja) was like the Qibla for the infidels (non-Muslims), and all the treasures of Hindustan were concentrated there. The 13th century text Tabaqat-i Nasiri also states that a general named Hajib Tughatigin invaded India during the reign of Mas'ud III. This general crossed the Ganga river, and reached places so far that no previous invader other than Mahmud of Ghazni had reached.
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