Vijayachandra
| Vijayachandra | |
|---|---|
| Ashva-pati Nara-pati Gaja-pati Rajatrayadhipati | |
| King of Antaravedi | |
| Reign | c. 1155-1169 CE |
| Predecessor | Govindachandra |
| Successor | Jayachandra |
| Issue | Jayachandra |
| Dynasty | Gahadavala |
| Father | Govindachandra |
Vijaya-chandra (IAST: Vijayacandra, r. c. 1155-1169 CE) was an Indian king from the Gahadavala dynasty. He ruled the Antarvedi country in the Gangetic plains, which includes a major part of the present-day eastern Uttar Pradesh, including Varanasi. He probably also ruled some parts of western Bihar through his feudatories. He is believed to have repulsed a Ghaznavid invasion.
Vijayachandra was a son of Govindachandra, the most powerful king of the dynasty. He is also known as Vijayapala or Malladeva. The last extant inscription of Govindachandra is dated 1154 CE. The earliest extant inscription of Vijayachandra is dated 1168 CE. His last inscription is from 1169 CE, while the first inscription of his successor Jayachandra is from 1170 CE. As Govindachandra had already ruled for 40 years by 1154 CE, it can be assumed that his reign ended shortly after 1154 CE. Vijayachandra must have ascended the throne around 1155 CE, and ruled for approximately 15 years.
Besides Vijayachandra, Govindachandra had at least two other sons: Asphota-chandra and Rajya-pala. Asphotachandra bore the title Yuvaraja (heir apparent), as attested by a 1134 CE inscription. Rajyapala bore the title Maharajaputra (prince), as attested by the 1143 CE Gagaha inscription and the 1146 CE Varanasi inscription. It is not known why Vijayachandra ascended the throne when Asphotachandra was the yuvaraja. It is possible that the other two princes died during Govindachandra's lifetime, or that Govindachandra defeated them in a war of succession, but there is no concrete evidence for either of these hypotheses.
The absence of any Gahadavala inscription between 1154 CE and 1169 CE is rather unusual for the dynasty. It may have been a result of the troubled times brought about by external invasions, or a war of succession among Govindachandra's sons.
Vijayachandra inherited his father's regnal titles Ashva-pati Nara-pati Gaja-pati Rajatrayadhipati and Vividha-vidya-vichara-vachaspati.
The 1169 CE Tara Chandi rock inscription, found near Sasaram, was issued by one Mahanayaka Pratapadhavala of Japila. It denounces an earlier fake grant of Kalahandi and Vadapila villages issued by Vijayachandra's officer Deu after taking a bribe. Historian Roma Niyogi theorized that Pratapadhavala was a feudatory of Vijayachandra. According to her, since there is no record of this region being a part of Govindachandra's kingdom, Vijayachandra may have captured it.
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