Maharaja Vijayapala of Bayana :The founder of Karauli Jadu family and Vijayamandirgarh ---

Maharaja Vijaypala of Bayana :The Founder of  Karauli Jadu Family & Vijayamandirgarh---

The ancient Surasenas of the Mathura -Bayana area were by this time better known as Yadavas , still later they would also be called Jadons , Jadus etc .They thrived in the Mathura - Bayana area in  7th to 10 th century A.D.They are presently  also  known as
Yaduvansis ,Yadus ,Jadus ,  Jaduvansis , Jadhavas Rajputs . A minor house of Jadons whose capital was Bayana alias Sripatha alias Tribhuvanagiri alias Tahangarh south-west of Delhi .In early times ,Bayana was known by various names , which were probably kept under different ruling dynasties.Its very old name is said to be Santipura .Historically it is also known as Sripatha in Sanskrit version and Bayana in persian Version  dated VS.1226(A.D.1166 ).
A royal Yadu house ruled from Bayana , over a kingdom which comprised the present districts of Bharatpur (Sripatha ) and Mathura with the king Jayendrapala /Jaitapala as the ruler during the first half of the 11th century .

One of Jayendrapala's successor was Vijaypala who may be identified with the  famous Surasena ruler Vijayadhiraja of the Bayana incription ,dated 1044 A.D.He was a powerful ruler ,and he extended his empire.He had 18 sons and among them ,those who were ambtious ,carved out their separate principalities.The eleventh in descent from Dharmpala is Vijaypala,to.whom the building of the fortress of Vijyamandargarh is unanimously attributed.An inscription bearing his name still exists on. One of the Hindu pillers of the Masjid in the Bahari -Bhitari -Mohalla in the town of Bayana .It gives the date of Sambat 1100,or A D .1043.Most of the historians begin the account of erstwhile Karauli state of Rajasthan with the accession of Vijaypala of Jadon race at Vijaygarh or Bayana.R.Chroniclers do not shed light on his early career however ,it seem that he came from Mathura to the hill Maani ,where in Sambat 1052 (A.D. 995) and  he repaired the fort of Bijayagarh ,under the protecting shadow of which the well -known town of Bayana (Biana) now in Bharatpur territory sprung up. He , in the last years of his reign had suffered defeat from the forces of Ghaznavids and thereafter his successors shifted to the new fort of Timangarh.But there ,too ,they could not sit in peace and Ghurids forced them to move elsewhere.Finally in the beginning of fourteenth century they could find their home in the place at Karauli.The couplet (Chhapaya),part of the account entitled as "Jadon Vanshiyonka Itihas;mentions that the king Vijaypal in 1036 C E became independent and assumed the designation of "Tigin;He used the title of "Tigin"in the sense of Chhatrapati.Generally this title  of "Tigin"for chiefs and rulers remained popular in the frontier regions and Khurasan.This development clearly suggests about the different kind of political background Vijaypala had passessed.He became independent in the sixth year of the reign of Ma,sud.Bayana inscription of V .S 1100 further confirmed his position as independent ruler.In the fifth year of his reign Ma'sud had demanded money from Mahmudiyans and they in protest left his kingdom.According chroniclers Vijaypal after his accession faced the invasion of ane Ali(Abu'Ali, Kotwal of Ghazna) but succeeded in repulsing him.It appears that at first Abu'Ali might have tried to persuade Bijji Rai or Vijaypal to accompany him back to Ghana or return the money which he had received from Muhammad.But after finding that his efforts are not bringing desirable results he decided to attack Bayana.However ,Vijaypal remained successful in defending his citadel.The enmity aroused between Sultan and his old nobie did not stopped there.
During the reign of Mausud ,son and successor of Ma'Sud , the Kotwal of Kandhar (Ghazna), Abu Bakr in 1046 C E invaded the principality of Vijaygarh and couquered it.Vijaypal was killed in the battle and women of Royal House hold performed JAUHAR.Perhaps ,Abu Bakr was son and successor of Abu'Ali.Thereafter the family of raja Vijaypal  of Bayana moved to Tahangarh or Timangarh.

History of Kanawar Battle between Raja Vijayapala and Abubakr Shah Kandahari ------

In Bayana there was a " Teli"(oilman) by name Lal Khan,who had a beautifull daughter .This girl Raja Vijaypal was anxious to introduce into his Zanana,but her father objected and asked for six month to think about the matter .At the same period a traitorous Rajputs joined the invading Musalmans of Ghazni under Abubakr Shah Kandahari to whom the Teli as an oppressed .Musalman afterwards appealed for justice ,and the two induced Abubakr to attack Bayana.The invading host reached "Kanawar ",12 Kos from Bayana ,where they were met by Vijaypal ,who left hisson ,Gajpal ,in command at the fort ,with orders to make demonstrations of joy ,to.fire salutes ,feast and enrich Brahmans ,directly he saw that the Rajput arms were victorious.But if he.saw that the Afghan banners advanced towards the fort ,he was at once to blow up the Zanana and so save the women from outrage ,and then resist to the last.
Raja Vijaypal ,who weat forth with guns of all kinds and a fine force ,repulsed the Afghans ,took their standards ,and killed many Muhammadans whose tombs covered the plain and remain to this day.Some of the camp-followers ,got possession of the captured standards and rushed off with them towards the fort,which Gaj Pal seeing he at once carried out his instructions and blew up the Zanana ,and all.the women who were not killed put themselves to death..The standard -holders  approached the fort ,and then the prince discovered his mistake and bitterly bemoaned his haste.Shortly after Vijaypal arrived ,and it occurred to him on discovering the calamity to look at a charan given him by a holy man which he carried on his right arm ,and which he had been told to refer to before attempting any great undertaking .The charan indicated that very day was to be the last of his life ,and overwhelmed by evil destiny he repaired to a temple of Siva ,cut off his head  and presented it to the deity.At his funeral rites ,in spite  of the previous general destruction ,360 women became Sati.On hearing of this the Musalmans renewed their attack ,and after a desperate resistance on the part of its defenders succeeded in taking the fort .A local chronological rhyme states that this occurred on Monday,Phagan Budi Tij ,Sambat 1103 (A.D.1053),and thus ended the rule of the Jadons at Bayana after 51 years of sovereignty.
Vijaypal had 18 sons ,amongst them Chhatra Pala ,who was killed near Ghazni during an invasion of Kabul.
Gajpala ,who built Gajgarh and Madan Pala ,who founded Mandrel and rebuilt the fort which however had been originally raised by a jadon.
In the meanwhile ,according to his chroniclers Vijaypal after the accession followed a vigorous policy towards his neighboring powers and fought several battles with Chalukyass of Gujrat,Guhilots of Mewar ,Tanwars of Delhi,Johiyas of Jangaldesh ,Parihars of Mandor ,Chauhans of Ajmer ,along with powers of Panchal and Marudesh.Chroniclers also admit that his victory over Chalukyas proved disastrous for him because it alarmed the Ghaznavids. In order to eliminate the possibilities of his growing power they attacked Vijayamandirgarh and killed him.It is interesting to note that these chroniclers who described the battles which he fought in his neighborhood in India also first provide the account of his military engagement taken place in Afghanistan,Turkistan ,Persia and Central Asia. However ,modern writers select his activities attempted only in India.The details of the early career of his life quite prove that Vijaypala of Bayana served the court of Mahmud and afterwards his son Ma'Sud.In contemporary records Raja Vijaypala is called Paramabhattaraka which established his political  preeminence in this line .He may have lived till Sambat 1093 .
In defiance of dates the Karauli bard makes Vijayapala a son-in-law of Prithviraj Chauhan of Delhi , evidently confusing him with the Dahima chief who probably held Bayana after the Jadus had been expelled .(Tod , vol.I,p.120.) .

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Author -Dr Dhirendra Singh Jadaun
Village -Larhota near Sasni
District -Hatharas ,Uttar Pradesh .
Associate Professor in Agriculture
Shahid Captain Ripudman Singh Govt.College , Sawaimadhopur ,Rajasthan ,322001 .