UPSC Prelims 2022 Q92: Early Medieval Kings and Dynasties — Explained
Consider the following pairs:
King : Dynasty
1. Nannuka : Chandela
2. Jayashakti : Paramara
3. Nagabhata II : Gurjara-Pratihara
4. Bhoja : Rashtrakuta
How many pairs given above are correctly matched?
- Only one pair
- Only two pairs
- Only three pairs
- All four pairs
Answer: (b) Only two pairs
Statement-wise explanation
- 1: correct — Nannuka founded the Chandela dynasty in the early 9th century. Britannica's list of rulers dates him to c. 835–845 CE. He became lord of southern Jejakabhukti (today's Bundelkhand) after overthrowing a Pratihara chieftain. A 954 CE Khajuraho inscription also names him as the dynasty's first king.
- 2: incorrect — Jayashakti (also called Jeja or Jejaka) was an early Chandela king, not a Paramara. He ruled c. 865–885 CE with his brother Vijayashakti, after Nannuka and Vakpati. The Chandela territory, Jejakabhukti, is said to take its name from him. The Paramaras ruled Malwa from Ujjain and later Dhar.
- 3: correct — Nagabhata II (c. 793–833 CE) was a Gurjara-Pratihara king. Around 816 he took Kannauj from Chakrayudha, who was under the Pala king Dharmapala's protection, and made it his capital. His grandson Mihira Bhoja (836–885) took the Pratihara empire to its peak.
- 4: incorrect — The famous Raja Bhoja (c. 1010–1055 CE) was the Paramara king of Malwa, ruling from Dhar. The Paramaras did begin as feudatories of the Rashtrakutas, but Bhoja himself was no Rashtrakuta. The other well-known Bhoja, Mihira Bhoja, was a Gurjara-Pratihara. Neither Bhoja belongs to the Rashtrakuta line.
How to eliminate
Start with the pair you are surest of. Raja Bhoja is one of the best-known Paramara kings, so pair 4 is wrong and 'all four' is gone. Nagabhata II is a standard textbook name: the Pratihara who captured Kannauj during the tripartite struggle. So pair 3 is right and 'only one' is unlikely. The choice is now between two and three pairs, and it turns on Nannuka and Jayashakti. Here is a usable clue: the Chandela kingdom was called Jejakabhukti, 'the land of Jeja (Jayashakti)'. That ties Jayashakti to the Chandelas, so he cannot also be a Paramara. Beyond that, you have to know that Nannuka was the Chandela founder. Fact to remember: early Chandela line = Nannuka, then Vakpati, then Jayashakti and Vijayashakti.
Know more
Early medieval north India (c. 750–1200 CE) had two layers of power. First came the tripartite struggle for Kannauj among three large powers. As the Pratihara empire broke up after the 10th century, Rajput regional dynasties rose, many of them former Pratihara or Rashtrakuta feudatories.
| Dynasty | Region / capital | Key kings | Remember for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gurjara-Pratiharas | Western India → Kannauj | Nagabhata I, Vatsaraja, Nagabhata II, Mihira Bhoja, Mahendrapala | Resisting Arabs in Sindh; tripartite struggle |
| Palas | Bengal–Bihar | Gopala, Dharmapala, Devapala | Nalanda, Vikramashila; Buddhism |
| Rashtrakutas | Deccan (Manyakheta) | Dantidurga, Krishna I, Dhruva, Govinda III, Amoghavarsha I, Indra III | Kailasa temple, Ellora; Indra III sacked Kannauj c. 916 |
| Chandelas | Jejakabhukti / Bundelkhand (Khajuraho, later Mahoba) | Nannuka, Jayashakti, Yashovarman, Dhanga, Vidyadhara, Paramardi | Khajuraho temples (c. 885–1050) |
| Paramaras | Malwa (Ujjain, then Dhar) | Munja, Bhoja | Bhoja as a scholar-king; Bhojpur temple |
| Chahamanas (Chauhans) | Ajmer | Prithviraja III | Tarain, 1191–92 |
| Chaulukyas (Solankis) | Gujarat (Anahilavada) | Bhima I, Siddharaja Jayasimha | Modhera Sun temple |
Traps UPSC uses:
- Two Bhojas. Mihira Bhoja (836–885) was a Pratihara. Raja Bhoja (c. 1010–55) was a Paramara.
- Feudatory links. The Paramaras began as Rashtrakuta feudatories, and the Chandelas began as Pratihara feudatories. Examiners use these links to build plausible wrong pairs.
- Names from founders. Jejakabhukti is named after Jeja (Jayashakti). Kingdom names often echo early rulers.
NCERT Concepts to Revise
- Chandela dynasty: Two of the four kings named are linked to the Chandelas; you need the dynasty's early rulers to judge pairs 1 and 2.
- Raja Bhoja: Pair 4 depends on which dynasty the famous Bhoja of Malwa belonged to.
- Gurjara-Pratiharas: Nagabhata II and another Bhoja come from this line; knowing its kings helps sort pairs 3 and 4.
- Tripartite struggle: The Kannauj contest separates the Pratiharas from the Rashtrakutas, the two dynasties named in pairs 3 and 4.