The Successors of the Paramaras at Vagada
By J. Sundaram
Summary
This article reconstructs the history of the Vagada region—covering today’s Banswara and Dungarpur districts in Rajasthan—during the decline of the Paramāra dynasty. Drawing on inscriptions and chronicles, the author notes that the Paramāras extended their sway over Vagada early in their career, although a junior branch of the family governed the province while remaining loyal to the main linefile:///home/oai/share/563035_compressed-5-113.pdf#:~:text=IHQ,%E0%AA%A8%E0%AA%95%20%E0%AB%AD%E0%AB%A9%20b. An inscription from Arthuna dated V.S. 1166 (A.D. 1108–09) mentions a king Vijayapāla who ruled the Śthali (Vagada) country and is considered the last known Paramāra ruler of the area. Another inscription from V.S. 1212 records that Mahārāja Surapāla, son of Vijayapāla and grandson of Tribhuvanapāladeva, ruled from Duṅgāpur, indicating that the family still held sway in the early thirteenth century. The author lists further epigraphic references, including a grant by King Balarjuna—identified with a member of the Pāṇḍuvaṃśī dynasty of Sirpur—that hints at political connections between Vagada and central India. The article then traces the genealogies of Surapāla’s successors: his son Vijayapāladeva appears in an inscription found at Thikardā in the former Dewas state and dated V.S. 1190; his grandson Sūrapāla appears in another inscription from Jagannātha near Udaipur. These records show that the Paramāras controlled parts of Vagada until at least the mid-thirteenth centuryfile:///home/oai/share/563035_compressed-5-113.pdf#:~:text=The%20Successors%20of%20the%20Paramiaras,the%20time%20of%20Amritapila%2C%20mentioned. However, the article argues that the family’s power waned thereafter. The Vagada region was eventually divided between the princely states of Dungarpur and Banswara, and local chiefs such as the Chauhans and Dodia Rajputs took over. The article critiques earlier historians who conflated these local dynasties with the main Paramāra line and clarifies that the Paramāras in Vagada were a collateral branch. It also discusses the importance of Arthuna—identified as the ancient capital of Vagada—for understanding the region’s history and notes that many of the inscriptions were found there or nearby, underscoring the town’s political significance. Overall, the article uses epigraphic evidence to piece together the succession of Vagada’s rulers, demonstrating how a peripheral province of the Paramāra empire gradually slipped from their control amid the rise of regional powers.
Conclusion
By analysing inscriptions from Arthuna, Thikardā and neighbouring sites, the article clarifies that Vagada was governed by a collateral branch of the Paramāras whose rulers included Vijayapāla, Surapāla and Vijayapāladevafile:///home/oai/share/563035_compressed-5-113.pdf#:~:text=IHQ,%E0%AA%A8%E0%AA%95%20%E0%AB%AD%E0%AB%A9%20bfile:///home/oai/share/563035_compressed-5-113.pdf#:~:text=The%20Successors%20of%20the%20Paramiaras,the%20time%20of%20Amritapila%2C%20mentioned. Their authority persisted into the early thirteenth century but declined as local chiefs and later the Chauhans took control. The study emphasises that Vagada’s history cannot be derived solely from chronicles of the main Paramāra dynasty and that regional epigraphy is crucial for reconstructing the succession of lesser-known princely houses. Arthuna emerges as the key to understanding Vagada’s political landscape.