Yajvapala Gopala
By Dineshchandra Sircar
Summary
D. C. Sircar's article reconstructs the history of the Yajvapala (Jajapella) dynasty using inscriptions and coins. The dynasty includes Asalla, his son Gopila and grandson Ganapati, who ruled from the hill‑fort of Nalapura (Narwar). Inscriptions and coins dated between V.S. 1336 (1279 AD) and V.S. 1345 (1289 AD) document their reigns and provide titles and genealogiesfile:///home/oai/share/563032_compressed-391-518.pdf. Muslim chroniclers describe Gopila's ancestor Cihada as powerful but note that his submission to the Delhi Sultanate was nominalfile:///home/oai/share/563032_compressed-391-518.pdf#:~:text=Cihada%20is%20no%20doubt%20the,Asalla%20could%20not%20have%20issued. The article analyses records of a battle on 28 March 1281 AD in which Gopila's forces defeated the Candella king Viravarman, arguing that the Dihi copper‑plate grant of Viravarman offers a partisan narrativefile:///home/oai/share/563032_compressed-391-518.pdf. Sircar also discusses officials like Maha‑pradhana Jaitravarman and suggests he was Gopila's son and heirfile:///home/oai/share/563032_compressed-391-518.pdf#:~:text=An%20important%20fact%20of%20Yajvapila,Gopila%E2%84%A2s%20throne%20passed%20after. The study clarifies chronology and lineage, highlighting the Yajvapala rulers' resistance to neighbouring powers.
Conclusion
The article concludes that epigraphic and numismatic evidence allows a more accurate reconstruction of the Yajvapala dynasty. It shows that Gopila was an effective ruler who defended his realm against the Candellas and that administrative figures like Jaitravarman were central to governance. The findings underscore the importance of inscriptions and coins in reconstructing medieval Indian political history.