Govindachandra (Gahadavala dynasty)
12th century King in India
Govindachandra (IAST: Govindacandra, r. c. 1114–1155 CE) was an Indian king from the Gahadavala dynasty. He ruled the Antarvedi country in present-day Uttar Pradesh, including the major cities of Kanyakubja and Varanasi.
Quotes
edit- The inscription is not in any way dated, but may be assigned, with confidence, to the middle of the 12th century... The most important internal historical information we get from this epigraph is the mention of Govindachandra..... verse 21 gives the important information that, in order to ensure his easy passage into the heavens, Meghasuta built a lofty stone temple for the Gode Visnu-Hari.. verse 28 refers to a king (probaly Ayusyacandra) as warding off the danger of invasion from the west...
Lines 13-14, verse 19. His nephew (literally brother's son), the widely, celebrated Meghasuta, the illustrious one, who superseded Anayacandra; he earned the lordship of Saketa-mandala through the grace of his elder, the lord of the earth, Govindacandra.
Lines 14-15, verse 21. By him, who was meditating in his mind on the easiest means of quickly jumping across the ocean of worldly attachments, was erected this beautiful temple of [The god] Visu-Hari, [on a scale] never before done by the preceding kings, compactly formed [i.e., built] with rows of large and lofty stones which had been sculpted out.
Lines 15-16, verse 22. ... king Govindacandra's empire, .... his younger (son?) Ayusyacandra.
Line 17, verse 24. By him, who was of good conduct, and abhorred strife, while residng at Ayodhya, which had towering abodes, intellectuals and temples, Saketa-Mandala was endowed with thousands of wells, reservoirs, alms-houses, tanks.
Lines 18-19, verse 27. Separating [the flesh and blood of the demon] Hiranyakasipu from his skeleton,....and performing many valorous deeds, having killed the Ten-headed [demon Ravana],...- Vishnu Hari inscription. Translated by K.V. Ramesh, Appendix II in Lal, B. B. (2008). Rāma, his historicity, mandir, and setu: Evidence of literature, archaeology, and other sciences. New Delhi: Aryan Books International. p. 81 ff.
- Protector of the pilgrim places located in Kasi, Kushika, Uttar-kosala (Ayodhyā) and Indra-sthān (Indra-prastha).
- Inscription about Govindachandra. (Epigraphia Indica, Vol 33, 1959-60 p. 179)quoted in Kishore, Kunal (2016). Ayodhyā revisited.
- Hari who had been commissioned by Hara to protect Varanasi from the wicked Turuska warrior, as the only one who was able to protect the earth, was again born from him, his name being renowned as Govindapala.
- Sarnath inscription of Kumaradevi, which compared Govindnachandra to Vishnu. quoted in Misra, R. G. (2005). Indian resistance to early Muslim invaders up to 1206 A.D. p.78. also in Jain, M. (2013). Rama and Ayodhya., p 195
