Vanaraja (IAST: VanarÃÂja CÃÂvaá¸ÂÃÂ) was the most prominent king of the Chavda dynasty who ruled Gujarat from c. 746 CE to c. 780 CE.
Ká¹Âishá¹Âabhaá¹Âá¹ÂaâÂÂs (also known as Ká¹Âá¹£á¹Âakavi) RatnamÃÂlà() says that in 695/696 CE (Samvat 752) Jayaà Âekhara, the CÃÂvaá¸Âàking of PañcÃÂsara, a village (in modern-day Patan district, Gujarat), was attacked by the Chaulukya king Bhà «vaá¸Âa of KalyÃÂna-kaá¹Âaka in KanyÃÂkubja (probably Kanauj) and slain by Bhà «vaá¸Âa in battle. Before his death Jayaà Âekhara, he sent his pregnant wife Rà «pasundarë to the forest in charge of her brother SurapÃÂla, one of his chief warriors who now turned to banditry. After Jayaà ÂekharaâÂÂs death on the battlefield, Rà «pasundarë gave birth to a son named VanarÃÂja. This tradition is of dubious validity, as there is no city called KalyÃÂna-kaá¹Âaka near Kanauj, and the CÃÂlukya capital of KalyÃÂá¹Âa in the Deccan was only founded in the 11th century, about 250 years after the events are stated to have taken place. Additionally, there is no known king named Bhà «vaá¸Âa, although some scholars guess that it may refer to the CÃÂlukya king VijayÃÂditya, who was also known as BhuvanÃÂà Âraya.
Merutuá¹Âga, the author of the PrabandhachintÃÂmaá¹Âi, tells a story that Rupasundarë was living in PañcÃÂsara and had placed her infant son in a hammock on a tree, when a à ÂvetÃÂmbara Jain monk named à Âëlaguá¹Âasà «ri who was passing by noticed that the tree's shade was not bending, which he believed was a sign of the boy's role to be a propagator of Jainism. The story adds that a nun named Vëramatë brought up the boy whom the monks called Vanarája, literally "the forest king". When eight years old, the monk told VanarÃÂja to protect his place of worship from rats. The boyâÂÂs skill in shooting rats and his horoscope convinced the monk he was not fit to be a monk but was worthy of a kingdom. He therefore returned the boy to his mother. These details seem invented by the Jain writers themselves. No mention of any such story occurs in the Ratnamálá.
In the PurÃÂtana-prabandha-saá¹ graha, in AmbÃÂsana village, two CÃÂpotkaá¹Âa brothers, Canda and CÃÂmuá¹Âá¸Âa, are foretold by an astrologer that CÃÂmuá¹Âá¸Âa's unborn son would kill Canda. CÃÂmuá¹Âá¸Âa's unnamed wife is cast out and she moves to PañcÃÂsara, where she gives birth to VanarÃÂja and places him in a hammock on a tree, when à Âëlaguá¹Âasà «ri who was passing by noticed that the tree's shade was not bending, and then proceeds to take them both to live in a temple.
According to the DharmÃÂraá¹Âya-mÃÂḥÃÂtmya, Gujarat was conquered by ÃÂma, king of Kanauj, who then gave it away as dowry to his son-in-law Dhruvapaá¹Âa of Valabhi. Due to this, the BrÃÂhmanas fled to Jayaà Âekhara of PañcÃÂsara. Dhruvapaá¹Âa thus invited ÃÂma to attack Jayaà Âekhara, who then dies on the battlefield. His wife, Aká¹£aá¹Âa, is given refuge in a forest by BrÃÂhmanas, who then foresees a royal future for her son.
In the forests where Vanarája passed his youth lived his maternal uncle Surapála, one of Jayaà ÂekharaâÂÂs generals, who, after his sovereignâÂÂs defeat and death, had become an outlaw. Vanarája grew up under SurapálaâÂÂs charge. The Prabandhachintámaá¹Âi records the following story of the origin of VanarájaâÂÂs wealth. A Kanyákubja king married Maháá¹Âaká, the daughter of a Gujarát king. To receive the proceeds of the marriage cess which the Gujarát king had levied from his subjects, a deputation or panchkúla came from Kanyákubja to Gujarát. The deputation made Vanarája their leader or sellabhrit to realize the proceeds of the cess. In six months Vanarája collected 24 lákhs of Páruttha drammas and 4000 horse, which the deputation took and started for Kanyákubja. Vanarája waylaid and killed them, secured the money and horses, and remained in hiding for a year. With the wealth thus acquired Vanarája enrolled an army and established his power assuming the title of king.
Aá¹Âahilaváá¸Âa (or Aá¹Âahilapura, now Patan, Gujarat) was founded in 746 or 765 CE. The story of the choice of the site is the usual story of a hunted hare turning on the hounds showing the place to be the special nurse of strength and courage. Vanarája is said to have asked a BharváḠor Shepherd named Aá¹Âahila son of à Âákhadá to show him the best site. Aá¹Âahila agreed on condition that the city should be called by his name. Aá¹Âahila accordingly showed Vanarája the place where a hare had attacked and chased a dog. The city may have been called after some local chief since it was popularly known as Aá¹Âahilaváá¸Âa (Sanskrit:Aá¹Âahilaváta) that is "the place of Aá¹Âahila".
In the Prabandhachintámaá¹Âi, Merutuá¹Âga gives 746 CE (S. 802) as the date of the accession of Vanarája, while in his Vicháraà Âreá¹Âi the same author gives 765 CE (S. 821 Vaisakha à Âukla 2) as the date of the foundation of the city. The discrepancy may be explained by taking 746 CE (S. 802) to refer to the date of VanarájaâÂÂs getting money enough to fix the site of his capital, and 765 CE (S. 821) to refer to the date of his accession in the completed Aá¹Âahilaváá¸Âa. According to local tradition, an image of Ganpati in the city also have an inscription dated S. 802 but it seems late installation.
Vicháraà Âreá¹Âi gives 765 (S. 821) seems the more probable date for the accession to the throne as the Prabandhachintámaá¹Âi says that Vanarája accessed to throne at Aá¹Âahilapura when he was about fifty. This accords with the date fixed on other grounds. Placing VanarájaâÂÂs birth at about 720 CE would make him 44 in 765 CE (S. 821) corresponding to date mentioned in the Vicháraà Âreá¹Âi. Merutuá¹Âga in both his works gives the length of VanarájaâÂÂs life at 109 and of his reign at sixty years. The figure 60 seems to mark the length of his life and not of his reign. So long a reign as sixty years is barely possible for a sovereign who succeeded late in life, and the 109 years of his life can hardly be correct. Taking VanarájaâÂÂs age at 45 when he was installed in 765 CE (S. 821) and allowing fifteen years more to complete the sixty years, he probably died circa 780 (S. 836), the closing year of his reign. Vanraja was succeeded by his son, Yogaraja.
The PrabandhacintÃÂmaá¹Âi narrates how VanarÃÂja lived the first half of his life as a vagabound who robbed and plundered throughout the region, but yet was able to gain the support of rich and powerful merchants for his future reign. His Tilaka ceremony was performed by a woman named à Ârëdevë of KÃÂkara village (probably Kankrej) whom in fulfillment of an early promise VanarÃÂja had taken to be his sister. The story regarding the promise is that once when VanarÃÂja had gone with his uncle on a thieving expedition to KÃÂkara village and had broken into the house of a merchant he by mistake dipped his hand into a pot of curds. As to touch curds is the same as to dine at a house as a guest, VanarÃÂja left the house without taking anything from it. Hearing what had happened the merchantâÂÂs sister invited VanarÃÂja as a brother to dinner and gave him clothes. In return VanarÃÂja promised that she would place the tilaka on his head at his coronation. Vanarája chose as chief minister a merchant named JÃÂmba (also known as Jamba). The story is that three of VanarÃÂja's bandit followers came across a merchant JÃÂmba who had five arrows. Seeing only three enemies, JÃÂmba broke and threw away two of the arrows, shouting âÂÂOne for each of you.â The bandits being impressed with JÃÂmba's warrior skill took him to VanarÃÂja, who promised to make him his chief minister at his coronation. From the absence of any reference to him in these and similar tales it is probable that his uncle Surapála died before the installing of Vanarája. According to the NeminÃÂha-cariu by Haribhadrasà «ri, after the coronation of VanarÃÂja, he asked an elderly Jain merchant-prince of the PrÃÂgvÃÂá¹Âa lineage from Gambhà «ya village (although originally from à ÂrëmÃÂlÃÂ) named Ṭhakkura Ninnaya to live in Aá¹ÂahilapÃÂá¹Âaka as a minister in VanarÃÂja's court, and Ninnaya's son Lahara became a general (daá¹Âá¸Âapati). Lahara captured elephants from the Vindhyas for VanarÃÂja and was thus granted the village of SandÃÂthala, where Lahara erected a statue of the goddess VindhyavÃÂsinë.
The KuvalayamÃÂlÃÂ mentions a legend about Vanaraja that he was assisted by a Jain monk in acquiring his kingdom.
He also credited with the foundation of Champaner, in honour one of his generals, Champa.
Vanaraja Chavda is not portrayed as a Jain by birth, yet he is shown participating in distinctly Jain rituals of kingship by Jain authors.
Merutuá¹ ga's PrabandhacintÃÂmaá¹Âi states that at the suggestion of à Âëlaguá¹Âasà «ri, VanarÃÂja built the PañcÃÂsara chaitya (temple), which contained an idol of Tirthankara PÃÂrà ÂvanÃÂtha with a statue of VanarÃÂja as a worshipper. The figure of Vanarája is still shown at Sidhpur and a woodcut of it is given by Alexander Kinloch Forbes in his Rás Málá (1856). He also erected a temple to Kaá¹Âá¹Âeà Âvarë near his palace. Neither of these temples survived till modern-day.
Haribhadrasà «ri's NeminÃÂha-cariu states that the minister Ninnaya built a temple of á¹Âá¹£abha at Aá¹ÂahillapÃÂá¹Âaka, and his son, the general Lahara built a temple to VindhyavÃÂsinë at SandÃÂthala.
Vanraj Chavdo (1881), a Gujarati novel written by Mahipatram Rupram Nilkanth, is based on the life of Vanraja Chavda. Indian films on the king include: Vanraj Chavdo (1923) by Shree Nath Patankar, Vanraj (1930) by Nanubhai Vakil.