Solankî

The Solankî - called sometimes Chaulukya - are a dynasty Hindou E of Western India, which dominated the Goujerat of the 10th century at the 13th century since their capital of Anhilvâra, the modern Patan. They belonged to the clan of the Rajput S Châlukya of Vâtâpi. They were generally of faith Jaina.

Goujerat is at their time an important center of the trade in the Indian Ocean, and Anhilvâra is then one of the more big cities of India, with a population estimated at 100 000 inhabitants around the year millet. Solankîs protect the large temple from edge of the sea dedicated to Shiva located at Somnath at the south of the Kâthiâwar. The râja Bhîmadeva helps besides has its rebuilding after its setting with bag by Mahmûd de Ghaznî in 1026. His/her Karnadeva son demolishes the râja Bhil Ashapall (or Ashaval) and after his victory bases a city called Karnavatî on banks of the river of Sabarmati, with the site of the current Ahmadâbâd. He would have been demolishes by the râja Chandelâ Kîrtivarman.

After 1243, the capacity solankî crumbles under the Moslem pressure, the Lavanaprasâda minister of the last solankî, Bhîmadeva II Abhinavasiddharâja, seizes the capacity and founds the dynasty Vâghelâ - or Bâghelâ - which occupies, a time, capacity. In 1297, Goujerat is conquered by the Sultanat of Delhi.

The architectural heritage of Solankî

The temple of Sûrya

The most known monument solankî is the temple of Sûrya in Modhera, built in 1026 by Bhîmadeva, two centuries before that of Konarak. The temple suffered much from plundering and the natural disasters, among which today a Earthquake, but what is visible lets guess its last beauty. All the frontages and the pillars are decorated with delicate sculptures, gods and goddesses, animals and flowers as well as traditional erotic sculptures. The forecourt of the temple is a rectangular bâoli of 50 by 20 meters, comprising 108 subsidiary tombs. The first rays of the sun, during the equinox, were to illuminate, in the sanctuary, the image decorated with Surya of precious stones, idol which was carried by invaders Musulman S.

The Bâoli Rani ki Vav

The Bâoli Rani ki Vav - the well of the râni - is a well with degrees going back to 1052 and located in the town of Patan. It consists of an important underground structure of seven stages, comprtant flight of steps making it possible to reach the level running of water. All the structure is decorated with sculptures représenant of the Apsara S, the gods and the goddesses of the Hindu Pantheon and the misadventure S of Vishnou. Above the level of water, one finds rooms which one supposes to be reserved to the women of high ranking come here to appreciate the freshness of the air during the period of strong heat.

The râja Solankî

Mûlarâja I (942/960-995/997), the founder of the dynasty. The tradition does of them one of wire of the râja Mahîpâla of Kânauj.
Châmundarâja, his/her son
Vallabharâja, his son, attested in 996
Durlabharâja (1009 - 1021), his/her brother
Bhîmadeva I (1021 - 1063), his/her son
Karnadeva I (1063 - 1093), his/her son
Jayasimha Siddharâja (1093 - 1143), his/her son, râja of Kâthiawâr and the Saurâshtra, faith shaivite but protective of the jaina, in particular Hemachandra
Kumârapâla (1143 - 1173), his/her son, convert with the jainism by Hemachandra and assassinated by fanatic excessively pious people of Shiva.
Ajayapâla, his/her son, intolerant towards the jaina, assassinated
Mûlarâja II, victorious on Mahmûd de Ghaznî
Bhîmadeva II (death in 1242), victorious of Muhammad Ghûrî, it is however demolishes by Qutb ud-DIN Aibak.

See too

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