Seuna Yadavas most probably ruled Shirdi area: as vassal of Rashtrakuta dynastry from c.860 CE, as vassal of Western Chalukyas from c.1000 CE & as independent rulers from c.1187 to 1317 CE

Last updated on 21st Dec. 2022 

Note: This post follows up my previous and recent posts on history of Shirdi area from 1000 AD to 2000 AD (CE).

The post first has details about these periods of rule mainly, or wholly, based on Wikipedia pages. Then it has a conclusion section.

Seuna Yadavas ruling Nashik and probably Shirdi area as vassal of Rashtrakuta dynasty

From the Seuna (Yadava) dynasty wiki page, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seuna_(Yadava)_dynasty :

The earliest historically attested ruler of the dynasty is Dridhaprahara (c. 860-880), who is said to have established the city of Chandradityapura (modern Chandor).[9][3] He probably rose to prominence by protecting the people of Khandesh region from enemy raiders, amid the instability brought by the Pratihara-Rashtrakuta war.[9]

Dridhaprahara's son and successor was Seunachandra (c. 880-900), after whom the dynasty was called Seuna-vamsha (IAST: Seuṇa-vaṃśa) and their territory was called Seuna-desha.[18][9] He probably became a Rashtrakuta feudatory after helping the Rashtrakutas against their northern neighbours, the Paramaras.[18] He established a new town called Seunapura (possibly modern Sinnar).[9]

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The Chandor part of "Chandradityapura (modern Chandor)" in above extract links to Chandwad fort, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chandwad_fort , which states, "Chandwad Fort (Chandor fort; चांदवड किल्ला) is located 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) from Chandwad, Nashik district, of Maharashtra." .. "Chandwad fort was positioned to overlook the trade route from Khandesh to Nashik. It guarded the Chandor pass in the nearby hills. It was built about A.D. 801 by Dridhaprahara, the founder of the Seuna (Yadava) dynasty.[1]". Below pic shows how close Chandwad is to Nashik (66 kms by road) and Shirdi (82 kms by road).

[On PC desktop/laptop, to open pic in larger resolution (if available), right-click on pic followed by open link (NOT image) in new tab/window. In new tab/window you may have to click on pic to zoom in.]

But this period from around 860-880 CE (Dridhaprahara rule) seems to be as a Rashtrakuta feudatory.

As per https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Nashik , Rashtrakuta Dynasty ruled over Nashik from 754–950 CE. There is no mention of Seuna Yadavas or Dridhaprahara in this Rashtrakuta Dynasty rule section of the page. The next section is Chalukyas (? – 1157 CE). This is followed by the Seuna Yadavas section with period given as (? – 1318 CE), in which Dridhaprahara is mentioned as founder of Yadava dynasty but without mentioning his rule period (860-880). Even though the section does not give the dates related to Dridhaprahara and his successors prior to 1157 CE, it mentions the following:

They [Ravi: Yadavas of Devagiri] had previously been ruling over Seunadesha (Khandesh) as feudatories of the Chalukyas of Kalyani. The founder of the family was Dridhaprahara, the son of Subahu. His capital was Shrinagara as stated in the Vratakhanda, while from an early inscription it appears to have been Chandradityapura, which is identified with the modern Chandor in the Nasik district. His son and successor was Seunachandra, from whom the country ruled over by him came to be known as Seunadesha. This corresponds to modern Khandesh. It comprised the country extending from Nasik to Devagiri. King Seunachandra established city called Seunpur/Sindiner (Sinnar).

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There is some confusion in above wiki extract as rule dates in wiki page for Seuna Yadavas (link given earlier) are: Dridhaprahara c. 860-880 and Seunachandra c. 880-900, at which time as per the History of Nashik wiki page from which the above extract has been taken, the dynasty ruling Nashik area was Rashtrakuta and not Western Chalukya as they came later on.

But I think the picture that emerges is that Dridhaprahara started Seuna Yadava rule as a vassal of Rashtrakuta dyanasty, of Nashik area and, in all probability, Shirdi area, from around 860-880 CE, with Chandwad (Chandor) fort near Nashik being an important military location from where power was projected in Nashik area and probably Shirdi area too.

Seuna Yadavas ruling Nashik and probably Shirdi area as vassal of Western Chalukya dynasty

The History of Nashik wiki page (link given earlier) gives start year of (Western) Chalukya rule as ? and end date as 1157 CE. The question then is: when did Western Chalukyas begin their rule over Nashik and did it also cover Shirdi area? Was it in or slightly before 1000 CE? The answer may lie in history of the successor of Rashtrakuta dynasty. 

That leads us to Tailapa II, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tailapa_II , who was the founder of the Western Chalukya dynasty. This wiki page states, "In his victory against Munja, Tailapa appears to have been aided by his Yadava vassal Bhillama II." Munja was the Paramara king.  

Bhillama II wiki page, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhillama_II , states:

Bhillama appears to have played an important role in Chalukya-Paramara war, which resulted in the defeat and death of the Paramara king Munja. His 1000 Sangamner inscription poetically boasts that he --snip-- in the palace of the Chalukya king Tailapa. The Chalukya king rewarded Bhillama by adding the present-day Ahmednagar area to his hereditary fief.

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The reference is to Ahmednagar district (links to its wiki page) and not Ahmednagar city. Shirdi comes in present-day Ahmednagar district area. So I think we can say that Shirdi area came under rule of Western Chalukyas at top-level with Yadava dynasty at immediate-level as vassal of Western Chalukyas from Bhillama II time. Bhillama II died in 1005 CE and the above 1000 Sangamner inscription leads us to the conclusion that Shirdi area came under Bhillama II rule in or slightly earlier than 1000 CE (AD).

Seuna Yadavas ruling Nashik and probably Shirdi area as independent (sovereign) rulers

The Seuna Yadava dynasty wiki page further states, "Around 1187, Bhillama forced Ballala to retreat, conquered the former Chalukya capital Kalyani, and declared himself a sovereign ruler.[1] According to Hemadri, he then established the Devagiri city, which became the new Yadava capital.[26]"  Note that this Bhillama is Bhillama V.

This Devagiri is same as Daulatabad, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daulatabad_Fort (Devagiri in previous wiki page extract links to it), and this Daulatabad wiki page mentions 1187 as the date when Bhillama V built Devagiri fort.

So 1187 seems to be the year when Seuna Yadavas became independent (sovereign) rulers of Shirdi area.

About how long their rule lasted, the History of Nashik page says 1318 but the Seuna Yadava wiki page says 1317. An extract from the latter: "Ramachandra's successor Simhana III challenged the supremacy of Khalji, who sent Malik Kafur to recapture Devagiri in 1313. Simhana III was killed in the ensuing battle[59] and Khalji's army occupied Devagiri. The kingdom was annexed by the Khalji sultanate in 1317." I think 1317 is the more probable year for end of Yadava rule over Devagiri (and so Shirdi area too) and beginning of Delhi Sultanate (Khalji Sultanate) rule.

Also note that the Seuna Yadava wiki page states, "In 1296, Ala-ud-din Khalji of the Delhi Sultanate successfully raided Devagiri. Khalji restored it to Ramachandra in return for his promise of payment of a high ransom and an annual tribute.[58] However, this was not paid and the Seuna kingdom's arrears to Khalji kept mounting. In 1307, Khalji sent an army commanded by Malik Kafur, accompanied by Khwaja Haji, to Devagiri. The Muslim governors of Malwa and Gujarat were ordered to help Malik Kafur. Their huge army conquered the weakened and defeated forces of Devagiri almost without a battle. Ramachandra was taken to Delhi. Khalji reinstated Ramachandra as governor in return for a promise to help him subdue the Hindu kingdoms in South India."

So from 1296 onwards, Yadava rule in Devagiri kingdom area (which would have included Shirdi area) was being seriously challenged by Delhi Sultanate, around 20 years before Delhi Sultanate annexed Devagiri kingdom and became its ruler.

Conclusion

From the above we can say that most probably the rulers and periods for Nashik and Shirdi area in the period we are looking at in this post, are as given below:

1. From c.860-880 to c.1000 CE: Seuna Yadavas as a vassal of Rashtrakutas
2. From c.1000 to c.1187 CE: Seuna Yadavas as a vassal of Western Chalukyas
3. From c.1187 AD to c.1317 CE: Seuna Yadavas as independent (sovereign) rulers but with Delhi Sultanate seriously challenging Yadava rule from 1296 onwards.

P.S. Paithan wiki page, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paithan , does not seem to give any information about the ruler of Paithan area in the period we have covered here: c.860 to 1317 CE. It provides info. about a much earlier period of second century BCE to second century CE when it was the capital of the Satavahana dynasty/empire. 

[I thank Wikipedia and Google Maps, and have presumed that they will not have any objections to me sharing the above extract(s)/Map pic from their website on this post which is freely viewable by all, and does not have any financial profit motive whatsoever.]