Chandel (Rajput clan)


Chandel or Chandela is a Rajput clan from India. Families belonging to this clan ruled several kingdoms in north India and held various feudal estates. The most notable of these were the Chandelas of Jejakabhukti, who ruled the Bundelkhand region.

History

During 10th to 13th century CE, the Chandelas of Jejakabhukti ruled the Bundelkhand region in present-day Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. The British indologist V. A. Smith theorised that the Chandelas were of either Bhar or Gond origin, a theory also supported by other some scholars including R. C. Majumdar. According to this theory, the Chandelas were originally Bhars, Gonds or a mixture of these two communities; they later styled themselves as Kshatriya Rajputs after attaining political power.

Gidhaur zamindari

The zamindari estate of Gidhaur in Munger district, present-day Bihar was controlled by a branch of the Chandel Rajputs. They are considered to be one of the oldest ruling families in Bihar. It was established by Bir Bikram Shah whose ancestors came from Mahoba in Bundelkhand but were driven into Bihar during the 12th century following various Muslim incursions. They managed to gain control of Gidhaur after expelling the various aboriginal chiefs from the region. Bir Bikram Shah slowly started to expand his chieftaincy to encompass the surrounding areas. Other rulers belonging to this lineage include Sukhdev Singh, Ram Naranjan Singh and Darp Narayan Singh.

Zaildari estates

A group of Chandel families claiming a common origin once held the zaildaris of Ghund, Madhan, and Theog in present-day Himachal Pradesh. According to their tradition, their ancestor migrated from Jaipur to Bilaspur. After three generations, his descendants moved to Ram Sarai in the Garhwal region. After another four generations, four brothers from the family moved to the Shimla region. The eldest brother became administrator of Madhan; the third youngest - Jai Chand - became the administrator of Theog; and the youngest became the administrator of Ghund.