52 Facts About Jayasimha Siddharaja

Jayasimha Siddharaja was a member of the Chaulukya dynasty.

Jayasimha Siddharaja annexed a part of Malwa by defeating the Paramaras.

Jayasimha Siddharaja waged an inconclusive war against the Chandela king Madanavarman.

Jayasimha Siddharaja was so named by the old ladies of the Chaulukya palace.

Jayasimha Siddharaja restored a temple of Lakshmi, and meditated for a long time, overcoming seductive apsaras and a threatening demon.

All other chroniclers state that Jayasimha Siddharaja hated Tribhuvanapala's son Kumarapala.

Multiple literary sources as well as inscriptions establish that Jayasimha Siddharaja defeated Khangara alias Navaghana, the king of Saurashtra.

Jain chronicler Prabhachandra mentions that Jayasimha Siddharaja had first dispatched an army led by Kirtipala to attack Navaghana.

Prabhachandra goes on to mention that Jayasimha Siddharaja later killed Khangara.

Jayasimha Siddharaja did not want to die by weapons, and therefore, asked his nephew to kill him with coins if the enemy succeeded in scaling the ramparts.

Historical evidence indicates that Jayasimha Siddharaja was unable to capture all of Khangara's territories in Saurashtra: Jayasimha Siddharaja's successor Kumarapala had to send an army against the Abhiras.

The later 1262 CE Sundha Hill inscription states that Asharaja pleased Jayasimha Siddharaja by helping him in a campaign in Malwa.

So, the two kingdoms most probably did not have friendly relations when Jayasimha Siddharaja ascended the throne.

The Chahamana chronicle Prithviraja Vijaya states that Jayasimha Siddharaja's daughter was one of the two wives of Arnoraja.

So, it is not certain why Jayasimha Siddharaja married his daughter to Arnoraja.

Jayasimha Siddharaja probably saw this as a diplomatic way to end the hostility between the two families.

Hemachandra claims that some yoginis once asked Jayasimha Siddharaja to visit Ujjain, and worship the goddess Kalika there.

Since Ujjain was located in the Paramara territory, Jayasimha Siddharaja invaded the Paramara kingdom.

Jayasimha Siddharaja tied up Yashovarman "like a bird" and subdued the entire Avanti region.

When Jayasimha Siddharaja returned to his capital and learned about what had happened in his absence, he became furious.

Jayasimha Siddharaja invaded Malwa, and defeated the Paramara king after a 12-year war.

The poet Someshvara states that Jayasimha Siddharaja put Naravarman in a wooden cage like a parrot.

Jayasimha Suri claims that when Siddharaja decided to invade the Paramara kingdom, he took a vow to make a scabbard for his sword with Naravarman's skin.

Jayasimha Siddharaja defeated Naravarman after a 12-year campaign, and fulfilled this vow.

Jina-Mandana repeats the same story, but states that Jayasimha Siddharaja's ministers convinced him to give up this vow.

The Ujjain inscription states that Jayasimha Siddharaja appointed one Mahadeva as the governor of Avanti.

Jayasimha Siddharaja confirmed the veracity of this claim by sending a person to Mahoba.

Jayasimha Siddharaja received the money, but when he heard about Madanavarman's nonchalance, he refused to return without meeting the Chandela king.

Jayasimha Siddharaja visited the Chandela palace with a large retinue.

Munshi, this legend is "fanciful", and Jayasimha Siddharaja did not achieve much success against the Chandelas.

Jayasimha Siddharaja helped Someshvara, a ruler of the Paramara branch of Bhinmal, regain his lost throne.

Jayasimha Siddharaja defeated Barbaraka at the request of the sages, but later released him.

Barbaraka then gifted precious jewels to Jayasimha Siddharaja, and became his follower.

The Dahod inscription states that Jayasimha Siddharaja defeated Sindhuraja, who was probably a Soomra king of Sindh.

Merutunga claims that Jayasimha Siddharaja had a diplomatic agent at the court of Jayachandra, the king of Varanasi.

Jayasimha Siddharaja patronized several scholars, and made Gujarat a noted centre of learning and literature.

In 1135, when Jayasimha Siddharaja conquered Malwa, he brought the works of Bhoja from Dhar along with other things.

Jayasimha Siddharaja was so pleased with the work that he ordered it to be placed on the back of an elephant and paraded through the streets of Anhilwad Patan.

Jayasimha Siddharaja patronized the Jain poet Sripala, who composed the Vadnagar prashasti inscription after his death.

The gold coins attributed to Jayasimha Siddharaja are found in Pandwaha near Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh.

Jayasimha Siddharaja was a Shaivite, but he showed tolerance to other sects and religions.

Someshvara states that Kumara's blessings helped Jayasimha Siddharaja subjugate the rulers of Sindhu-desha, Malava, and Sapadalaksha.

Jayasimha Siddharaja either renovated or rebuilt the Rudra Mahalaya Temple at Siddhapura.

Jayasimha Siddharaja renovated a lake built by his ancestor Durlabha in Patan, and named it Sahastralinga.

Jayasimha Siddharaja diverted the flow of the entire Saraswati River into the lake.

Jayasimha Siddharaja invited 1001 Brahmans from Varanasi at the time of the renovation of Sahastralinga lake; their successors are known as Audichya Brahmin.

Jayasimha Siddharaja patronized several Jain scholars, and the Jains occupied important positions in his kingdom.

However, Jayasimha Siddharaja was so impressed by the temple's beauty that he forgave Sajjana.

The 14th century chronicler Merutunga states that Jayasimha Siddharaja once banned the Jain temples from hoisting their banners, but later revoked it, acknowledging it as a mistake.

In Patan, Jayasimha Siddharaja built Rayavihara or Rajavihara, the great temple commemorating victory of Shwetambara Jain Acharya Vadi Devsuri over Digambara Jain pontiff Kumudchandra.

Jayasimha Siddharaja extended his religious tolerance to Islam as well, and the Muslim historian Muhammad Aufi has recorded stories about his impartiality.

Jayasimha Siddharaja declared it was his duty as king to let his subjects live in peace and practice their religion, and paid 1 lakh of Balotras to rebuild the mosque.