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The 'Gahadvala' were a Hindu Rajput dynasty who ruled the kingdom of Kannauj for around a hundred years beginning the late 11th century.
The founder of the Gahadvala dynasty was 'Chandradeva', who took control of Kannauj at the end of the 11th century, filling the political vacuum that had been created after that city was sacked by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1018. Chandradeva soon expanded the kingdom to include Delhi, Ayodhya, and Varanasi (Benares). During the rule of his successor 'Govindachandra' (1114-1154), the Gahadvala state reached the pinnacle of its power, occupying much of present-day Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Govindachandra moved his capital from Kannauj to Varanasi. His queen 'Kumaradevi' was a devout Buddhist, and Govindachandra was a patron of both Hindu temples and Buddhist monasteries.

Govindachandra's grandson was 'Jai Chandra' or 'Jaichand', whose daughter's elopement with Prithviraj III, heir to the rival Chauhan Rajput kingdom to the west, is the subject of many romantic tales. Jaichand was destined to be the last Gahadvala king of Kannauj. The city was sacked by Muhammad of Ghor in 1194; Jaichandra subsequently drowned in the Ganges; his kingdom conquered by Muhammad's armies.
The historians question the historicity of the account given Prithviraj Raso.
According to some accounts, some survivors, led by Jaichand's son or grandson Siyaji, are said to have fled west to the Marwar desert region of Rajasthan, where they established themselves as rulers in the early 13th century, founding the Rathor clan which ruled the princely state of Jodhpur. However older Rashtrakuta inscriptions exist at Hathundi in Rajasthan, suggesting that the Rathors were present in the Bikaner region before the arrival of Siyaji.
''Also see Rashtrakuta and Rathore.''