The Chand dynasty was a Hindu Rajput dynasty that ruled the Kumaon area in present-day Uttarakhand state of India, after the decline of the Katyuri rule.[3] At times, their rule also extended to the western parts of present-day Nepal.[4] Somchand established the dynasty, establishing his capital at Rajbunga in present-day Champawat.[3]
The traditional genealogical lists of the Chand dynasty date their founder's ascension to as early as the 7th century, but historical evidence suggests that the Chand rule began only in the early 11th century.[5] Their rule ended in 1790, when Bahadur Shah of Nepal invaded the region, forcing the last king - Mahendra Chand - to flee.[6]
Several traditional genealogical lists (vamshavalis) of the Chand dynasty are available, but these are not completely reliable, having been compiled in the mid-19th century.[7] According to such traditional lists and chronicles, Som (or Soma) Chand established the Chand dynasty in the 7th century. Based on this, an 1849 British Raj-era report assigned the start of the Chand rule to 685 CE (742 VS). However, historians dispute this date, as it contradicts the chronology of the Katyuri dynasty, who are known to have ruled Kumaon until the third quarter of the 10th century.[8] For example, the Pandukeshwar copper-plate inscription attests that the Katyuri king Lalita Sura Deva was ruling Kumaon during the 9th century, and held the imperial title Parama-bhattaraka Maharajadhiraja Parmaeshvara. It also attests that his descendants continued to rule the region in the 10th century.[9]
By the first quarter of the thirteenth century, the Chand kings appear to have been ruling in Kumaon as feudatories. For example, the 1223 CE Baleshwar Temple inscription of Krachalla Deva, a conqueror from present-day Nepal, lists his ten counsellors and feudatories. The names of three of these men suggest that they may have belonged to the Chand family: Chandra Deva, Vinaya Chand and Vidya Chand. Vina Chand, whom the three principal genealogical lists name as the 8th Chand king, was probably same as Vinaya Chand of the inscription.[10]
The tradition states that Som Chand was an immigrant from Jhusi, a relative of the king of Kannauj, and a contemporary of the last Katyuri king Brahma Deva.[9] Based on this, historian Krishna Pal Singh theorizes that Som Chand may have migrated to Kumaon amid the political upheaval resulting from the Ghaznavid invasion of the Kannauj kingdom during 1018-1019 CE. Singh, therefore, dates the beginning of the Chand rule to 1019-1021 CE. This dates aligns with Katyuri chronology and with the placement of the eighth Chand king Vina (Vinaya) Chand in 1223 CE.[11]
Som Chand continued to call his state Kurmanchal, and established its capital in Champawat in Kali Kumaon, called so, due to its vicinity to river Kali. Many temples built in this former capital city, during the 11th and 12th century exist today, this include the Baleshwar and Nagnath temples.[12][page needed] Later their capital was shifted to Almora by Raja Kalyan Chand in 1563, when he laid the foundation of a town name 'Alam Nagar', which was also called, 'Rajapur',[13][14] a name that still used and has been found inscribed on a number of copper plates of the time.[15]
In 1581, the Chand King, Rudra Chand (1565–1597), son of Raja Kalyan Chand seized Sira defeating Raika king Hari Malla and attacked the Garhwal Kingdom for the first time, though this attack was repulsed by then king, Dularam Sah,[16] and so were his subsequent attacks. Rudra Chand was a contemporary of Akbar, and even paid him a visit in Lahore in 1587, as a mark of his obeisance. Akbarnama mentions him as "one of the great landlords of India", and further talks about his initial hesitation in approaching the court of Akbar, it was only Raja Todar Mal himself, sent his son Kalyan Das to assure him, did his proceed to meet Akbar. Subsequently, the two met and agreed on a concord,[17] and thus Ain-e-Akbari, written during period of Akbar, also mentions the Sarkar of Kumaon, containing 21 Mahals (a geographical unit of the times) and the revenue collected.[18]
After death of Rudra Chand in 1597, his son, Lakshmi Chand, also continued attacks of Garhwal for many years, though he too was repulsed. He also constructed the 'Bagnath temple' at Bageshwar in 1602.[citation needed]
One of the most powerful rulers of the Chand dynasty was Baz Bahadur (1638–78), who met Shahjahan in Delhi, and in 1655 joined forces with him to attack Garhwal, which was under its king, Pirthi Sah, and subsequently captured the Terai region including Dehradun, which was hence separated from the Garhwal kingdom. Baz Bahadur extended his territory east to Karnali river.
In 1672, Baz Bahadur started a poll tax, and its revenue was sent to Delhi as a tribute. Baz Bahadur also built the Golu Devata Temple, at Ghorakhal, near Bhimtal,[19] after Lord Golu, a general in his army, who died valiantly at war.[20] He also built the Bhimeshwara Mahadev Temple at Bhimtal.[21]
Towards the end of 17th century, Chand Rajas again attacked the Garhwal kingdom, and in 1688 Udyot Chand erected several temples at Almora, including Tripur Sundari, Udyot Chandeshwer and Parbateshwer, to mark his victory over Garhwal and Doti. The Pabateshwar temple was renamed twice, to become the present Nanda Devi temple.[22] Later, Jagat Chand (1708–20), defeated the Raja of Garhwal and pushed him away from Srinagar, and his kingdom was given to a Brahmin.[23] However, a subsequent king of Garhwal, Pradip Shah (1717–7