Kanhad Dev

Kanhad Dev Sonigara was a Rajput chief who ruled Jalore, in the present-day Indian state of Rajasthan, in the 13th century CE. He belonged to the Sonigara sept of the Chauhan clan of Rajputs.

In 1298, Ala ud din Khilji's mongol general Ulugh Khan asked permission of Kanhad Dev so march through Jalore to conquer Gujurat and destroy the temple at Somnath. When Kanhad Dev refused a war ensued. [cite book |title=History of Rajasthani Literature |last=Maheshwari |first=Hiralal |year=1980 |publisher=Sahitya Akademi |pages=p. 17 |url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=rK42AAAAIAAJ&q=%22Kanhad+Dev%22&dq=%22Kanhad+Dev%22&num=100&pgis=1 ] In 1299 Ala ud din sacked the temple and broke the Shiva lingam that had been worshipped there. He was carrying the broken pieces back to Delhi when he was attacked and defeated by Kanhad Dev Sonigurra's armies. Kanhad Dev's son Biramdeo (Viramdeo) and trusted general Jaitra Deora were in charge of his army. The broken pieces of the "Shiva lingam" were recovered. Kanhad had them washed in water from the Ganges river, which was regarded as sacred, and then placed within various Shiva temples in and around Jalore. This story is recounted in the 16th century ballads "Padmanabhama" and "Kanhad Dev". [cite journal |last=Panhwar |first=M. H. |year=1984-85 |title=The development in the study of history and archaeology of Sindh |journal=Sindhological Studies |volume=8-9 |url=http://panhwar.com/Adobe/Article116.pdf |accessdate= 2008-03-31 |quote= ]

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