Vigraharaja IV | |||||||||
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Sapadalakshiya-Nripati [1] | |||||||||
King of Sapadalaksha | |||||||||
Reign | c. 1150–1164 CE | ||||||||
Predecessor | Jagaddeva | ||||||||
Successor | Amaragangeya | ||||||||
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Dynasty | Chahamanas of Shakambhari | ||||||||
Father | Arnoraja | ||||||||
Religion | Hinduism |
Vigraharāja IV (r. c. 1150–1164 CE), also known as and also Visala-deva (or Visaldev) was a king from the Chahamana (Chauhan) dynasty in north-western India, and is generally considered as one of the greatest rulers of the dynasty. He turned the Chahamana kingdom into an empire by subduing the neighbouring kingdoms of Chaulukya, Naddula, and Tomara kingdoms. He also repulsed Muslim invasions, from the Ghaznavid ruler Bahram Shah and defeated Khusrau Shah.
Vigraharaja's kingdom included major parts of present-day Rajasthan, Haryana, and Delhi; and possibly some parts of Punjab and Uttar Pradesh too. Vigraharaja commissioned several buildings in his capital Ajayameru (modern Ajmer), most of which were destroyed or converted into Muslim structures after the Muslim conquest of Ajmer. These included a Sanskrit centre of learning that was later converted into the Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra mosque. Harakeli Nataka, a Sanskrit-language drama written by him, is inscribed on inscriptions discovered at the mosque site.