The roots of the Khangar Kshatriya Samaj lie in the Chudasama dynasty of Junagadh (Saurashtra, Gujarat). Without understanding the Chudasama dynasty, one cannot understand Khangar history. This article presents the glorious saga of the Chudasama clan and its direct connection to the Khangar lineage.
The Chudasama Kingdom: The Stronghold of Saurashtra
The Chudasama dynasty ruled the Saurashtra peninsula for approximately six hundred years (9th to 15th century). Their capital was Junagadh and their principal fortress was Uparkot — recognized as one of the most ancient forts in India.
The Chudasamas traced their lineage to the Chandravanshi s. They considered themselves descendants of Lord Shri Krishna. This same lineage is the heritage of the Khangar Kshatriya Samaj.
The Golden Chapters of Chudasama History
The Immortal Valor of Ra Khengar II (1098–1125 AD)
Ra Khengar II was the most illustrious king in Chudasama history. During his reign, Chudasama power reached its zenith. According to Gujarati folk traditions and the Rasmala text, Ra Khengar married a princess named Ranakdevi, who was betrothed to Siddharaj Jaisinh, the Solanki king of Patan. This led Siddharaj to invade Junagadh.
Ra Khengar mounted a fierce resistance from the Uparkot fortress with his forces. However, his own nephews committed treachery and allowed the enemy to breach the fort. Ra Khengar fought to his last breath and attained a warrior's death. Ranakdevi performed Sati at Wadhwan. This event is counted among the most celebrated tales of valor in Gujarat.
Ra Khengar II is the great-grandfather of the Khangar Kshatriyas. His warrior spirit flows in Khangar blood to this day.
Ra Noghan III: The Restorer (1125–1140 AD)
After Ra Khengar's martyrdom, the Chudasama kingdom was shattered. The Solankis seized Junagadh. But the Chudasama clan did not accept defeat. Ra Noghan III restored Chudasama authority and raised the Chudasama banner again on the throne of Junagadh. He ruled from 1125 to 1140 AD.
Ra Noghan III is the grandfather of the Khangar Kshatriyas.
Ra Kawat II: Father of Khet Singh (1140–1152 AD)
After Ra Noghan III, the throne of Junagadh passed to Ra Kawat II. In the Vahivancha (bardic genealogist) records of the Khangar community, his name is preserved as "Raja Katav-2" — the difference from "Kawat" to "Katav" is a phonetic shift caused by the transition from the Gujarati dialect to the Bundeli dialect.
At the beginning of Ra Kawat II's reign, on Vikram Samvat 1197, Paush month, Shukla Paksha (27 December, 1140 AD), his son Khet Singh was born — who would go on to become the founder of the Khangar dynasty.
Ra Kawat II died in 1152 AD, when Khet Singh was only 12 years old. The throne of Junagadh passed to Ra Jayasimha (Graharipu II).
Ra Kawat II and Rani Kishore Kunwar Bai are the founding ancestors of the Khangar Kshatriyas.
From Saurashtra to Bundelkhand: The Khangar Migration
After not receiving the throne of Junagadh, young Khet Singh resolved to carve a new kingdom through his sword, as per Rajput tradition. He traveled from Saurashtra through Malwa and Rajasthan to Ajmer, where Prithviraj Chauhan honored his Chudasama- lineage and made him a trusted general.
After the conquest of Mahoba in 1182 AD, Prithviraj appointed Khet Singh as the ruler of Bundelkhand. After the Second Battle of Tarain in 1192 AD, when the Chauhan empire fell, Khet Singh established the independent Khangar kingdom from Garh Kundar.
Thus, Chudasama blood flowed from the coast of Saurashtra to the Vindhya ranges of Bundelkhand. From the Uparkot of Junagadh to the summit of Garh Kundar — this is one dynasty, one bloodline, one Kshatriya tradition.
Gajanan Mata: Living Proof of the Chudasama Connection
Maharaja Khet Singh established the temple of Gajanan Mata (Chandika Bhavani) within the Garh Kundar fortress. Gajanan Mata is the Kula Devi (clan goddess) of the Khangar Kshatriyas. Saurashtra has a deep tradition of worshipping specific forms of the Mother Goddess (such as Khodiyar Mata and Ashapura Mata). The transplantation of Gajanan Mata worship to Bundelkhand is the most powerful proof that the Khangar Kshatriyas came from the Chudasama dynasty of Saurashtra. The goddess who was worshipped on the shores of Gujarat is today enshrined at Garh Kundar in Bundelkhand — this is not a coincidence, it is living evidence of the flow of the dynasty.