Some info. and some questions about empire/dynasty rulers of Kalyan (and Dombivli), Maharashtra from 3rd century BCE
Last minor update on 2nd Jan. 2023
Quick info
For readers who want to quickly see the conclusion part of this post, I have copy-pasted it below:
The list of rulers and associated periods for Kalyan (and Dombivli), Maharashtra from 3rd century BCE to now (2022 CE) may be as follows:
1) 250 BCE to 185 BCE, Mauryan empire
2) 185 BCE to 250 CE, Satavahana dynasty for some time and Western Satraps for some time.
3) 250 CE to 315 or 370?CE, Abhira dynasty
4) 315 or 370 CE? to 5xx CE, Traikutaka dynasty for some time and Vakataka dynasty for some time
5) Mid-6th century (5xx) to 610 CE, Kalachuris (aka Early Kalachuris) with Konkan Mauryas as vassals of Kalachuris?
6) 610 CE to 749 CE, Chalukyas of Badami dynasty
7) 750 CE to 972 CE, Rashtrakuta dynasty with period of 810 CE onwards through vassal Silhara (Shilahara) dynasty
8) 972 CE to 1265 CE Silhara (Shilahara) dynasty as independent rulers with perhaps some periods as feudatories to others
10) From 1348 to 1534: Gujarat governor of Delhi Sultanate followed by (independent) Gujarat Sultanate
11) From 1540 to 1636: Ahmadnagar Sultanate
12) From 1636 to 1654: Bijapur Sultanate as vassal of Mughal empire
13) From 1654 to 1682/83: Maratha empire
14) From 1682/83 to 1705?: Mughal empire
15) From 1705? to 1818: Maratha empire
16) From 1818 to 1947: British empire
17) From 1947 to now (2022) : Independent India
=================
Note: In all probability, whoever ruled Kalyan would have ruled Dombivli area too, as Dombivli, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dombivli , is very close to Kalyan and Kalyan was the main town/city in Kalyan-Dombivli area for thousands of years whereas Dombivli, I believe, was a relatively small place then. Therefore in the title of the post and in the conclusion I have used the words, "Kalyan (and Dombivli)".
As I was digging up info. on Shirdi area rulers history of 1000 AD to 2000 AD period as well as that of Mumbai area some months earlier, I did see some references to Kalyan (near Mumbai) and was curious about Kalyan's rulers' history in this period. On doing Google search for Kalyan history, I came across very limited information.
While I don't have a full picture of the list of rulers of Kalyan in this period, I felt I should share what I have dug up as a post as it may be useful to some. Hopefully someone will share on the Internet more detailed and complete info. on rulers of Kalyan, which is returned within top ten results of Google search for associated terms. Note that Kalyan is an ancient town/city which was known even 2000 years ago as an inland port for Indo-Roman trade. For more see my post: 1 BCE (2000 years ago) Roman trade in India through Sopara & Kalyan ports, Naneghat pass and then to Junnar, Nasik & Paithan in today's Maharashtra - Part 1, https://ravisiyermisc.blogspot.com/2022/07/1-bce-2000-years-ago-roman-trade-in.html , July 2022.
[As I mentioned in above post, I am very interested in history of Sopara & Kalyan as they are close to Mumbai & Dombivli, and I have lived for many years in Mumbai (Bandra & Andheri suburbs) & Dombivli (till 2002).]
Some part of Mumbai history seems to be shared by Kalyan. From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalyan : "Kalyan (Pronunciation: [kəljaːɳ]) is a city on the banks of Ulhas River in Thane district of Maharashtra state in Konkan division." Both Thane district (and so Kalyan) and Mumbai are part of North Konkan region, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konkan .
A) Is Kalyan history from 3rd century BCE to 1260 CE (AD) largely the same as history of Mumbai?
I think that is a reasonable assumption as Kalyan and Sopara of Thane district seem to have been more well known than Mumbai in this period. If this assumption is right then the rulers of Kalyan in this time would be same as in my blog post: Chronological list of empire/kingdom level rulers of Mumbai (Bombay) and nearby areas from 3rd century BCE (over 2000 years ago), https://ravisiyermisc.blogspot.com/2022/10/chronological-list-of-empirekingdom.html , October 2022. I have provided the key info. about rulers in this period below (for more details please visit aforementioned post):
1) 250 BCE to 185 BCE, Mauryan empire
2) 185 BCE to 250 CE, Satavahana dynasty for some time and Western Satraps for some time.
3) 250 CE to 315 or 370?CE, Abhira dynasty
4) 315 or 370 CE? to 5xx CE, Traikutaka dynasty for some time and Vakataka dynasty for some time
5) Mid-6th century (5xx) to 610 CE, Kalachuris (aka Early Kalachuris) with Konkan Mauryas as vassals of Kalachuris?
6) 610 CE to 749 CE, Chalukyas of Badami dynasty
7) 750 CE to 972 CE, Rashtrakuta dynasty with period of 810 CE onwards through vassal Silhara (Shilahara) dynasty
8) 972 CE to 1265 CE Silhara (Shilahara) dynasty as independent rulers with perhaps some periods as feudatories to others
B) Seuna Yadavas rule over Kalyan
Yadavas seem to have almost certainly ruled Kalyan area along with Mumbai area. The question is whether King Bhimdev & family who ruled Mumbai from late 13th century (129x?) to 1348, also ruled Kalyan, and whether that rule was till 1348. Please visit above Mumbai history post to know more about Yadava and King Bhimdev rule of Mumbai.
Note that Yadava rule of Devagiri seems to have ended in 1317 (for details please see my post: Seuna Yadavas most probably ruled Shirdi area: as vassal of Rashtrakuta dynastry from c.860 CE, as vassal of Western Chalukyas from c.1000 CE & as independent rulers from c.1187 to 1317 CE, https://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2022/12/seuna-yadavas-most-probably-ruled.html ). Did Yadava/Bhimdev rule of Kalyan also end in 1317?
So the possibilities for next entry of ruler of Kalyan can be put as follows:
*) 1265 to 1317? Seuna (Yadava) rule OR like Mumbai 1265/1272 - 129x?, Seuna (Yadava) followed by 129x? (late 13th century) to 1348, King Bhimdev and family
C) Did Delhi Sultanate which ruled Devagiri after the Yadavas, also rule Kalyan (through a vassal perhaps)?
I think that's a possibility. The next question is whether Kalyan was governed by Gujarat governor of Delhi Sultanate (which governed Mumbai from 1348 to 1535, initially as vassal of Delhi sultanate and later independently as Gujarat Sultanate)?
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karnala_Fort :
Karnala Fort (also called Funnel Hill[1]) is a hill fort in Raigad district, Maharashtra, India, about 10 km from Panvel city. Currently it is a protected place lying within the Karnala Bird Sanctuary. It was a place of strategic importance since it overlooked the Bor pass, which connected the Konkan coast to the interior of Maharashtra (Deccan Plateau)[1] on the main trade route between these areas.
History
The fort was likely constructed before 1400, under Devagiri Yadavs(1248–1318) and the Tughlaq rulers (1318–1347), Karnala was the capital of the north Konkan districts of their respective empires.[2] It later fell under the command of the Gujarat Sultanate but in 1540 was taken over by Nizam Shah of Ahmednagar.
--- end wiki extract ---
Karnala fort is to the south of Kalyan. See pic below.
[On PC desktop/laptop, to open pic in larger resolution (if available), right-click on pic followed by open link (NOT image) in new tab/window. In new tab/window you may have to click on pic to zoom in.]
I think it is reasonable to assume that when Gujarat governor of Delhi sultanate ruled Mumbai as well as Karnala Fort, it would have been the ruler of Kalyan too. Also note above wiki page states that Karnala was capital of North Konkan districts of Yadava and Delhi sultanate empire! If this is true then whoever controlled Karnala during this period, would have been ruler of Kalyan. Note that Kalyan is part of Thane district which is part of North Konkan region, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konkan .
https://sites.google.com/site/kalyanmaharastra/home/history-of-kalyan makes interesting statements about history of rulers of Kalyan.
It states that Kalyan was part of Mahikawati and so ruled by King Bhimdev and his family (for more see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhima_of_Mahikavati ). One big problem with above history of kalyan (sites.google.com) webpage is that for most of the statements it makes, it does not provide a proper reference for verification (on Internet). However, it provides one good reference having info. about Kalyan circa 1820 which is the 1820 book, A Geographical, Statistical, and Historical Description of Hindostan, and the Adjacent Counties, Volume 2 by Walter Hamilton. I was able to find this book and the Volume 1 book on archive.org - Vol 2 book: https://archive.org/details/dli.granth.75337 . On searching for Callian I found only limited history data about Kalyan, Maharashtra in Volume 2 (no references found in Volume I). Note that there are other places outside Maharashtra region which also are referred to in this book(s) by Callian or related names, which I have ignored (in context of this post).
In book page 143 (archive.org viewer page is same as book page), we have the beginning of the chapter titled, "THE PROVINCE OF AURUNGABAD". It lists Callianee district as one of "principal modern territorial and political sub-divisions" of Aurangabad province.
On page 150, it gives some info. about Callianee district as well Callianee town stating that the latter was capital of the former. So in those times (slightly before 1820), we had Kalyan town as capital of Kalyan district of Aurangabad province (kingdom)! Hmm.
For Kalyan district it states, "C a l l i a n e e .—(Calyani).— A strong hilly country extending along the sea coast of the Aurungabad province, opposite to the island of Bombay, bounded on the east by the western ghauts, and situated between the 18th and 20th degrees of north latitude. The principal towns are Callianee, Bassein, Panwell, Chowl, Rajapoor, Dassgong, and Mhar, besides many hill fortresses; the largest streams are the Tanja, Cailas, Bhagarati, and Savatri. When conquered during the rupture with the Peshwa in 1818, the towns were found large and well peopled, and the country apparently in a state of great prosperity." I think the Cailas river is a reference to Ulhas river as it is mentioned in Kalyan town description too (given below). Perhaps the misspelling is due to an OCR inaccuracy/error while book the was being digitized. A notable point in the above extract is that 1818 is given as the year-date when Kalyan came under rule of the British.
For Kalyan town it states, "Callianee. —The capital of the above district, situated on the south side of the Cailas river, 30 miles N. E. from Bombay. Lat. 19° 15' N. long. 73° 15' E* This town sustained many sieges during the, wars between the Moguls and Ma- harattas, and is surrounded by ruins of various sorts. It is still a populous town and carries on some traffic in coco nuts, oil, coarse cloths, brass, and earthen¬ ware. Its external appearance indicates a former state of superior opulence; ..."
Note that the book has an extensive description of Bombay and also some description of Salsette and Thane (referred to as Tanna/Thana) town from pages 152 to 176.
The above Walter Hamilton book extracts seem to give the picture from Mughal and Maratha rule period. For the earlier Delhi Sultanate and its later splinter sultanates period, the above extracts may not be relevant. In particular, Kalyan area may not have been part of Aurangabad province of Delhi Sultanate.
I think one clear possibility is that Gujarat governor of Delhi Sultanate ruled over Kalyan from around 1348.
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Bassein_(1534) "The Treaty of Baçaim was signed by Sultan Bahadur of Gujarat and the Kingdom of Portugal on 23 December 1534 while on board the galleon São Mateus. Based on the terms of the agreement, the Portuguese Empire gained control of the city of Baçaim, as well as its territories, islands, and seas. The Ilhas de Bombaim which were ruled from Portuguese Goa included Colabá Grande, Colabá Pequeno, Bombaim, Mazagão, Vorlim, Matungá, and Mahim. Salsette, Damão é Div, Thane, Kalyan, and Chaul were other territories controlled and settled by the Portuguese."
The above implies that Kalyan was ruled/controlled by Gujarat Sultanate prior to December 1534. Note that in 1407 Gujarat Sultanate was formed with Gujarat governor of Delhi Sultanate declaring independence from Delhi Sultanate. So I think one clear possibility of ruler of Kalyan and associated period is:
*) From 1348 to 1534: Gujarat governor of Delhi Sultanate followed by (independent) Gujarat Sultanate
D) Did Portuguese rule Kalyan? What was the period Ahmadnagar Sultanate ruled over Kalyan?
As per above Treaty of Bassein wiki extract in December 1534 Portuguese became the ruler/controller of Kalyan. But did the Portuguese not bother about ruling Kalyan? Did Kalyan then get ruled by local chieftain(s), and later by Ahmednagar sultanate?
If the Portuguese did rule Kalyan, how long did they rule Kalyan?
The extract from Karnala fort wiki given earlier in this post, says that Karnala fort was with Gujarat Sultanate "but in 1540 was taken over by Nizam Shah of Ahmednagar". The wiki page, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karnala_Fort , additionally states:
The Gujarat sultans then requested the help of the Dom Francisco de Menenzes the commanding officer of the Portuguese at Bassien (modern day Vasai) to win it back. He ordered 500 of his soldiers to Karnala fort and they were able to capture it. The fort was left in charge of the Gujarat Sultanate but with Portuguese garrisons.[3]
The Gujarat sultans fled to Vasai, surrendering the fort to the Portuguese. The loss of Karnala enraged Nizam Shah, who sent 5,000 men to reclaim the fort and the surrounding countryside.[3] The attempt was unsuccessful, and the Portuguese continued to hold the fort. Deciding that the forts of Sangli and Karnala were of little strategic value, however, the Portuguese viceroy agreed to return them to Nizam Shah for an annual payment of Rs. 17,500 (or 5,000 gold Pardoas).[3][4]
--- end extract ---
So it seems that from around 1540 Karnala and surrounding countryside which would have included Kalyan I think as Ahmadnagar Sultanate had its capital north of Kalyan, came under rule of Ahmadnagar Sultanate. The Portuguese seem to have held Karnala only for a short period (though the wiki page does not mention the period). Further as 1540 is just 6 years after 1534 when the Treaty of Bassein was signed, even if the Portuguese did control Kalyan in these 6 years, it is an insignificant period in the context of this post.
So I think we can say that Ahmadnagar Sultanate started rule of Kalyan from around 1540. But how long did Ahmadnagar Sultanate rule Kalyan?
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmadnagar_Sultanate , "In 1636 Aurangzeb, then Mugal viceroy of Deccan, finally annexed the [Ravi: Ahmadnagar] sultanate to the Mughal Empire." A reasonable presumption is that Kalyan was being ruled in 1636 by Ahmadnagar sultanate prior to Aurangzeb annexing it. After Aurangzeb annexation, did Kalyan pass into Mughal empire hands or did it go to Bijapur Sultanate who seem to have assisted Mughal empire in defeat of Ahmadnagar sultanate.
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammed_Adil_Shah,_Sultan_of_Bijapur
Mohammed Adil Shah was the seventh ruler of Bijapur, ascending the throne in 1627. During his reign, he assisted the Mughals with their campaigns against the Ahmednagar Sultanate and signed a peace treaty with them in 1636.
..
Bijapur partnered with the Mughals in the extinction of Ahmednagar. Mohammed maintained friendly relations with Shah Jahan and made a peace treaty of 1636, after the extinction of Ahmednagar. By a farman of Shah Jahan, he got assurances for the end of Mughal aggression against Bijapur and due to his good relations with the Mughals, Shah Jahan formally recognized Muhammad’s sovereignty and bestowed upon him the title of Shah in 1648, the only ruler of Bijapur to receive such recognition from the Mughals.
The Treaty of 1636 with the Mughals sealed the expansion of Bijapur in the north. So, Mohammed Adil Shah extended his dominations westwards into Konkan, Pune, Dhabul (present Mumbai), southwards into Mysore, and eastwards into Karnataka, present south Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
--- end extract ---
I think the above extract settles the matter. In 1636, Kalyan which was previously being ruled by independent Ahmadnagar Sultanate, was passed on to Bijapur Sultanate (Adil Shah dynasty) who was a vassal of Mughal empire.
So a clear possibility of ruler of Kalyan and associated period is:
*) From 1540 to 1636: Ahmadnagar Sultanate
E) How long did Bijapur Sultanate rule Kalyan?
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durgadi_Fort , "Durgadi Fort is a fort located in Kalyan, near Mumbai in Maharashtra, India." .. "The fort's construction started during Shah Jahan's reign and was completed in Aurangzeb's reign in 1694 AD. Durgadi Fort is built on a hill beside the Kalyan creek. The fort came under Marathas when Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj captured Kalyan and Bhiwandi from Adilshah in 1654."
So a clear possibility of ruler of Kalyan and associated period is:
*) From 1636 to 1654: Bijapur Sultanate as vassal of Mughal empire
F) How long did Marathas rule Kalyan (first rule period)?
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Kalyan , "The Battle of Kalyan occurred between the Mughal Empire and Maratha Empire between 1682 and 1683. Bahadur Khan of the Mughal Empire defeated the Maratha army and took over Kalyan."
So a clear possibility of ruler of Kalyan and associated period is:
*) From 1654 to 1682/83: Maratha empire
G) How long did Mughals rule Kalyan?
The following video has interesting maps: A New History of India: Every Year, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qw9psR8MyPI , 9 min. 30 secs., published on 18th March 2018 by Ollie Bye. In this document, the acronym ANHIOB is used to refer to this video.
The ANHIOB video shows Marathas expanding their territory deeper into Mughal empire territory in 1705 and this expansion of Maratha territory seems to include Kalyan. But we don't know how accurate the ANHIOB video map is. Ideally we need a proper reference which mentions this expansion of Maratha territory in 1705.
So a possibility which could be inaccurate in end date of ruler of Kalyan and associated period is:
*) From 1682/83 to 1705?: Mughal empire
H) How long did this second period of Maratha rule over Kalyan last?
The Battle of Malanggad between Marathas and British, https://www.esamskriti.com/e/History/Indian-History/The-Battle-of-Malanggad-between-Marathas-and-British-1.aspx gives a detailed account of the British failed attempt at capturing and holding the Malanggad fort near Kalyan in 1780. The British seem to have had Kalyan city briefly under their control but eventually withdrew to Vasai. So the Marathas continued to rule Kalyan at least till 1780.
The above battle seems to have been part of the First Anglo Maratha war.
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Anglo-Maratha_War : "The First Anglo-Maratha War (1775–1782) was the first of three Anglo-Maratha Wars fought between the British East India Company and Maratha Empire in India. The war began with the Treaty of Surat and ended with the Treaty of Salbai. The war was fought in between Surat and Pune Kingdom saw British defeat and restoration of positions of both the parties before the war." ... "This treaty, known as the Treaty of Salbai, was signed on 17 May 1782, and was ratified by Hastings in June 1782 and by Nana Phadnavis in February 1783. The treaty ended the First Anglo-Maratha War, restored the status quo, and established peace between the two parties for 20 years.[9]: 63 "
So for 20 years from 1782 i.e. till 1802, the status quo held, which means that Kalyan remained under rule of Marathas till 1802 at least.
From Second Anglo-Maratha War, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Anglo-Maratha_War : "The Second Anglo-Maratha War (1803–1805) was the second conflict between the British East India Company and the Maratha Empire in India."
From Third Anglo-Maratha War, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Anglo-Maratha_War : "The Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817–1819) was the final and decisive conflict between the English East India Company and the Maratha Empire in India. The war left the Company in control of most of India."
The above wiki page has two relevant maps:
*) Map of India after the Second Anglo-Maratha War, 1805, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Joppen1907India1805a-21.jpg
*) Map of India after the Third Anglo-Maratha War, 1819, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Joppen1907India1823a.jpg
These maps tell us that Kalyan continued to be under Maratha rule after the Second Anglo-Maratha war ended in 1805 but fell into British control in the Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817-1819).
The Walter Hamilton 1820 book mentioned earlier in this post, states in the context of Kalyan area (both Kalyan town and what was then Kalyan district of which Kalyan town was the capital), "When conquered during the rupture with the Peshwa in 1818, the towns were found large and well peopled, and the country apparently in a state of great prosperity." So 1818 is given as the year-date when Kalyan came under rule of the British.
So a possibility of ruler of Kalyan and associated period is:
*) From 1705? to 1818: Maratha empire
I) Period of British rule and that of Independent India over Kalyan
The next two entries of ruler of Kalyan and associated period are straightforward:
*) From 1818 to 1947: British empire
*) From 1947 to now (2022) : Independent India
Conclusion
The list of rulers and associated periods for Kalyan (and Dombivli), Maharashtra from 3rd century BCE to now (2022 CE) may be as follows:
1) 250 BCE to 185 BCE, Mauryan empire
2) 185 BCE to 250 CE, Satavahana dynasty for some time and Western Satraps for some time.
3) 250 CE to 315 or 370?CE, Abhira dynasty
4) 315 or 370 CE? to 5xx CE, Traikutaka dynasty for some time and Vakataka dynasty for some time
5) Mid-6th century (5xx) to 610 CE, Kalachuris (aka Early Kalachuris) with Konkan Mauryas as vassals of Kalachuris?
6) 610 CE to 749 CE, Chalukyas of Badami dynasty
7) 750 CE to 972 CE, Rashtrakuta dynasty with period of 810 CE onwards through vassal Silhara (Shilahara) dynasty
8) 972 CE to 1265 CE Silhara (Shilahara) dynasty as independent rulers with perhaps some periods as feudatories to others
10) From 1348 to 1534: Gujarat governor of Delhi Sultanate followed by (independent) Gujarat Sultanate
11) From 1540 to 1636: Ahmadnagar Sultanate
12) From 1636 to 1654: Bijapur Sultanate as vassal of Mughal empire
13) From 1654 to 1682/83: Maratha empire
14) From 1682/83 to 1705?: Mughal empire
15) From 1705? to 1818: Maratha empire
16) From 1818 to 1947: British empire
17) From 1947 to now (2022) : Independent India
[I thank Wikipedia and Google Maps, and have presumed that they will not have any objections to me sharing the above extract(s)/map(s) from their website on this post which is freely viewable by all, and does not have any financial profit motive whatsoever.]
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