Govindachandra (Gahadavala dynasty) in the context of "Gahadavala dynasty"

The Gahadavala dynasty (IAST: Gāhaḍavālas), also known as Gahadavalas of Kannauj, was a Rajput dynasty that ruled parts of the present-day Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, during 11th and 12th centuries. Their capital was located at Banaras (now Varanasi) in the Gangetic plains, and for a brief period, they also controlled Kannauj.

Chandradeva, the first monarch of the dynasty, established a sovereign kingdom sometime before 1090, after the decline of the Kalachuri power. The kingdom reached its zenith under his grandson Govindachandra who annexed some of the Kalachuri territories, warded off Ghaznavid raids, and also fought the Palas. In 1194, Govindachandra's grandson Jayachandra was defeated by the Ghurid army under Qutbuddin Aibak, which effectively ended the dynasty's imperial power. The kingdom completely ceased to exist when Jayachandra's successors were defeated by the Delhi Sultanate Mamluk dynasty 's ruler Iltutmish (r. 1211–1236).