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The exact history of how the temples of Satanwada were lost in public memory is not exactly known. In the absence of any references in surviving historical records or in traditions, the erstwhile stories of its past have been lost, and the antiquarian remains have become a part of the everyday lives of the residents of Satanwada, who seem to be living totally oblivious of it.
The vast remnants which lie scattered across the village do remind the occasional visitor about its erstwhile splendour, but do not have many connoiseurs. The iconoclastic zeal of the destroyer’s hammer is however at display on most of the surviving remnants, which is also corroborated by references found in the historical texts of those turbulent times. To look for what had happened in Satanwada, which led to the destruction of what once seemed to have been a temple town and the abode of saints, it is important to study the references about the histories of the Forts of Gwalior and Narwar, which may have housed the ruling principalities of Satanwada. The history of Satanwada must thus have been related.
The History of Narwar illustrates that it had been ruled by the dynasties of the Ancient Nagas (0-225 A.D), Toramana (260-301 A.D), Harsha, Kacchwahas and Pariharas (Pratiharas) till it was firstly captured and made part of the Delhi Sultanate by Iltutmish in 1232 A.D. The history of Gwalior and its surroundings including Narwar had remained turbulent ever since the onset of the 11th century. The area in the vicinity of Satanwada and Narwar faced a series of attacks starting from the times of Mahmud of Ghazni, till Sikandar Lodhi in the early 16th century, which was followed by the rule of the Mughals.
To be continued......