Barappa, the dynasty's first ruler, is identified as a general of the Western Chalukya king Tailapa II. He might have been made the governor of the Lata region by Tailapa. According to Merutunga's Prabandha-Chintamani, Barapa and the ruler of Sapadalaksha (the Chahamana king Vigraharaja II) once simultaneously attacked Gujarat. Mularaja, the Chaulukya king of Gujarat, asked the Sapadalaksha ruler not to attack him until he dealt with Barapa. He then defeated Barapa, which prompted the Sapadalaksha king to flee Gujarat. Since Merutunga was from Gujarat, this account may be biased. The Chahamana chroniclers claim that Vigraharaja defeated Mularaja, and marched up to Bhrigukachchha, where he constructed a temple dedicated to his family deity Ashapura. According to one theory, Vigraharaja II allied with Barapa, and helped him achieve independence.
