F. S. Growse, in the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, theorizes that no such king ever existed, instead he believed that Varana means forts and identified it with Varanavat from Mahabharat where Pandavas and their children settled.
[4][5] However, Western historians such as Edwin Atkinson in 1876 and various censuses and gazettes who researched Bulandshahar and nearby cities found numerous evidences of his existence.
However, some historians like Pandit Rahul sanskritayan claimed that he was of the Yaudheya republic, based on his studies of local inscriptions and folklores.
[1] Their offspring were King Tendumal and his descendant Maharaja Varaksh who took the side of religion in the war of Mahabharata and died by becoming a partisan of Pandavas.
[2] The clan of Maharaja Varaksha laid the foundation of his kingdom in a place called 'Ahar' in the presence of the Emperor of Hastinapur.
Later, after the fall of Hastinapur, the Pandavas ruled from Ahar, located in the north eastern part of Baran district.
[1] The ancient palaces, building and temples found at places in Bhatora Veerpur, Ghalibpur in ruined form, are indicative of the antiquity of Baran.
[20] There are several other important places in the District from where statues belonging to the medieval age and objects of ancient temples have been found.
[33] Sir Henry Miers Elliot writes quoting the Yamini which says that, in his Twelfth Expedition A.H. 409 (1018-1019 AD) after passing by the borders of Kashmir, that is, close under the sub-Himalayan range, and crossing the Jumna, Mahmud of Ghazni takes Baran.
In 1192 CE when Muhammad Ghauri conquered parts of India, his Senapati (Military commander) Qutbu l-Din Aibak surrounded Fort Baran and with the help of traitors, was able to kill King Chandrasen Dor and in the process take control of the Baran kingdom.
[14] It was a rich and prosperous capital state of King Ahibaran's kingdom and numerous copper and gold coins with Greek and Pali inscriptions had been excavated at the site of the fort.