[3] The Ekalinga Mahatmya and other bardic chronicles state that Bappa's father Nagaditya and all other male members of his family were killed in a battle with the Bhils of Idar.

[3] According to legends the rishi also encouraged Bappa to build renowned Eklingji Temple at Nagda, which has been family deity of rulers of Mewar ever since.

[5] Indologist David Gordon White notes that there is a similar legend involving the sage Gorakhnath and the Gorkha king Prithvi Narayan Shah.

Therefore, scholars such as C. V. Vaidya, D. R. Bhandarkar, G. H. Ojha, and Kaviraj Shyamaldas believe that "Bappa Rawal" is not a proper noun.

R. V. Somani endorses this identification, but cautions that the evidence is not conclusive: Bappa Rawal may have been a different ruler who belonged to another branch of the Guhilas.

[12] Some other historians, such as D. R. Bhandarkar, identified Bappa Rawal with Kalabhoja's son Khumana, based on the calculation of average reign of the Guhila rulers.

According to Majumdar, the Moris (Mauryas) were ruling at Chittor when the Arabs (mlechchhas) invaded north-western India around 725 CE.

[14][15] Majumdar believes that his heroics against the Arabs raised Bappa Rawal's status to such an extent that he wrongly came to be regarded as the founder of the dynasty.

[13] R. V. Somani writes in his book that Bappa was a part of the anti-Arab confederacy formed by the Pratihara ruler Nagabhata I.

[14] Shyam Manohar Mishra of Lucknow University theorized that Bappa Rawal was originally a vassal of the Mori ruler Manuraja (Maan Maurya).

Somani theorizes that in these conflicts, Bappa Rawal also faced Dantidurga's armies by helping Pratiharas in their struggle, and thus succeeded in capturing the eastern parts of Mewar region; he also contested with Karanatakas and the Cholas as described in the inscription of Chittor.

[17] One gold coin bears the legend "Shri Voppa", and features Shavite icons: a trishula (trident), a linga, and a bull.