Hun/Huns/Hunas Invasion in India and History of Garhwal, Kumaon, Haridwar (Uttarakhand)
History of Garhwal, Kumaon, Haridwar (Uttarakhand) - Part 73
By: Bhishma Kukreti
First Hun/Huns/Hunas Attack on India
The first Hun/Huns/Hunas invasion displaced Gupta Dynasty Rule from Indian North Western part.
The first Hun/Huns/Hunas invasion influenced the regional kings (chieftains) becoming ambitious and rebelling against Gupta Empire.
The Bhitri pillar inscriptions suggest that Samudragupta defeated Hun/Hunas in 456AD in Ganga Valley and Samudragupta pushed beyond Sutlej River. However, Hun/Hunas ruled over Gandhar and central Punjab. Huns also controlled Kushan and other smaller chieftains of Punjab and Gandhar.
Uttarakhand Chieftains and First Hun/Hunas Invasion
It seems that after first Hun invasion, the chieftains of Uttarakhand as the chieftain of Kartripur might have tried to declare their freedom from Gupta Rule.
Second Hun/Hunas Invasion in India
These Hun were in really the Hephthalites but inscription declared them Hun. These white Huns who attacked India were the mixture of Kushan and Heftal tribe.
Torman Kingdom (?-502 or 510AD)
After the death of Samudragupta (467AD), the control of Gupta lessened in western India. Hun and low profiled Kushan armed forces attacked Gupta dynasty and won Kashmir, Jammu, Himachal, Punjab, Rajasthan and parts of Malwa. This way Hun kingdom was established. Torman was the white Hun leader.
Gopraj on behalf of Bhanugupta or Balagupta of Gutpa dynasty attacked on Torman in 510 and defeated Torman. This was the time Hun rule also started disintegrating.
Hun Rule Expansion by Torman
After some time, the chieftains who were under Gupta rule accepted control of Torman. The various coins and inscriptions suggest that Torman won Ganga-Yamuna Doab, Varanasi, Bigger parts of today's Madhya Pradesh, western part of Bihar. The Patliputra or Magadha King also accepted paying tax to Torman. It means Torman became ruler of half of Bihar, complete Uttar Pradesh, bigger portion of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Jammu-Kashmir and parts of Afghanistan.
Hun/Hunas/Huns Rule in Himalayan Slops
The coins found in Sanghol of Himachal suggest that Torman and his successors ruled on the Himalayan slopes.
It is also a fact that there was control of Torman Huns on Tibetan area adjacent to Himachal. There might be rule or influences of Hun on Uttarkashi region Uttarakhand adjacent to Tibet. Dr Dabral support a Rajatrangani shoal and states that there was rule of Torman and his scissor Mihirkul on western Himalaya.
Mihirkul (502- 532 or 510 -542)
The son of Torman, Mihirkul got the Hun crown after death of his father. He ruled with same territory that his father accumulated. His capital was sakal.
However, Magadha king Baladitya defeated Mihirkul.
In 532AD, Malva king Yashodharman defeated Mihirkul and captured from western Uttar Pradesh, east Punjab territories.
There was rule of Mihirkul on western Punjab, Kashmir, and Himachal regions.
Historians state that Torman and Mihirkul were cruel, transgressor.
There was rule of Hun in Gandhara and that region by Napki Malka(500), Torman II (542-570) and Lakhana (mid sixth century).
Yashodharman/Yasovarman (Rule 530-540)
Yashodharman/Yasovarman of Malva expanded his pushed Hun rule and expanded his rule from Assam till western Indian sea cost.
Uttarakhand under Yashodharman/Yasovarman?
The Mandsaur inscriptions suggest that Yashodharman/Yasovarman ruled over Uttarakhand or the chieftains of Uttarakhand were paying tax to Yashodharman/Yasovarman.
Very less is known about family of Yashodharman or Yasovarman. His rule rose suddenly and declined immediately.
Maukahri winning Hun
Maukahri Kings Ishanvarman and his son Sarvavarman defeated Hun.
Effects of Hun/Huns/Hunas Rule in India
Gupta rulers established unity among Indian kingdoms. The main effects of Hun rule over India were that the unity disintegrated. Petty kingdoms began to flourish and the unity established by early Gupta shattered due to Hun invasion. Huna introduced vigor and warlike culture in India. Hun invasion brought down the socio political and economic life. The trade ling with Roman regions was broke down. Hunas brought racial admixture culture in India.
Sharp Decline in Glorious Export Activities from Uttarakhand in Hun Rule (500-600AD)
The historical aspects of Hunas/Huns /Hun rules in North and central India suggest that the Indian trade link was broken with Roman regions, Greece and other western countries. The western ports lost their importance in Huna/Hunas/Hun rule. That means the one of the biggest wholesale markets Kalkut/Kalsi lost its glory. The goods were being exported to western countries lost the trade route. By this phenomenon definitely, the economic strength of Uttarakhand declined in Hun/Huna time.
In Huna rule, In India, main exporting port centers were Kaveri Patanam, tamralipta etc for South East Asian countries and China. It is obvious that there was no demand generation of Central Himalaya products those had high demand in Roman regime and western countries.
Due to instability in Magadha or Patliputra, there were chances that export of Uttarakhand produces to Magadha or Patliputra too declined.
Conclusively, it might be said that in Huna rule, Uttarakhand lost its glory of exports.
Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti 15/06/2013
References:
1-Fleet John F. Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum: Inscriptions of Early Guptas, Vol.3, Calcutta, 1888, page 54-56
2-Shiv Prasad Dabra, 'Charan', 1968, Uttarkhadn ka Itihas, Bhag -3
3-Thakur, Upendra, 1967, Huns in India (Chaukhamba Sanskrit Studies)
4-Thakur, Upendra, 1986, Some Aspects of Asian history and Culture
(The History of Garhwal, Kumaon, Haridwar write up is aimed for general readers)
History of Garhwal – Kumaon-Haridwar (Uttarakhand) to be continued… Part -74
Notes on Hun/Huns/Hunas Invasion in India and History of Garhwal, Kumaon, Haridwar (Uttarakhand); Hun/Huns/Hunas Invasion in India and History of Garhwal; Hun/Huns/Hunas Invasion in India and History of Kumaon; Hun/Huns/Hunas Invasion in India and History of Haridwar (Uttarakhand); Hun/Huns/Hunas Invasion in India and History of Central Himalaya; Hun/Huns/Hunas Invasion in India and History of Himalaya
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Bhishma Kukreti
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