Historical Features of Garhwal- Kumaon (Uttarakhand) in Mauryan Age Part-1
History of Kumaon, Garhwal (Uttarakhand) - Part 40
Historical Aspects of Ancient communities of Kumaon-Garhwal (Uttarakhand), Himalayas-37
(All the History write ups are dedicated to great Historians Hari Krishna Raturi, Badri Datt Pandey and Dr Shiv Prasad Dabral)
Historians agree by the references of Puran, old Buddhist literature, Jainism literature, Sanskrit literature, Greek literature that with the aid of his Guru, mentor Kautilya or Chanakya, Chandra Gupta Maurya destroyed Nanda dynasty in Magadha and established Mauryan dynasty (321 BCE).
There are less definite records for letting knowing the childhood of Chanakya and Chandragupta Maurya. It is said that Chanakya saw a boy as slave with a hunter in forest and watching boy’s wise and strategic capability, Chanakya made him hi disciple and made the boy (Chandragupta) ready for being king.
Chanakya sent Chandragupta to Takshila University. On that time Alexander attacked India and Chandragupta had hand experiences to watch the battles of Greek supremacy under Alexander.
Attack by Alexander- Winning Iran and other parts of Arab including Persian territories, Alexander attacked India (327BCE). Due to internal infighting and jealousy among Indian chieftains Alexander easily defeated the western Indian kings. Alexander also defeated Porus the strongest chieftains of western India. Alexander reached up to Vyasa River. It is believed that Alexander knew the strength of Dhana Nanda and that is why he did not attack on Nanda Kingdom.
Alexander returned from India around 325 BCE and died in Greece in 323 BCE.
In the Panwar dynasty history of Garhwal, there is importance of Kathait caste. Kathait came to Garhwal from Himachal. There is mention words Cathael in Greek literature while describing the short Alexandrian rule on India. A historian Vevan connected this word with Khsatriya. The Sangal fort in Himaachal of that time is connected to Kathait. Dabral supports that the connection of Sangal with Kathait as suggested by Rapson.
End of Greek Rule from India
Before returning to Greece, Alexander left his governors for ruling in Indian territories. Alexandra rule or Greece Rule came to an end India by 312-317BCE. Chandragupta Maurya was the conveyor of ending Greece rule from India by various Indian chieftains. By this acts, Chanakya and Chandragupta became famous state persons.
Taking Help of Soldiery communities of Mid Himalayas by Chanakya and Chandragupta Maurya
After taking education, Chanakya went to Dhana Nanda court in Magadha for serving the court. Magadha king insulted Chanakya. Chanakya took vow to end Nanda dynasty.
Chanakya and Chandragupta Maurya gathered (on contract?) took help of low family traits solders as Pratirodhak, Mlechh, Kirat Dasyudal, Atvik etc to attack on Magadha.
Parvateshwar (Himalayan Hill chieftains) who helped them the much was the chief and under him the armed forced were –Kulut chieftain, Malay chieftain, Kashmir chieftain, sindhu valley chieftain and Khasa, Yavan, gandhar , Shak, hun too.
Chanakaky had agreement with Parvateshwar that after winning Magadha Parvateshwar would be given half of the kingdom. Parvateshwar had leading army of Khasa and other soldiery communities of hills (Himachal, Uttarakhand?) With the main help from Parvateshwar Chandragupta-Chanakya won the Mgadha Dhana nand and destroyed Nanda dynasty. Chandragupta Maurya established Maurya dynasty (321BCE).
With sound conspiracy, Chanakya killed Parvateshwar. The whole hill armed forced of Parvateshwar came under Chandragupta. The army of Dhana Nanda came under Chandragupta. Chandragupta Maurya extended his rule far than Nanda regions. Chandragupta Maurya extended Magadha till Bengal, Uttarakhand, Mysore, Konkan and Punjab, Takhsshila, Kashmir, Himachal.
Was Chandragupta Maurya son of Uttarakhandi Khasa?
There are many theories and suggestions among historians about the paternal family tree.
Most of historians agree that Chandragupta had relation with Buddha Age Moriya Khsatriya family of Pippliyavan. Having Peacock on the sculptures/pillars on Asoka sculptures support the theory.
The theories of Chandragupta being the son of Dhana Nanda with Mauri maid servant are now not agreed.
There is another suggestion from historians (basing Mudrarakshas Sanskrit play) that Chandragupta had blood relation with Parvateshwara. That is the reason that Chandragupta performed ‘Tarpan’ in the ‘Shradh’ ritual of Parvateshwar. Without direct blood relation with Parvateshwara, Chandragupta Maurya would have not offered ‘Tarpan’ in the ‘Shradh’of Parvateshwara.
There is no-disagreement no agreement or no proof for Parvateshwar was from Western Himalaya or from Mid Himalayas (Garhwal –Kumaon). Since, the play ‘Mudrarakshasa’ mentions each kingdom of western Himalaya and Khasa for mid Himalayas it is sensed that Parvateshwar was from Uttarakhand. It is surprising in the early Sanskrit literature including Puran that Chandragupta attacked every corners but not Uttarakhand. Was it because Parvateshwar was from Uttarakhand? Or was Chandragupta having blood relation with a chieftain of Uttarakhand? There was no attack on Uttarakhand from the decedents of Chandragupta Maurya but it is also sensed that Uttarakhand was under supervision rule of Maurya kings.
Mauryan Administration
The ‘Arthshastra’ book is the sound proof of good and innovative administration of Maurya Age.
Even under the Chandragupta or under his successors there was not much difference than past in administration in Tamas, Kalkut, Tangan, Bhardwaj, Ranku and Atrey or Govishan (Garhwal and Kumaon. These comminutes were having their own chieftains and just Guptas might be supervising.
Chandragupta Maurya banned Pakhand sectarian activities. There was freedom of worshipping.
Uttarakhand in Arthashastra
‘Arthashastra ‘a Sanskrit classic by Chanakya or Kautilya mentioned about brave hill soldiery communities.
There are mentions of forest wood of Uttarakhand as- Sal, Sheesam; Various bamboo varieties; bent, barks of various trees; fibers plants; rope making plants; flowers; roots, bulbs; medicinal plants and herbs; poisons; color making plants.
There were mineral exports from Uttarakhand at the time of Chandragupta and Chanakya. The horses of Kumaon and Chamoli Garhwal were famous. The people of Mid Himalayas were exporting animal leather, blanket and other crafts.
The Uttarakhand used to export army men too in the time of Chanakya and Chandragupta.
Chandragupta retired from the court and became a Jain. Chandragupta Maurya died around 297 B.C.E.
Bindusar the son of took over the rule of Magadha in 297 B.C.E. Bindusar ruled till 274 B.C.E.
It seems Asoka displaced Bindusar.
Read in next part about Uttarakhand in Asoka Age
Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti 11/05/2013
(The write up is aimed for general readers)
History of Garhwal – Kumaon (Uttarakhand) to be continued… Part -41
Ancient communities of Kumaon-Garhwal (Uttarakhand), Himalayas- to be continued…38
References and Further Reading Suggestions:
Ajaya Rawat, History of Garhwal
Alexander Cunningham, 1996, Coins of Ancient India: From Earliest times down to the Seventh century
Badri Datt Pandey, 1937, Kumaun ka Itihas, (second edition.) Shyam Prakashan, Almora (page 155-179)
B.P. Kamboj, 2003, Early Wall painting of Garhwal
C.M Agarwal , History of Kumaon
Dabral, Shiv Prasad, 1968, Uttarakhand ka Itihas Bhag-2, (pages117 to321), Veer Gath Press, Dogadda, India
Dabral, Shiv Prasad, 1992, Kulinda Janpada
Dinesh Prasad Saklani, 1998, Ancient Communities of the Himalayas
D.D Sharma, 2009, Cultural History of Uttarakhand
D.P Agarwal, Jeewan Singh Kharakwal, 1995, Cist Burials of the Kumaun Himalayas
D.P Agarwal, J Kharakwal, 1995, Kumaon Archeology and Tradition, Almora Book, Almora
Gyan Swarup Gupta, 199, India: From Indus Valley civilization to Mauryas
G.P. Singh, 2008, Researches into History and Civilizations of Kiratas
Hari Krishna Raturi, 1921, Garhwal ka Itihas
Imana Simha Cemjonga, 2003, History and Culture of Kirat People
Jagdish Bahadur , 2003 Indian Himalayas
J.C. Agarwal, S.P.Agarwal, S.S. Gupta, 1995, Uttarakhand: Past, Present and Future
John Whelpton, 2005, History of Nepal (page 22 , Khasa)
Khadak Singh Valdiya , 2001, Himalaya: Emergence and Evolution , Uni Press, Hyderabad, India
Khemanand Chandola, 1987 Across the Himalaya through Ages: a study of relations between Central Himalayas and Westren Tibet
K.P.Nautiyal, B.M. Khanduri, 1997, Him Kanti (page 85 for Khasa)
Kanti Prasad Nautiyal, 1969, The Archeology of Kumaon including Dehradun
K.P Nautiyal, B.M. Khanduri, 1991, Emergence of Early culture in Garhwal, Central Himalaya
Lalan Ji Gopal and Vinod Chandra Shrivastava , History of Agriculture in India (up to 1200AD(article of Dr K.P Nautiyal et all – Agriculture in Garhwal Himalayas o to 1200AD, page 162)
Maheshwar Prasad Joshi, 1990, Uttaranchal (Kumaon-Garhwal) : An Essay in Historical Anthropology, Shri Almora Book, Almora
Maheshwar Prasad Joshi, 1989, Morphogenesis of Kunindas, Cir 200B.C.-cir A.D.300
Mathpal, Yashodhar, 1998, Kumaon Painting: A Story of Living Tradition of Painting in Kumaon
Minyan G. Singh, 199, Wooden temples in Himachal
M.C.Joshi, 1978, the Khasas in the History of Uttarakhand, Swasti Sri, edited by K.V.Ravi , p.10),ND
M.S. S Rawat (editor), Himalaya: a Regional Perspective
Mamta Chaudhari, 1977 Tribes of Ancient India
Narendra Singh Bisht and T. S Bankoti, 2004, Encyclopedic Ethnography of the Himalayan Tribes (Page for Khasa – 736)
Dr. Naval Viyogi, Professor M A Ansari, 2010 History of the Later Harappans and Shilpkara Movement (two volumes) Kalpaz Publication, Delhi, India
Nitya Nand Mishra, 1994, Sources Materials of Kumauni History, Shri Almora Book Depot.
O.C. Handa, 2003, History of Uttaranchal (Page 22 for Khashas)
O.C. Handa, 2009, Art and Architecture of Uttarakhand
O.P Kandari and O.P Gusain, 2001, Garhwal Himalaya (Pages for Khasa- 309/360)
Parmannad Gupta, 1989, Geography from Ancient Indian Coins and Seals
Prem Hari Har Lal, 1993, The Doon valley Down the Ages, Dehradun, India
R.C. Bhatt, K.P. Nautiyal, 1987-88Trans Himalayan Burials, visa vis Malari, an Assessment, JOSHARD, Vol11-12 (pp 95-101)
R.C. Naithani, 1999, Radiant Himalayas,
Ram Naresh Pandey (A.S.I), Ancient and Medieval History of Western Nepal
S S.S. Negi, Back and beyond, Garhwal Himalaya: Nature, Culture and Society
S.S.S. Negi, Himalayan Rivers, lakes and Glaciers
Sukhdev Singh Charak, 1979, History and Culture of Himalayan states
Savita Saxena, 1995, The geographical Surveys of Puranas
Surendra Singh, 1995, Urbanization in Garhwal Himalaya: a geographical Interpretation
Upinder Singh, 2008, History of Earlier and Medieval India.
Vishwa Chandra Ohri, 1980, Himachal Art and Archeology, State Museum, Shimla , Pages 3,5 and 65)
H. Sarkar, A.Banerji 2006, Hari Smriti , Chapter ‘ The Kunindas and their Archeology in Garhwal Himalaya (pages-391-398).
New cultural Dimension in the Central Himalayas, region of Uttarakhand, an Archeological assessment:
Carleton Stevens Coon, 1962, The Origin of Race
C.S. Coon, The Races of Europe
Uttar Pradesh District gazetteers, 1989, Volume-23
Plant, Richard, J., 1979, Greek, Semitic, Asiatic Coins and how to read them
R.C Majumdar, Ancient Colonies in the Far East
Shiv Pad Sen, 1988, Sources of History of India, Volume -5
Vishwa Chandra Ohri, 1980, Himachal Art and Archeology
World Archeological Bulletin, 1989.p 18
Radheshyam Chaurasiya, 2002, History of Ancient India: Earliest time to 1000 AD
R.K. Nehra, 2010, Hinduism and Its Military Ethos
Chapters on African Presence in Early Asian Civilizations: A Historical Overview, Journal of African Civilizations, August 1995, Vol .X No.X pages 21-121
Radha Kumud Mukarji, 1988, Chandragupta Maurya and his Time
Om Gupta, 2006, Encyclopedia of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh
Edward James Rapson, 1923, Cambridge History of India (7 Volumes)
References for Mauryan Dynasty History
Shastri, K.A.N, 1988, Age of the Nandas and Mauryas
Bharcava, Purushottam, 1996, Chandragupta Maurya
Gergal Tania, Michael Wood, 2004, Alexander the Great
Bose, S.C.1968, Land and People of the Himalayas
Various Sanskrit Literatures
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