Soldiery as Profession (Ayudhjivi) in Ancient Uttarakhand (500BCE to 1 AD)
History of Kumaon, Garhwal (Uttarakhand) - Part 38
Historical Aspects of Ancient communities of Kumaon-Garhwal (Uttarakhand), Himalayas-35
History of Kumaon and Garhwal (Uttarakhand) during the Time of Buddha and afterwards Buddhism part -4
(All the History write ups are dedicated to great Historians Hari Krishna Raturi, Badri Datt Pandey and Dr Shiv Prasad Dabral)
By: Bhishma Kukreti
There were various warriors’ communities and looting communities too in each region in ancient India.
Looting, Thieves Robbery, and Dacoit Communities in Ancient Uttarakhand
Not only in other parts India but looters, thieves, snatchers, deceivers and dacoit communities were there in Uttarakhand especially in plains. The reasons behind no or scanty population of looters, thieves, snatchers, robbers, deceivers, highwaymen, pirates, extortioners, and dacoit communities in hills of Uttarakhand was that people couldn’t/ can’t live in hills without friendly, cooperative, honest, coordinative, interdependent behaviors.
In Janpada or Gan Sangha Age, there was unseen or unheard or unimaginative heavy, fast growth in economic, wealth accumulation, trade or industries in India. India became biggest exporters. The road constructions by Janapada king or people brought new creativity among craftsmen and there was heavy production of crafts. The unseen or unheard or unimaginative heavy, fast growth in economic, wealth accumulation, trade or industries brought the new culture of accumulating wealth by deceiving, theft, looting, robbery, dacoit, in Indian plains. History is repeating in India after economic reforms (1991AD). Now, from 1991- 2013the Indians have been witnessing newer ways of thefts/loots (scams) in India.
There were dense forests around the Indian villages or cities. The looters, dacoits, thieves, snatchers, deceivers used to hide there and used to loot/snatch, rob, burgle; steal, pirate, extort, by all means from the traders and villagers/citizens. Tens of Jatak Samhitas, Arth Shastra of Kautilya, Panini provide the details of robbers, looters, thieves, pirates, burglars, snatchers and their activities in Ancient India (500 BCE-fist AD).
As far s plains of Ancient Uttarakhand are concerned looters, thieves, snatchers, robbers, deceivers, highwaymen, pirates, extortioners, and dacoit communities used to have colonies in Shivalik hills (including Pilibhit, Bijnor and Saharanpur) and plains and Bawar plains. These male ‘Utsedhjivi ‘(those whose occupation was looting etc) communities were also gang rappers.
The citizens and armed forces of Janpada were afraid of these communities. There was a system of taking introduction from an armed man, “Are you army man of thief?”
The Janapada were failure in protecting citizens from ‘Utsedhjivi’ and people or rich men had to depend on soldiery communities for their own protection.
The neighboring Janapada or tribes were fierce competitors for forest produces, mines and mineralogy, water etc. The Janapadas used to have battles on day to day basis. Due to non-violence preaching of Buddhism and Jainism, there was lethargy among soldiers to become killers or violent. Therefore, the demand for soldiery community (Ayudhjivi) from non Buddhist or non Jainism affected regions.
From the time of Mahabharata, there were high and respectful demands for the soldiery communities from Uttarakhand hills. The following soldiery communities of ancient Uttarakhand hills are praised in Mahabharata, Markandey Puran,Vayu Puran and Vaman Puran-
Huja Soldiery community
Uttarkuru Soldiery community
Khas (including Kirat, Kol, Mund) Soldiery community
Kunt or Karn Soldiery community
Pravaran Soldiery community
Darad Soldiery community
Tangan Soldiery community of Taknaur,Ttanganichatti and Joshimath
The smaller Janapada rulers or bigger Janpada (Maha Janpada) rulers (kings) of North Indian plains specialty from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar started hiring on contract basis these Soldiery community of Uttarakhand. The rulers started offering god salaries and comforts to these Soldiery community of Uttarakhand.
Ajatshatru established Magadha dynasty and his capital was Patiliputra. Some historians suggest that ShishuNag (430BCE) one successors of Ajatshatru was son of a Soldiery community from Uttarakhand.
The Important Historical dates of Uttarakhand Soldiery community Era are (Dr Dabral)
Mahaveer (599-527BCE)
Buddha (App. 563- 483BCE)
Panini (480-410 BCE)
Shishunag (430 BCE?)
Establishment of Nanda vans dynasty in Magadha (364 BCE)
Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti 9/05/2013
(The write up is aimed for general readers)
History of Garhwal – Kumaon (Uttarakhand) to be continued… Part -39
Ancient communities of Kumaon-Garhwal (Uttarakhand), Himalayas- to be continued…36
History of Kumaon and Garhwal (Uttarakhand) during the Time of Buddha and afterwards Buddhism to be continued…part -5
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
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
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