Nagvansh of Kartripur (485-565AD)
History
of Garhwal, Kumaon, Haridwar (Uttarakhand) - Part 74
Gupta Rule over part of Garhwal, Kumaon, Haridwar
(Uttarakhand)
Through, Kavyaminmasha, the historians
suggest that there was Gupta rule over from the day Chandragupta killed
Khashdhipati (a king of one area of Uttarakhand) of Kartripur. There are
absolutely no record available that throws light on Uttarakhand at Gupta
period.
The Indore of Bulandshahar inscriptions state
that Sarvnag was the provincial chief (Vishaypati) of land between Yamuna and
Ganja at the time of Skandagupta (465).
That means Sarvnag ruled (under Gupta) the
territory approximately from 465-485AD. The inscription suggests that Sarvnag
might be the chieftain of Yamun and Kartripur region of Uttarakhand.
Nag Kings
of Kartripur (a territory in Uttarakhand)
The Gopeshwar (Chamoli
Garhwal) Trishul abhilekh (trident inscription) and Barahat (Uttarkashi)
trident inscription suggest that five Nga kings ruled over Kartripur territory.
The Siroli
(Chamoli Garhwal) stone inscription suggests that Maikhuri king Sarvarman ruled
that region.
This means that this
Nag dynasty ruled over some part of Uttarakhand (especially Garhwal) from 485
AD to around or before 565AD)
Four Nag kings on Gopeshwar Trident Inscription
The following Nag
King names are there on Gopeshwar Trident inscription
1-Skandnag
2-Vibhunag
3-Anshunag
4-Ganpatinag
Barahat Trident
inscription describes following two nag kings
1-Ganeshwar
2-Guh
The Gupta
inscriptions here and there in India suggest that there were small kingdoms of
Nag clans in north India before the emergence of Samudragupta. Samudragupta
took rule from these Nag chieftains. However, they were representatives of
Gupta ruler and virtually were rulers of their territories.
When there
was weakness in Gupta rule these Nag rulers became stronger.
Hun ruled full or
some part of Uttarakhand. Or Kartripur Kings used to pay taxes to Hun.
Ganpatinag King of
Kartripur (Gopeshwar, Chamoli)
The brass trident inscription at the complex of
Rudranath/Gopinath (Gopeshwar) temple is measuring 5 feet high and 20centimeetr
wide. Ganpatinag the heir of Skandnag, Vibhunag and Anshunag built a Shiva
temple and erected this trident. Guha builr the son of Ganpatinag built a
temple Vishwanath temple in Barahat (Uttarkashi i, seventy miles away from
Gopeshwar) and erected trident. The quality of trident, shape/size and script
writing on both the tridents suggest that both the tridents were manufactured
by same craftsman and carving writer was same.
It is said that
Ashok Challa repaired this temple on later age.
There are fifteen copper coins in National
museum in Kolkata of forth century. The name Maharaja Shri Ganendra is carved
on those coins. However, there is not much literature available to establish
any relation of these coins with Ganpatinag of Kartripur, Gopeshwar.
Shriguh
Shriguha the son of Ganeshwar or Ganpatinag
got the crown of Kartripur after Ganpatinag’s death.
The twenty one feet high bronze trident of
Barahat (Uttarkashi) and its inscriptions state that Shriguha was brave king.
Shriguha had wide chest and big eyes. Shriguha was handsome and great donor
too. Shriguha was a knowledgeable King. Shriguha was forward looking and soft
hearted King.
Ganpatinag and Shriguha Nag built Shiva
temples in Gopeshwar and Barahat. Both erected high tridents at the complexes
of respective temples. The people were
also followers of Shiva sect.
Enemy Disturbances
in Shriguha Kingdom
The trident
inscriptions of Barahat suggest that enemy created disturbances and Shriguha
Nag diffused those disturbances. However,
it is not clear that the disturbances creators were outsiders or within the
family.
Yadva Vanshi king Singhvarman (after 460AD) was
King of Yamunprades adjacent of Kartripur. There is possibility of war between
Yamunprades King and Kartripur King.
A couple of Historians suggest that there
were sever attacks on Kartripur from Guge Kingdom of Tibet. It might be too that Shriguha defeated the
Guge King’s attack and erected Trident as memorandum of his win over Tibetan
king.
Decline of Nag
Kingdom after Maukhari Kingdom Rise
The inscription of Sarvarman suggests that Maukhari attacked Kartripur
and ended nag dynasty from Kartripur.
Sanskrit
Education in Nag Kingdom
The Gopeshwar and Barahat inscriptions
suggest that there were Sanskrit learned scholars and Sanskrit poets in
Uttarkashi and Chamoli Garhwal in fifth and sixth century. The writing, the
poetic class of inscriptions, show that there were arrangements for education
in common places. The elite used to speak in Sanskrit. Education was available to elite and might be
to common men.
Economic conditions of Uttarakhand in Nag Period (485-565AD)
The art and artistic value of Trident definitely
advocate that economic conditions of North Garhwal were prosperous and there
was export from this area. Though in Hun regime there was decline in mercantile
activities the tradition of exporting gold dust, minerals, herbal medicines and
herbs, mineral salt, woolen produces, musk, Bhojpatra, Ganga water was going on.
Barahat suggests that Uttarkashi was big
market in ancient time.
The metallurgy
was important in north Garhwal in fifth and sixth century. Art and crafts had big
role in society.
The coming history of Garhwal also state that the contemporary architecture
science and art was flourishing in Garhwal in fifth and sixth century. Ganga
and other reverent rivers were having importance in Indian societies.
There were exchanges of science and art or
technology transfer with other parts of Indian plains from Uttarakhand. There
was commercial relationship with Tibet and at the same time there were
disagreements for borders too.
Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti 15/06/2013
References:
1-Jayswal, Andhkaryugin Bharat
2-Shiv Prasad Dabra, ‘Charan’, 1968, Uttarkhadn ka Itihas,
Bhag –1 and 3
3-Rahul Sankrityayan , Garhwal
4-Vasudev upadhyaya, Gupta Samrajya ka Itihas
5- Raj Pruthi, 2004, The Classical Age
6-Dinesh Saklani, 1998, Ancient Communities of the Himalayas
7-Arun Kumar Mishra, 1992, The Trading Communities in
Ancient India:
8- Indian Archeology Review, 1968-69
9- Archeological Survey Catalogue, Chamoli and Dehradun
Circle on Internet (Notification number 1669/1133-M/-27/12/1920
(The History of Garhwal, Kumaon, Haridwar write up is aimed
for general readers)
History of Garhwal – Kumaon-Haridwar (Uttarakhand) to be
continued… Part -75
Xxx xxx
Notes on History of Uttarakhand
(fifth and sixth century); History of Haridwar, Uttarakhand (fifth and sixth century);
History of Chamoli, Garhwal, Uttarakhand (fifth and sixth century); History of Gopeshwar,
Chamoli, Garhwal, Uttarakhand (fifth and sixth century); History of Tehri Garhwal, Uttarakhand (fifth and sixth century);
); History of Rudraprayag, Garhwal, Uttarakhand
(fifth and sixth century); History of Uttarkashi,
Garhwal, Uttarakhand (fifth and sixth century); History of Barahat, Uttarkashi, Garhwal, Uttarakhand (fifth
and sixth century);History of Pauri Garhwal,
Uttarakhand (fifth and sixth century); History of Dehradun Garhwal, Uttarakhand (fifth and sixth
century); History of Udham Singh Nagar Kumaon
, Uttarakhand (fifth and sixth century); History of Nainital, Kumaon , Uttarakhand (fifth and sixth century);
History of Almora, Kumaon , Uttarakhand
(fifth and sixth century); History of Champawat,
Kumaon , Uttarakhand (fifth and sixth century); History of Bageshwar, Kumaon , Uttarakhand (fifth and
sixth century); History of Pithoragarh, Kumaon
, Uttarakhand (fifth and sixth century).
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