Origin of Katyuri Dynasty of Kumaon and Garhwal

History of Uttarakhand (Garhwal, Kumaon, Haridwar) - Part 92

   Indian Early Medieval History of Katyuri Imperialism in Kumaon, Garhwal and Haridwar (Uttarakhand) -3 

          (Indian Medieval Age History of Garhwal, Kumaon, Haridwar (Uttarakhand))

                          (Asian Medieval History (740-1100 AD) 

                                 By: Bhishma Kukreti

                                  Origin of Katyuri family of Kartikeypur or Joshimath

                      There is no agreement among opinions of history scholars about origin of Katyuri imperialism. The king sited on inscriptions and stone inscriptions do not reveal the name Katyuri dynasty or family of Katyuri kingdom.  

            The Garhwali –Kumaoni traditional songs those kings as Kaintura king or Katyuri kings.  It said that decline of Katyuri kingdom started from death of Beerdev or Kumaon. The palace of Birdev/Beerdev or Vir Dev was near Hathchhina spring near Kasauni, Kumaon. However, it is not sure that the King of Kartikeypur of Joshimath was Katyuri.

        The kings or chieftains of Pali, Askot, and Doti of Kumaon are also called Katyuri. There is no mention of kings of Kartikeypur (Joshimath) in the family tree of Katyuri kings of Pali, Askot, and Doti of Kumaon.

           According to local sayings collected by Atkinson, the Katyuri smaller kings or Katyuri principalities of Pali, Askot, and Doti of Kumaon were offshoots of Katyuri kings of Kartikeypur (Joshimath).  There are no recorded proofs for support of these sayings.

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                                     Kator/Katar and Katyuri

                The historians took clue from Kattarmal Surya (Sun) temple that Katyur word is derived from Katar (Katar was also a tribe in Kabul, Afghanistan).  That is the reason that Katar of Kabul, Kator or Katyur western Himalayas are the offshoots of Ayudhjeevi families.

           There is mention of Kattarmal king in recorded family tree of Katyuris of Doti and Askot kingdoms.  Elliot and Dowson suggest that the last Kator or Katorman king of Kabul was Vasudev. (Coincidently or in reality the first Katyuri king was Vasudev). In British era, the kings of Kafirastan and Chitral of Afghanistan used to have title ’Shahkator’.  Tilak an army chief of Ghazni had the brave army of Kator youth.

              That is the reason that Elliot and Dowson suggested that Katyuri of Garhwal-Kumaon are related to Kator of Tilak of Kabul.  

                       However, Katyuri kingdom was established two hundred before Tilak the army chief of Ghazni.  It may be trued the spread of Kator in Himachal, Uttarakhand and some part of Nepal. However, there is no any supporting record for proving this hypothesis that Kators of Kabul were Katyur of Garhwal-Kumaon.

  Ram Niwas Pandey suggests that it is not unwise to say that Katyuris are Yayudheyas who acted the new appellation of Katyuri. This suggests that Ayodhya was origin or native place of Katyuri. However, this is just hypothesis without any substance. 

                          Hypothesis of Katyuri the offshoots of Shak-Kushan

      There is a hypothesis by Cunningham that Katorman or Kitoran are the vulgarization of ‘Kidar-Kushan’ words.  There is a name Shalivahan in Katyuri family tree.  That is one reason that historian Rahul suggests that Katyuris were Shak-Kushan.

                    Shakabd word of Shaka is related to Shalivahan by historians. Rasalu the son of Shalivahan the forefather of Katyuris of Kumaon and Garhwal was the King of Haripur Dehradun.

                         Surya or Sun Temples of Garhwal-Kumaon

     The sun temples built by Katyuri kings in Gopeshwar, Katarmal, Bageshwar, Dwarhat, also suggest that there is relationship of Katyris with Shaka.  The Sun deity is putting on Boot in these sun temples and that suggests that Katyruis were Shaka.

                             Khasa and Katyuri of Garhwal-Kumaon

           Rahul did not take the clue that Katyuri were Khasa and he suggested that Katyuri were Shaka. However, The Khajuraho inscriptions of Yasovarman Chandella suggest that at his period there was a Khasa kingdom in western Himalaya. Yasovarman analyzed the power of Khasa king.

Gaud kridalatasistu latkhasbal kaushalah koshalnam (Khajuraho rock inscription)

             The inscriptions of contemporary Katyuri kings as Dharampal, Devpal,Narayanpal and Madanpal wrote  that Khasa kingdom were under the.  

        Ashokchalla is said to be Khasa king in inscriptions.

          That is the reason that many historians suggest that Katyuri were Khasa kings. The vulgarization would have happened of Kartikeypur as Kartikeypur-to- Katiyapur- Katiur-to-Katyur.

            This author (Kukreti) suggests that it might also happen that the custom of writing inscriptions in Sanskrit would have changed that name Katyur into Kartikeypur. For example, the original name of a village in Malla Dhangu is Matargan. However, now it is written (in British age) Mitragram. Sanskritization of Katyur would have become Kartikeypur.

               The lower social importance of Katyuris in Chand dynasty also suggests Katyuris as Khasa.

                       Relationship of Katyuri with Nepal

                  The last Kator king of Kabul was Vasudev. Atkinson believes that Vasudev of Katar kingdom of Kabul and Vasudev of Katyuri kingdom of Garhwal-Kumaon was same. However, name of Katyuri king of Garhwal-Kumaon was Vasantandev and not Vasudev. Again the inscription of Katyuri king Lalitshur suggest the period of Katyuri Vasantandev from 740-752 AD.

     Nepalese historians provide knowledge that Licchhivanshi Vasudev was king of Mangrih Nepal in 754. Therefore many, historians suggest that there was relationship of Nepalese king with Katyuri kingdom. Couples of Historians suggest that Katyuri were originally from Nepal (Doti) and they came to Kumaon. From they migrated to Garhwal.

                However, there is no record to prove such hypothesis that origin of Katyuri was in Nepal.

  

Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti 8/7//2013

(The History of Garhwal, Kumaon, Haridwar write up is aimed for general readers)

                                    

History of Garhwal – Kumaon-Haridwar (Uttarakhand) to be continued… Part -93

Indian History of Katyuri Dynasty in Kumaon, Garhwal and Haridwar (Uttarakhand) to be continued…4

                                        References

1-Atkinson, E.T. 1974 (new edition), 1974, Kumaon Hills

1A- Adhikari, Suryamani, 1997, The Khasa Kingdom

2--Chaurasiya, Radhey Shyam, 2002, History of Ancient India: Earliest time to 1000AD

3--Dabral, Shiv Prasad Dabral, 1968, Uttarakhand ka Itihas, Bhag-3 Pages 429-513)

3A- Elliot and Dowson, History of Indian (2^nd part)

4--Handa, O.C. 2002, history of Uttaranchal, Indus Publishing Company, New Delhi 27, page 22-44

5-Linrothe, Rob, 1999, Ruthless Compassion: Wrathful Deities in Early Indo Tibetan Esoteric Buddhist Art

6-Mishra, Nityanand, Source Materials of Kumaon History 

7-Mishra Baldev Prasad, Nepal ka Itihas

8- Pandey, B.D, 1937, new edition (1990), Kumaon ka Itihas

9- Pandey, Ram Niwas, 1997, Making of Modern Nepal, page 170

10-Satyankritan, Rahul, Garhwal

Notes on History accounts of Origin of Katyuri Dynasty of Kumaon and Garhwal; History accounts of Origin of Katyuri Dynasty of Kumaon and Garhwal in Garhwal; History accounts of Origin of Katyuri Dynasty of Kumaon and Garhwal in Nepal; History accounts of Origin of Katyuri Dynasty of Kumaon and Garhwal in Doti Nepal; History accounts of Origin of Katyuri Dynasty of Kumaon and Garhwal in Kabul; History accounts of Origin of Katyuri Dynasty of Kumaon and Garhwal in Afghanistan; History accounts of Origin of Katyuri Dynasty of Kumaon and Garhwal in Kashmir; History accounts of Origin of Katyuri Dynasty of Kumaon and Garhwal  as Suryvanshi; History accounts of Origin of Katyuri Dynasty of Kumaon and Garhwal in Haripur, Dehradun;   History accounts of Origin of Katyuri Dynasty of Kumaon and Garhwal in Ayodhya; History accounts of Origin of Katyuri Dynasty of Kumaon and Garhwal in Kashmir ; History accounts of Origin of Katyuri Dynasty of Kumaon and Garhwal as Shaka; History accounts of Origin of Katyuri Dynasty of Kumaon and Garhwal as Kushan; History accounts of Origin of Katyuri Dynasty of Kumaon and Garhwal as Kator family offshoot; History accounts of Origin of Katyuri Dynasty of Kumaon and Garhwal as Khasa family offshoot; History accounts of Origin of Katyuri Dynasty of Kumaon and Garhwal in; History of Origin of Katyuri kingdom in Garhwal; History of Origin of Katyuri kingdom in Gopeshwar, Chamoli Garhwal; History of Origin of Katyuri kingdom in Rudraprayag Garhwal; History of Katyuri kingdom in Tehri, Garhwal; History of Origin of Katyuri kingdom in Uttarkashi Garhwal; History of Katyuri kingdom in Pauri Garhwal; History of Origin of Katyuri kingdom in Kumaon; History of Katyuri kingdom in Askot Kumaon; History of Origin of Katyuri kingdom in Pithoragarh Kumaon; History of Katyuri kingdom in Dwarhat, Kumaon; History of Origin of Katyuri kingdom in Bageshwar, Kumaon; History of Katyuri kingdom in Champawat, Kumaon; History of Origin of Katyuri kingdom in Almora, Kumaon; History of Origin of Katyuri kingdom in Nainital, Kumaon; History of Katyuri kingdom in Udham Singh Nagar , Kumaon; History of Origin of  Katyuri kingdom in central Himalayan region; History of Origin of  Katyuri kingdom in Himalayan region; History of Origin of Katyuri kingdom in North India; History of Origin of Katyuri kingdom in Uttarakhand ; Indian History of Origin of Katyuri kingdom ; Asian History of Origin of Katyuri kingdom ; Oriental History of Origin of Katyuri kingdom.