Dr.Sushil Bhati
(Keywords – Brahmapura, Taleswar,
Brahmor, Chamba, Sulika, Gurjara, Gujari, Bahlika)
Kingdom of Brahmapura was first
noticed and mentioned by Indian astronomer Varahamihira in Brihat Samhita and Chinese
pilgrim Hiuen Tsang (629-647) in his book Si Yu Ki. Hiuen Tsang mentions it as
the vast kingdom 300 Li (50-60 miles) north of Matipura (Mandawara) -Haridwar. According
to Hiuen Tsang Brahmpura kingdom was 4000 Li in circuit with mountains on all
sides. According to the estimation of Hermann Gotez the kingdom of Brahmpura had
a circumference of 630-800 miles. It had a diameter of 50-70 miles and was extended
over 250-350 miles covering most of the Panjab Himalayas from west Kumaun to the
Banihal hills. Thus, Brahmpura kingdom was situated in the Spadalaksha region
comprising Shivalik hills extending from the Chenab River to Kumaon.
The Kingdom of Brahmapura was named
after the capital town of the same name. The identity of Brahmapura has been a
subject of speculation and debate among scholars. Cunningham identified it with ‘Lakhanapura’
and placed it in Garhwal and Kumaon. Atkinson identified Brahmapura with
Barahat in Garhwal. Powell Price placed it in Katyur Valley. Herman Goetz talks
of two Phases of Brahmapura kingdom. In the first phase, the Capital was Brahmapura
situated at ‘Taleswar’ 40 km from Dwarahat in Kumaon. In the second phase Kingdom
was ruled from Brahmapura situated at the present archaeological site of ‘Brahmor’
70 km from Chamba.
In 1915, two copper plate grants were
discovered while digging the foundation for a wall at Taleshwar. Copper plate grants revealed a bit of History
of the first phase of the kingdom. Copper plate grants were issued by Dytivarman and
Vishnuvarman respectively from Brahmapura. Historians are of the view that Taleswara
itself or some nearby town was Brahmapura at the time of issuance of the
grants. Taleswar plate grants state that donors (kings) descended from the
lunar as well as solar family and belong to the royal lineage of the Pauravas.
Thus kings seem to be confused about the concept of the lunar and solar families. But
they were Brahmanical as they wished for the welfare of cows and Brahmanas. Hermann Goetz connects Taleshwara-Brahmapura
kings with Gurjaras “ By the middle of the 6th century the Sulikas,
a people from Central Asia associated
with Gurjaras, overran northwestern India, but were defeated by Maukharis and
founded the vassal kingdom of Brahmapura which extended from Kumaon to Chenab..”
Another Sulika dynasty seems to be the
vassal of the western part of the Taleswara-Brahmpura kingdom. Possibly due to the
conquest and direct control of Kulu valley by Harshavarhan of kannauj in the early
seventh century, the western vassal became practically independent of
Taleshwar-Brahmpura control.
Taleshwar-Brahmpura in Kumaun was
destroyed by Tibetan invader Srong-Batsan-Sgam-Po during the chaos and
confusion that prevailed after the death of Harshavardhan in 647 A D. Taking advantage of the situation Western vassal under Diwakarvarman or his Son
Meruvarman proclaimed their independence and to assert their claim on
Brahmapura Kingdom established the new capital, with the same name of older
capital Brhmapura, at the present site of Brahmor in Budhal valley near Chamba.
Probably Meruvarman conquered the whole Brahmpura kingdom and built richly
carved temples with brass images in the new capital Brahmor-Brahmpura in Chamba. The
family of Meruvarman claimed Suyavanshi genology, but according to Herman Goetz,
as said earlier, they belonged to the Sulika tribe associated with Gurjaras.
According to Goetz Sulikas introduced the Gurjara Pratihara civilization and
art in Brahmapura.
After the end of the Taleshwar-Brahmpura
phase Gurjara population, probably shifted towards western part of the kingdom.
At present, we have the Gujar Mahar or Mehra community in Kumaon as well as the Garhwal
region which is mentioned as people of Gurjara origin by Hari Krishan Raturi in
his book on History of Garhwal. A temple of the early medieval Period ‘Gurjara Dev’
situated at Dwarahaat in Kumaun region is evidence of the glory of unknown
Gurjara rulers.
Hermann Goetz was the first to
identify the later capital-town Brahmpura with Brahmor near Chamba in Himanchal
Pradesh. He Says “ As ancient name of Brahmor near Chamba was Brahmapura, as the most interesting monument
there belongs to the 7th century, it is tempting to identify Brahmor with
Brahmpura”, the capital of the second phase of the kingdom. Meruvarman is the greatest
ruler of the kingdom and is credited for building the earliest monument at
Brahmor. As per Meruvarman’s inscriptions ‘Moshuna’ was the ancestor of the dynasty.
Then after a gap names of Adityavarman, Balavarman, Divakarvarman, and Meruvarman are
given in the inscription.
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According to Goetz, the ancient
kingdom of Brahmapura ruled from Brahmor-Brahmapura is identical to the Western Pahari-speaking area lying West of Mussorie to Bhadarwah on Chenab. Western Pahari spoken in Bhadrwah, Padar, Pangi on
the Chenab, in Chamba, Kullu, Mandi, Suket, Bilaspur, former Shimla State, Lower
Balshar, Sirmur, Jaunsar-Bawar differs but slightly from Gujari, the Language
of Gujars, the descendants of ancient Gurjaras. Both the ‘Bharat Natya shastra’
and ‘Varahmihira’ observes that Khasa adopted the Bahlika language which, in
this case, can mean only Gujari, as the Gurjara had come from Central Asia, as
there is no vestige of any other language from the Bahlika country Balkh. But all
such imposition of new language in the course of History was the result of colonization
or conquest. The introduction of the Gujari dialect like western Pahari can be
understood only as a result of Gurjara conquest or occupation.”
Thus according to Goetz the close relationship
between the western Pahari dialect and Gujari and also the History of
Brahmapura reveals that the dominant population there in the sixth and eighth century had
been Gurjara. There are evidences of the formation of Gurjara kingdom of Brahmpura
in the Western Himalayas- Western Pahari region in the seventh century on linguistic and
ethnographical grounds. Goetz also states that the Gurjara came from the
settlement areas of the yue-chis in the former Kushan Empire. Yue-chis in his
view were allied or identical with the Tokharian. Following the Goetz, the
Brahmapura kingdom was a Gurjara State, like Takka Desa, Bhinmal, Mandor, and
Bhroach founded in the late sixth century.
Khasas are the first to settle down
the Pahari tract and then the Gurjaras settled down after the sixth century and
occupied Sapadlaksha which comprised the region of Shivalik hills running from
Hoshiyarpur in Panjab to Kumaon in Uttarakhand. The kingdom of Brahmapura
declined by the end of the eighth century. According to Grierson and D R
Bhandarkar, It is from here that later Gurjaras moved to the modern Rajasthan area.
Brahmapura kingdom became a vassal of
Kashmir in the early 8th century and lost its Sulika-Gurjara character
because of the considerable transfer of population by Lalitadiya Luktapida Kashmir.
The kingdom was destroyed by the second Tibetan invasion under
Khari-Sron-ide-btsan in later 8th century. Nothing was heard of
Gurjara upper class there as it became merged with other aristocratic classes
of the region.
In the 10th century A D
the fortunes of the Brahmor dynasty were restored by Sahilvarman (920-940) a
distant descendent of Meruvarman who founded the Chamba state in the tenth century.
Sahil Varman rose as a general of Gurjara-Pratihara of Kannauj. He became their
military governor of the mountain frontier of Gurjara-Pratiharas against the
encroachment of Utpal rulers, particularly Sankarvarman (883-902 A D), of Kashmir.
One of the impacts of this development was that the Shahis of Udhanabhanda, who
were then vassal of Kashmir, asserted their independence and became an ally of
Gurjara Pratihara. According to B N Puri “The evidence available from
inscriptions and the artistic influence on temples and sculptures reveals
Pratihara or Gurjara Pratihara impact both political and cultural on Chamba and
its rulers.”
Sahil Varman crushed the power of the fief holders and consolidated his vassal state. Sahila Varman claimed to belong
to the line of MosHuna and Meruvarman of Brahmora. If it is true, approximately
sixty-seven kings of this dynasty ruled from Brahmor and Chamba since the
accession of Meruvarman.
References-
1. Hermann
Goetz, The early wooden temples of Chamba, Leiden, 1955 https://books.google.co.in/books?id=kMwUAAAAIAAJ
2. Hermann
Goetz, Studies in the History and Arts of Kashmir and the Indian Himalayas,
Wiesbaden, 1969
3. G A
Grierson, Linguistic Survey of India, Volume IX, Part IV, Calcutta, 1916
4. Alexander
Cunningham, Archaeological Survey Report, vol. II,
5. Kamal Prasad Sharma & Surendra Mohan Sethi,
Costumes and Ornaments of Chamba, New Delhi, 1997.
6. Dinesh
Pratap Saklani, Ancient Communities of the Himalayas, New Delhi, 1998
7. Fauja
Singh (Edit), History of Punjab A D 1000-1526, Punjab, 1972,
8. Ayodhya
Singh Upadhyay “Hariodh”, Antrang aur Bahirang bhasha
9. Bhisma
Kukreti, Sapadlaksha or shivalik hills
10. Mukesh
Rawat, A Lost Past (Article) The Hindu, 26 November 2013
11.B N Puri,
Chamba under Gurjara Pratiharas (ResearchPaper),
12. Hari
Krishn Raturi, Garhwal Ka Itihas
13. Badri
Dutt pandey, Kumaon Ka itihas
14. D R
Bhandarkar, Gurjaras (Art.), J B B R S, Vol. XXI,1903 .