Xuanzang's historical account from the seventh century mentions that the people of Kamarupa practised deva worship and did not adhere to Buddhism. However, there were a few Buddhists who conducted their devotional rituals in secret due to fears of persecution. Shilabhadra, a prominent figure, showed respect to accomplished shramanas (Buddhist monks).
While Brahmanic rituals were widely followed by the general population, Buddhism also thrived in Kamarupa. The "Sankara Digvijaya" mentions a philosophical debate between Sankaracharya, a prominent Brahmanic leader of the ninth century, and Abhinava Gupta, a renowned Buddhist scholar, in Kamarupa. Similarly, Kumarila Bhatta, another influential Brahmanic leader, lived in India during the same period, possibly originating from Kamarupa.[4]
According to Giuseppe Tucci, based on Tibetan sources such as "Grub To'b" and "Bka ababs bdun ldan," the Buddhist Siddha Minanatha, revered in Tibet as an incarnation of Avalokiteśvara, was believed to have been a fisherman from Kamarupa.[5] The claim by Mahamohopadhya Pandit Haraprasad Sastri that Minanatha hailed from Bengal and belonged to the weaver caste seems to be incorrect.[6] Minanatha is credited with writing the Akulaviratantra and is mentioned as one of the twenty-four Kapalika Siddhas in the Sabaratantra.[7]
It has been suggested that Visakha Datta, the renowned playwright of the Mudrarakshasam drama, who thrived in the latter part of the seventh century, may have come from the region of Kamarupa, located between the Teesta and the Kausika rivers.[8] Additionally, there is mention of a Kamrupi pandit named Vishnusomacharya, to whom Anantavarman granted lands.[9]
The shrine of Pandu in Kamarupa contains five rock-cut figures. Among them, four depict Ganesha, and one represents a female deity, likely Durga. Additional carvings on the western slope of Kamakhya hill, facing the Brahmaputra River, include representations of the sun god and Indra, as identified by Mr. Dikshit.[10]
According to Mr. R. D. Banerji, these carvings can be attributed to the seventh or eighth century AD.[11] The ruins in and around Tezpur are more extensive and diverse in nature. Dr. Bloch suggested that the modern civil stations of Guwahati and Tezpur may have been built upon large mounds containing remnants of ancient cities. During construction work in 1906, the remains of an ancient stone building were uncovered in Tezpur's Deputy Commissioner's office. Numerous carved and sculptured stones were discovered, with most of them being relocated to the compounds of European officers and the tea planters club for decorative purposes. Some of these artefacts were later transferred and displayed at Cole Park.
Within the public park in Tezpur, there are two specimens that appear to belong to a different temple from a later period. One is a tall doorjamb, while the second is a slab featuring three sunken panels with crude human or divine figures. Among the collection, there is only one specimen carved in the round, depicting a lion, possibly riding an elephant. The representation of the lion indicates that the residents of the Assam valley had limited familiarity with the king of beasts. As mentioned by Mr. Banerji, Assam is the only province in India where the history of architecture and sculpture remains largely unknown.
For this reason, a substantial quotation from a reliable source is included to shed light on the subject. However, there is uncertainty as to whether Mr. Banerji's conjecture that the ruins in Tezpur only represent temples is accurate. The remains of the stone building discovered in the Kutchery compound may actually belong to the palace of Vanamala, believed to have been constructed in the ninth century. It is also unlikely that any of the buildings mentioned by Mr. Banerji were erected in the twelfth century, as it is probable that the capital Haruppeswara was abandoned by Brahma Pala toward the end of the tenth century. Therefore, the buildings in Tezpur likely date back to the ninth century. Furthermore, the grand temple described by Mr. Banerji, which he speculates was a sun temple, could be similar to the Himalayan-like temple of Hataka Sulin recreated by Vanamala. In his report for the year 1925–26, Mr. Banerji provides a detailed description of the Bamuni Hill ruins, situated east of Tezpur town.
Relics of ancient architecture and sculpture are not limited to Guwahati and Tezpur but can be found in various other locations. Along the Golaghat-Dimapur road, two images were discovered, one of which is a Vishnu image now preserved in the museum of the Kamaruppa Anusandhan Samiti. Regarding this image, Mr. K. N. Dikshit notes that it is a fine example of ninth-century Assamese art,[12] inscribed with characters similar to those of the Harjara inscription from Tezpur. The image portrays Vishnu holding a conch in the left upper hand and a gada (mace) in the left lower hand. Vishnu is adorned with customary ornaments, including the kaustubha and srivatsa symbols, a sacred thread, and a long garland (vanamala) reaching the knees. The facial expression, treatment of the lower lip, and crown style are characteristic of late Gupta sculpture. The image features the Dhyana mudra and is surrounded by ararana devatas such as Durga, Ganesa, Kartikeya, and the winged Garuda. Mr. K. N. Dikshit suggests that the presence of Ganesa and Mahishamardini on the right indicates the intention to depict Vishnu at the centre of the five gods (Panchadevata). The deities on the left, however, deviate from expectations, with the upper figure appearing as Hanuman or an attendant of Vishnu and the lower one resembling a seated cross-legged ascetic, likely representing the donor as a devotee.
At the entrance of the sub-divisional officer's residence in Sibsagar, there is a collection of stone images and architectural fragments believed to be remnants of a Vishnu temple dating from the tenth to eleventh centuries AD. Mr. Dikshit suggests that these sculptures largely follow the artistic traditions of the Tezpur and Bamuni Hill temples of central Assam, attributed to the ninth and tenth centuries.
The ancient temple near Sibsagar was likely constructed by the Kamarupa kings during the tenth or eleventh century, indicating their rule extended to the easternmost corner of the Assam valley until at least the eleventh century. Mr. Dikshit also observes that Assamese art shows closer affinities with the schools of Bihar and Orissa than the contemporary Pala art of Bengal,[13] which is understandable considering the influential cultural connections between Mithila and Kamarupa.
Another example of the architectural and engineering prowess of the ancient people of Kamarupa is the construction of stone bridges over rivers. In the western part of North Guwahati, there is a small stone bridge known as Silsako. The other Silsako bridge, located over a channel of the Barnadi River, was a significant transit point from the west but was destroyed in the great earthquake of 1897. The bridges were constructed without the use of lime and mortar, likely due to the heavy rainfall and abundant vegetation that would have deteriorated mortar-based structures. Hannay, who observed and measured the bridge in 1851, provided a description.[14]
Tezpur is a town in Sonitpur district, Assam state, India. Tezpur is located on the banks of the river Brahmaputra, 175 kilometres (109 mi) northeast of Guwahati, and is the largest of the north bank cities.
The Kamakhya Temple at Nilachal hills in Guwahati, Assam is one of the oldest and most revered centres of Tantric practices, dedicated to the goddess Kamakhya. The temple is the center of the Kulachara Tantra Marga and the site of the Ambubachi Mela, an annual festival that celebrates the menstruation of the goddess. Structurally, the temple is dated to the 8th-9th century with many subsequent rebuildings—and the final hybrid architecture defines a local style called Nilachal. It is also one among the oldest 4 of the 51 pithas in the Shakta tradition. An obscure place of worship for much of history it became an important pilgrimage destination, especially for those from Bengal, in the 19th century during colonial rule.
Kamakhya, a mother goddess, is a Shakta Tantric deity; considered to be the embodiment of Kama (desire), she is regarded as the goddess of desire. Her abode–Kamakhya Temple is located in the Kamarupa region of Assam, India. Originally a Kirata goddess, Kamakhya remained outside Brahmanical influence until at least 7th century CE. Residing on Nilachal hills across the banks of the Brahmaputra river, west of Guwahati in the 10th/11th century Temple rebuilt in 1565 CE, she is worshiped in a non-iconic and un-anthropomorphic form of stone shaped like yoni fed by a perennial stream. The temple is primary amongst the 51 Shakti Pithas, and is one of the most important Shakta temples.
Kamarupa, an early state during the Classical period on the Indian subcontinent, was the first historical kingdom of Assam.
The Varman dynasty (350–650) was the first historical dynasty of the Kamarupa kingdom. It was established by Pushyavarman, a contemporary of Samudragupta. The earlier Varmans were subordinates of the Gupta Empire, but as the power of the Guptas waned, Mahendravarman (470–494) performed two horse sacrifices and the status of Kamarupa as an independent state remained unimpaired. As per the Apsad Inscription of Adityasen, Susthivarman was defeated by Mahasengupta on the bank of Lauhitya. The first of the three Kamarupa dynasties, the Varmans were followed by the Mlechchha and then the Pala dynasties.
The Mlechchha dynasty ruled Kamarupa from their capital at Harruppesvar in present-day Tezpur, Assam, after the fall of the Varman dynasty. According to historical records, there were twenty one rulers in this dynasty, but the line is obscure and names of some intervening rulers are not known. Like all other Kamarupa dynasties a semi-mythical lineage from Narakasura was constructed to accord legitimacy to their rule. The Mlechchha dynasty in Kamarupa was followed by the Pala kings. The dynasty is unrelated to the previous Varman dynasty.
North Guwahati is a Northern part of Guwahati city. And serves headquarters of Kamrup rural district in the Indian state of Assam. This place abounds in historical places and picnic spots. The place is famous for Doul Govinda Temple. North Guwahati Ancient name is Durjaya.
Hajo is a historic town set in the hills northwest of Guwahati, Assam, India. It is a meeting point of Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims due to the various pilgrimage sites on the different hills of Hajo. To the Hindus, the Manikut Parbat of Hajo is the site of the 10th-century temple ruins and the 11th- to 16th-century temples complex for Vaishnavism as well as shrines of Shaivism and Shaktism. To the Buddhists, particularly from Bhutan and Tibet, Assam is where the Buddha died and the Hayagriva temple in Hajo is a part of the sacred geography of the Buddha. To the regional Muslims, the Mughal era Poa-Mecca shrine on another hill of Hajo has the tomb of Giyasuddin Aulia built in the 17th century.
Bhaskaravarman was king of medieval Kamarupa and the last of the Varman dynasty. After being captured by the Gauda king during the reign of his father, he was able to re-establish the rule of the Varmans. He made political alliances with Harshavardhana of Thaneswar, against the alliance of the Gauda and East Malwa. He was visited by Xuanzang and Wang Xuance, the envoys of the Tang dynasty who have left accounts of the king and the kingdom.
Assam is the main and oldest state in the North-East Region of India and as the gateway to the rest of the Seven Sister States. The land of red river and blue hills, Assam comprises three main geographical areas: the Brahmaputra Valley which stretching along the length of the Brahmaputra river, the Barak Valley extending like a tail, and the intervening Karbi Plateau and North Cachar Hills. Assam shares its border with Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Tripura, Mizoram and West Bengal; and there are National Highways leading to their capital cities. It also shares international borders with Bhutan and Bangladesh and is very close to Myanmar. In ancient times Assam was known as Pragjyotisha or Pragjyotishpura, and Kamarupa.
Sri Surya Pahar is located about 12 km southeast of Goalpara, about 132 km northwest of Guwahati, is a significant but relatively unknown archaeological site in Assam, India. Goalpara is the nearest city from the site. The site is a hilly terrain where several rock-cut Shivalingas, votive stupas and the deities of Hindu, Buddhist and Jain pantheon are scattered in an area of about one km. The site is centered on the hills (Pahar) of Sri Surya which is profusely filled up with Shiva Lingas (Lingam). People have found 99999 Shiva Lingas were engraved here by Vyasa in order to build up a second Kashi and once it was one of the holiest pilgrimage sites in the region. There is no historical evidence exactly how many Lingams once dotted in these hills, but still there are hundreds of them, from tiny to large in size, scattered everywhere at the foot of the hill and covering the extensive area after centuries of neglect and pilferage. The exact figure of the Lingas in the hill is yet to be counted scientifically.
The Kamarupa Anusandhana Samiti is the oldest Research institution in North-East India, which was established in the year 1912 at Kamakhya with a view to working in the field of antiquarian study and research, particularly on the subject of History, Archaeology, Anthropology, Culture etc. It was this society that started the Museum movement for the collection and preservation of antiquities culminating in the birth of the Assam State Museum in 1940.
The earliest Indo-Aryan migration to Assam is estimated to have occurred between the 2nd century BCE and 1st century CE—not earlier than 500 BCE. The earliest epigraphic record suggests that the Indo-Aryan migration began latest by the middle of the 4th century CE. They came from the Gangetic Plains into a region already inhabited by people who spoke Austroasiatic and Tibeto-Burman languages.
Brahma Pala was the founder of the Pala Dynasty (990–1138) of the Kamarupa kingdom. He married Kula Devi, by whom he had a successor to his throne named Ratna Pala.
Ratna Pala was the son of Brahma Pala in Pala Dynasty (900–1100) of Kamarupa Kingdom. His queen's name was Durlabha. He was succeeded by Indra Pala.
Indra Pala was ruler of Pala Dynasty (900–1100) of Kamarupa Kingdom.
Jaya Pala (1075-1100) was a ruler during the Pala Dynasty (900–1100) of Kamarupa Kingdom.
Dharma Pala (1035–1060) was ruler of Pala Dynasty (900–1100) of Kamarupa Kingdom.
Harsha Pala was son of Go Pala, the ruler of Pala Dynasty of Kamarupa Kingdom and Queen Nayana. He ruled for the period 1015-1035 A.D.
Kamarupa – Late to end period was a period of Kamarupa kingdom from founding of Pala Dynasty by Brahma Pala to last ruler of dynasty Jaya Pala.
↑ "Population by Religious Communities". Census India – 2001. Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. Retrieved 1 July 2019. Census Data Finder/C Series/Population by Religious Communities
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