Trigarta Kingdom

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Trigarta (also known as Jalandhara) was an ancient Indo-Aryan kingdom based in the region of modern day Punjab. The focal point of its administration was situated in Jalandhar. However at its zenith it encompassed the hill territory extending from the Sutlej to the Ravi, with a secondary capital in Kangra. According to a genealogical record of the Kangra State, the first significant monarch is identified as Susarman, who is recognised for his participation in the Kurukshetra War based in the early Iron Age. [1] It was during this period that the Kingdom held Multan. [2]

Contents

Trigarta
1000 BCE–1200 CE
Mahajanapadas (c. 500 BCE).png
Capital Jalandhar
GovernmentKingdom
Historical era Antiquity
• Established
1000 BCE
• Disestablished
1200 CE

Geography

Prior to the incursions by Muhammadan forces, Trigarta encompassed the territory situated between the Sutlej and Ravi rivers in the outer hills, extending to the Jalandhar Doab in the South, as outlined by J. Ph. Vogel. [3] Their territory held two principal capitals, Kangra and Jalandhar; however, during the Vedic period it included Multan as a third capital, a possession relinquished subsequent to the Kurukshetra War. [2]

The etymology of Trigarta has been understood to mean 'The land of the three rivers', referring to the Sutlej, Ravi and Beas in modern day Punjab. However it has also been thought to represent the three tributaries of the Beas in the Kangra district. [4]

History

Ancient Trigarta

The earliest documented reference to Trigarta is found in the works of the Gandharan Sanskrit Grammarian Pāṇini, in which he characterizes the republic being a martial state and consisting of a confederation of six states. As per the Mahabharata, Trigarta encompassed seven states, indicating the possibility that one state had either seceded from the union or amalgamated with another state. [5]

The Audumbaras are a tribal group situated in the north-eastern region of Punjab, particularly around Nurpur. They are mentioned in the Vishnu Purana as being linked with the Trigarta. [6] J. Ph. Vogel notes that during the Early Ghaznavid period, remnants of the Audumbaras persisted, referred to in its corrupt form by Abu Rihan as Dahamala, the capital of Jalandhar suggesting a fusion of the Audumbaras with the Trigarta. [7]

Vedic era

Trigarta was a kingdom mentioned in the epic Mahabharata. Mahabharata mentions two different Trigarta kingdoms, one in the west close to the Sivi Kingdom and the other north to the Kuru Kingdom. Modern Kangra is one of the ancient towns in North Trigarta, extending westward to the Punjab area. Multan was the capital of Trigarta, with its original being Mulasthan. The territory of Trigarta Kingdom is around the three rivers of Satluj, Beas, and Ravi. Trigarta kings were allies of Duryodhana and enemies of the Pandavas and Viratas. Their capital was named Prasthala. They attacked the Virata Kingdom aided by the Kurus to steal cattle from there. The Pandavas living there in anonymity helped the Viratas to resist the combined forces of Trigartas and Kurus. Trigarta kings fought the Kurukshetra War and were killed by Arjuna, after a ruthless and bloody conflict. Arjuna also annihilated an Akshouhini (a large military unit) of Trigarta warriors called the Samsaptakas. These warriors had vowed to either die or kill Arjuna as part of a larger plan by Duryodhana to capture Yudhishthira alive. [8]

Trigarta next finds mention in the Mahabharata's Sabha Parv, [9] where it is included along with a number of other states of the time. According to the historical consensus, the Mahabharata was first penned down around the 4th century B.C. and continued to be written until the 4th century A.D. having existed in oral form prior to this. [10] [11] The founder of Trigarta is mentioned as Susarma/Susharman in the Mahabharata. [12] He was credited with building the Nagarkot/Kangra fort.

Post-Vedic

Along with the Greeks, the following were mentioned as vratya kshatriyas or mlechhas: Dravida, Abhira, Sabara, Kirata, Malava, Sibi, Trigarta, and Yaudheya. Historians provide multiple historical mentions during the period between when Pāṇini (5th Century B.C.) mentioned Trigarta and the 5th Century A.D. when Samudragupta invaded Trigarta and various other kingdoms. [13]

Medieval Trigarta

Hiuen Tsang visits Jallandhar

After Samudragupta, the next mention of Trigarta is from Hieun Tsang who mentions Jallandhar being ruled by Udito. Hiuen Tsang visited Jalandhara in 635 A.D. and gave details that it was a country 1000 li (about 267 km) in breadth from north to south. [14]

The Chamba Inscription and Invasion by Ghazni

Then, in the 8th century A.D, the Trigarta rulers acknowledged supremacy of the Karkota rulers of Kashmir. This is also mentioned in the Rajtarangini. From the 9th century to the 11th century, there are various mentions, one of the important ones being the 10th century Chamba inscription which mentions the Trigarta raja being subdued by Sahilavarman and then becoming an ally. It was also during this time that Mahmud of Ghazni entered the Kangra fort (1009 A.D.) while the Kangra forces were away at war. The ruler of the time was Jagdish Chandra. From that point on, save one or two rulers, all rulers of the Katoch dynasty vanshavali can be traced down to the last king. [15]

The Trigarta capital was moved from Jalandhara to Nagarkot (Kangra) in 1070 A.D. due to constant contact in Jalandhar with various ambitious invading forces who usually were en route to central India. [16]

Ferishta mentioned another account of the 1st century A.D. when the king of Kanauj, Raja Ram Deo, went on conquest and overran the hills. He spared Kumaon raja after getting his daughter in marriage, then he spared Nagarkot raja after the ruler offered his daughter in marriage. [17]

See also

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  1. Audumbras – They were one of the most ancient tribes of Himachal who resided in the lower hills of Pathankot and Jwalamukhi. They formed a separate province in 2 B.C.
  2. Trigarta – The state was laid in the foothills drained by 3 rivers, namely- Ravi, Beas and Satluj. It is believed that the state was an independent republic.
  3. Kuluta – The kingdom of Kuluta was located in the upper Beas valley which is also known as the Kullu valley. The state capital was Naggar.
  4. Kulindas – The kingdom covered the area between the Beas, Satluj and Yamuna rivers. The administration resembled a republic with the members of central assembly sharing the powers of the head.
  5. Guptas – Chandragupta captured the republics of the Himachal by the use of his force though he usually did not rule them directly. Ashoka, his grandson extended his boundaries to the Himalayan region. He introduced Buddhism to the state. He built various stupas here.
  6. Harsha – After the collapse of Guptas and before the rise of Harsha, the area was again ruled by chiefs also known as Thakurs and Ranas. With the rise of Harsha in the 7th century, most of these small provinces acknowledged its allround supremacy though many local powers remained with the chiefs.
  7. Rajput Period – After Harsha's death Rajput states ascended in Rajasthan and Indus plains. They moved to the hills with their followers, where they established small provinces or principalities. Some of these were Kangra, Nurpur, Suket, Mandi, Kutlehar, Baghal, Bilaspur, Nalagarh, Keonthal, Dhami, Kunihar, Bushahar, Sirmour.
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References

  1. ↑ Hutchison, John; Vogel, Jean Philippe (1994). History of the Panjab Hill States. Asian Educational Services. p. 104. ISBN   978-81-206-0942-6. The first name which may be regarded as possibly historical is that of Susarma-Chandra, the 284th from the founder, called Susarman in the Mahabharata, who is believed to have reigned at the time of the Great War and figures as an ally of the Kauravas.
  2. 1 2 Hutchison, John; Vogel, Jean Philippe (1994). History of the Panjab Hill States. Asian Educational Services. p. 105. ISBN   978-81-206-0942-6. The original seat of the family is said to be Multan... After the great war they lost their lands in Multan
  3. ↑ Hutchison, John; Vogel, Jean Philippe (1994). History of the Panjab Hill States. Asian Educational Services. p. 99. ISBN   978-81-206-0942-6. The kingdom of Jalandhara or Trigarta, at the time of its greatest expansion, previous to the Muhammadan invasions in the beginning of the eleventh century, probably comprised almost all the country between the Satluj and the ravi in the outer hills, except Kulu, and also the Jalandhar Doab on the plains. At that early period the State seems to have included two great provinces, under the above names, of which the capital was at Jalandhara, with a subordinate capital at Nagarkot or Kangra.
  4. ↑ Hutchison, John; Vogel, Jean Philippe (1994). History of the Panjab Hill States. Asian Educational Services. p. 102. ISBN   978-81-206-0942-6. The alternative name for the kingdom of Jalandhara in the ancient documents is Trigarta, meaning the land of the three rivers, but the common interpretation of the name, as referring to the Bavi, Bias and Sutlej, is open to question. In those documents the name Trigarta is always applied to the Lower Bias Valley that is, Kangra Proper and on the whole it seems much more probable that the reference is to the three main tributaries of the Bias, which water the Kangra District. These are, the Banganga, Kurali and Nayagul, which unite at Haripur, under the name of Trigadh, wnicn is the same as Trigar, and fall into the Bias opposite Siba Fort.
  5. ↑ Thakur, Molu Ram (1997). Myths, Rituals, and Beliefs in Himachal Pradesh. Indus Publishing. p. 15. ISBN   978-81-7387-071-2. In his book Ashtadhyayi, generally dated to the 5th century B.C. Panini has described Trigarta as a martial republic and a confederation of six states...Again in the mahabarata there is a reference to the seven ganas of Trigarta which may mean that at the time of the epic there were seven constituent units of Trigarta and by the time of Panini one of these units must have either gained freedom or merged with another unit
  6. ↑ Vogel, J. Ph (1933). History Of The Panjab Hill States Vol. 1. p. 215-216. According to Panini, any country in which the Udumbara flourishes may be called Audumbara. This is true of the Nurpur district in which the glomerous fig tree is common... in the Vishnu Purana they are coupled with the Trigartas and Kulindas
  7. ↑ Vogel, J. Ph (1933). History Of The Panjab Hill States Vol. 1. p. 216. Its next mention is by Abu Rihan who calls it ' Dahamala the capital of Jalandhara,' from which I conclude that the district had been annexed by its more powerful neighbour of Trigarta or Kangra.
  8. ↑ Narayan, R. K. (2000). The Mahabharata: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic. University Of Chicago Press. pp. 151–166.
  9. ↑ Gadkari, Jayant (1 October 1996). Society and Religion: From Rugveda to Puranas. Popular Prakashan. p. 65. ISBN   9788171547432 . Retrieved 10 January 2017.
  10. ↑ Hopkins, Edward Washburn (1 June 1968). Epic Mythology. Biblo & Tannen Publishers. p. 1. ISBN   9780819602282 . Retrieved 10 January 2017.
  11. ↑ Hiltebeitel, Alf (30 October 2001). Rethinking the Mahabharata: A Reader's Guide to the Education of the Dharma King. University of Chicago Press. p. 15. ISBN   9780226340531.
  12. ↑ Saklani, Dinesh Prasad (20 March 1998). Ancient Communities of the Himalaya (1998 ed.). Indus Publishing. p. 45. ISBN   9788173870903 . Retrieved 10 January 2017.
  13. ↑ Thapar, Romila (20 March 1971). "The Image of the Barbarian in Early India". Comparative Studies in Society and History. 13 (4) (1971 ed.). Cambridge University Press: 420. doi:10.1017/S0010417500006393. JSTOR   178208.
  14. ↑ Jeratha, Aśoka (20 March 2024). Forts and Palaces of the Western Himalaya (2000 ed.). Indus Publishing. p. 21. ISBN   9788173871047 . Retrieved 10 January 2017.
  15. ↑ Deambi, BK Kaul (20 March 1990). History and Culture of Ancient Gandhara and Western Himalayas (1985 ed.). Ariana Publishing House. p. 47. ISBN   9788185347066 . Retrieved 10 January 2017.
  16. ↑ Singh, Mian Goverdhan (20 March 1999). Wooden Temples of Himachal Pradesh (1999 ed.). Indus Publishing. p. 34. ISBN   9788173870941.
  17. ↑ Charak, Sukh Dev Singh (1978). Indian Conquest of the Himalayan Territories (1978 ed.). Ajaya Prakashan. p.  19.

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