Ancient History of Himachal Pradesh | HPPSC HPAS Preparation - HPPSC HPAS (Himachal Pardesh) PDF Download

History

The history of Himachal Pradesh is obscure and does not give a clear picture since ancient times. The only available sources we have are some Archeological and Literary sources. They are coins, Vamshavalis, Inscriptions, Travelogues, and literature.

Genealogical Rolls (Vamshavalis)

• Genealogical rolls, known as Vamshavalis, document the names of rulers, their tenures, and various activities they undertook. 
• In 2011, the HP Language, Art, and Culture Academy discovered a 600-year-old manuscript in the Spiti Valley, which focuses on the Ayurvedic system of medicine and is written in the Bhoti language. 
• Another significant manuscript, written in golden letters, was found in Thalog village in the Lahaul Valley.

Coins

• The establishment of the HP State Museum in Shimla in 1973–74 brought attention to ancient coins, particularly through the work of curator V.C. Ohri. 
• The State Museum in Shimla and the Bhuri Singh Museum in Chamba house extensive collections of coins from ancient tribal kingdoms like Trigarta, Kulluta, Adumbara, and Kuninda. 
• Of the earliest 87 punch-marked coins, 25 are preserved in the Bhuri Singh Museum, while 12 coins found in Arki are kept in the HP State Museum in Shimla. 
• Additionally, 21 coins from Appollodotus were discovered in Tappa Mewa village in Hamirpur, and 31 coins were found in Jwalamukhi in Kangra district. 
• Indo-Greek coins have also been found in Lachori and Sarol villages in Chamba district, indicating Greco-Bactrian influence in Chamba and Hamirpur. 
• The earliest coins from Kullu were issued by King Virayash in the 1st century A.D. Two eulogies from Kangra district mention local chief Lakshmana Chandra of Kirgrama and King Jayachandra of Trigarta.

Inscriptions

• The earliest inscriptions in Himachal Pradesh have been found in Pathyar and Kanihara in Kangra district, Soopur from a hillock cave inscription in Hatkoti in Shimla district, and Salanu near Mangalore in Mandi district. 
• The Chamba region has the highest number of inscriptions, with 36 donative inscriptions written in Sharda and Tankri scripts. A notable inscription is the Nirmand copper plate from the 7th century A.D., issued by Mahasamanta Maharaja Samudrasena.

Literary Sources

• Persian Sources: Notable Persian sources include "Tarikh-i-Yamini" (1020 A.D.) by Habibus Siyar, "Qasaid-i-Badr-i-Chach" by Badr Chach, "Tarikh-i-Firoz Shahi" by Barani and Afif, and "Tarikh-i-Farishta" by Farishta.
• Sanskrit Sources: Prominent Sanskrit sources encompass the Vedas, Puranas, Aranyakas, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Panini’s "Ashtadhyayi," Kalidasa’s "Raghuvansham," and Kalhan’s "Rajtarangini."
• Khalsa Literature: Key Khalsa literature includes the "Guru Granth Sahib," "Janam Sakhis," "Bachitra Natak" by Guru Gobind Singh, "Gur Sobha" by Sena Pat, and "Gur Bilas" by Bhai Sukha Singh.
• Travelogues: Important travelogues feature accounts by Hiuen Tsang (630-648 A.D. in India), Foster (1783), J.B. Fraser (1815), Alexander Gerard (1817-18), William Moorcraft (1820-22), Captain Monday (1829), Major Archer (1829), and Baron Charles Hugel (1835-39).

Prehistory and Prohistory

In prehistoric times, the Indo-Gangetic plains were inhabited by the Proto-Australoid or Munda-speaking Kolarian people, specifically the Kol or Munda tribe. As the Indus Valley people spread into the Gangetic plains, they pushed the Kolarian people northward into the Himachal valleys.

• In the Vedas, these people were referred to as Dasas, Dasyus, Nishadas, Pishach, Kirat, Asuras, Arjeek, Gandharv, Gadhar, and more. In post-Vedic literature, they were mentioned as Kinnaras, Nagas, and Yakshas. The Kols, also known as Mundas, were among the earliest and original migrants to the Himachal Hills, primarily concentrated in Kinnaur and Lahaul. According to the Rig Veda, their powerful King Shambara had 99 forts in the hills between the Beas and Yamuna rivers.
• In prehistoric times, Aryans left their home in central Asia in search of new lands and pastures for their animals, dividing into three branches. The first branch moved westward, reaching as far as Western Europe and Spain. 
• The second branch headed southeast, crossing the Pamir mountains, moving to Kashgar, and entering Kashmir before eventually reaching Himachal Pradesh. 
• This branch, known as the Khasas or Kshatriyas, transformed the Kolarian land into Khasas land. They spoke a language related to Sanskrit, known today as Pahari. They were a warlike tribe that settled permanently and organized into families and villages. Each unit elected a leader called ‘Mavi’ or ‘Mavana,’ meaning strongman. These Mavanas developed into tribal republics known as Janapadas.
• The third branch, known as Indo-Aryans, moved southward, reaching Iran. Some turned east, crossing the Hindukush and reaching the Indus Valley, which they called Sapta-Sindhu, or the land of seven rivers. 
• They then crossed Punjab and reached the foothills of Himachal, where they faced strong resistance from the powerful Dasyu King Shambara. After a 40-year war, the Aryans eventually defeated Shambara.

The chronological order of various races to enter Himachal is:

• Munda or Kolis
• Mangaloid or Kiratas (3rd millennium BC)
• Aryans or Khasas

Some saints and sages associated with Himachal are:

• Renuka Lake in Sirmaur district is associated with Rishi Jamdagni.
• The Vashisht Kund in Manikaran of Kullu valley is associated with Rishi Vashisht.
• Nirmand in Kullu is associated with Parshuram.
• The Beas cave in Bilaspur is associated with sage Vyasa.
• Hatkoti in the Jubbal area of Shimla and Hidimba goddess in the Kullu valley are associated with Pandavas.

Early History of Himachal Pradesh: Janapadas

Mahabharata's Division of the Himalayas

• According to the Mahabharata, the region now forming Himachal Pradesh was divided into small tribal republics called Janapadas, known as Ayudhajivi Sanghas, meaning communities of warriors. 
• Several Janapadas are mentioned in the Mahabharata and noted by Panini.

The Audumbaras

• The Audumbaras were descendants of the sage Vishwamitra, founder of the Kaushik gotra, according to the Mahabharata. Buddhist scholar Chandragomin in the 5th century A.D. mentions them in his book "Vritti" as part of the Shalvas. J. Prezyluski notes that they endured Aryan invasions. 
• Their territory, strategically located on the trade route from Takshila to the Gangetic valley, had Pathankot as a commercial hub. Initially, they had a republican system with an elected king, which later transitioned to a monarchy. 
• Their coins, inscribed in Brahmi and Kharosthi and made of copper and silver, have been found in Kangra, Jawalamukhi, Pathankot, Gurdaspur, and Hoshiarpur. These coins often featured the word ‘Mahadeva’ and the name of their king. The Audumbaras primarily engaged in sheep rearing and woolen goods trade.

Trigarta

• Trigarta referred to the region drained by the Beas, Satluj, and Ravi rivers. It is the oldest princely state in Himachal Pradesh, mentioned in the Mahabharata, Brihatsamhita, Vishnu Purana, and Panini's works. Panini first historically referenced Trigarta in the 5th century B.C. 
• Founded by Susharma Chandra in the 8th to 9th century, who aided the Kauravas by attacking Matsya King Virata during the Mahabharata war, the original seat of Trigarta was Multan. According to Panini, the people of Trigarta, known as Ayudhjivis, earned their livelihood through warfare. Their square coins were inscribed in Brahmi and Kharosthi.

Kuluta

• Kuluta was situated in the upper Beas valley and founded by Bihangmani Pal, who migrated from Prayag. Kuluta is mentioned in the Ramayana, Mahabharata, Vishnu Purana, Brihatsamhita, and Markandeya Purana. 
• A copper coin from 100 A.D., inscribed with ‘Virayasasyarajna Kulutasya’ in Sanskrit and featuring Prakrit and Kharosthi impressions, was found in Kullu.

Kunindas (Kulindas)

• The Kunindas, named after the River 'Kalindi' or Yamuna, are mentioned in the Mahabharata, Vishnu Purana, Vayu Purana, and Markandeya Purana. According to the Mahabharata, they were conquered by Arjuna. The Kunindas lived in the region between the Beas, Yamuna, and Satluj rivers, encompassing Shimla and Sirmaur hills and extending to Ambala and Saharanpur in the plains. 
• Modern Kanets are identified with Kunindas. Their coins have been discovered between Ambala and Saharanpur and in the Shivalik Hills. Silver coins issued by them bore the title Amoghabhuti. 
• Kunindas lost their independence with the Saka invasion and regained it with the decline of the Kushanas. They issued silver and copper coins with Prakrit legends, with silver coins bearing Prakrit on one side and Kharosthi on the other, while copper coins had Brahmi legends and were more common locally.

Himalayan Tribes and the age of Mauryan and Gupta Empires

With the rise of the Imperial Guptas in the 5th century A.D., the Himalayan republican states likely disappeared.

Alexander’s Invasion

• In 326 B.C., Alexander advanced to the river Beas, encountering resistance from the Ayudhajivi Sanghas, republican people noted by Panini. His military commander was Coenus. 
• Alexander marked his progress by constructing 12 towers on the river Beas's bank, which have since disappeared.

Mauryans

• A Himalayan chief named Parvataka, ruling the territory between the Ravi and Yamuna rivers, assisted Chandragupta Maurya in a battle against Alexander’s governor. 
• According to Vishakhadutta’s Mudrarakshasa, tribes like Kiratas, Kunindas, and Khasas joined the Gupta army to defeat the Nandas. The ruler of Kuluta, Chitravarman, along with five other rulers, opposed Chandragupta Maurya's advance into the hill states.
• Ashoka sent Majjhima and four monks to spread Buddhism in the Himalayas. According to Hiuen Tsang, Ashoka erected a stupa in the Kullu valley of Himachal and a rock edict at Kalsi, at the confluence of the Tons and Yamuna rivers in the Uttarakhand region.

Post-Mauryans

• Following the decline of the Mauryans, the Shunga dynasty failed to maintain control over the Hill States, which declared independence and issued their own coins. 
• The Shungas were succeeded by the Kushanas (15 A.D. – 225 A.D.), with their greatest ruler being Kanishka. Forty copper coins of Kanishka were found on the Kalka-Kasauli Road and one coin at Kanihara in the Kangra district. During the Kushana reign, the Hill States were free to mint their own coins.

Guptas

The Allahabad Pillar inscription by Harisena, minister to Samudragupta, records that the Himalayan ruler accepted Samudragupta's paramountcy without conflict.

Hunas

• The Hunas' attacks significantly contributed to the decline of the Gupta Empire. 
• The main Huna ruler was Torman, with his son Mihirkula succeeding him. Gujjars and Gaddis consider themselves descendants of the Hunas.

Harsha and Hiuen-Tsang

• During Harsha’s reign, the Chinese traveler Hiuen Tsang (630-644 A.D.) visited India and stayed for 13 years. 
• In 635 A.D., he visited Jallandhara, staying with King Utitas for four months. 
• He also visited Kullu, Lahaul, and then traveled to Surughna (Sirmaur) with a monk named Jaya-Guptam.

Rajtarangini and Trigarta

• According to Kalhan’s Rajtarangini, in the 9th century A.D., Trigarta and the Upper Satluj valley were under Kashmiri rule. 
• Shankaravarman, a 9th-century Kashmiri king, led an expedition to conquer Gurjara and was opposed by Trigarta’s chief, Prithvi Chandra.

Nirmand Copper Plate

This 7th-century A.D. plate, belonging to the Sena dynasty, mentions Mahasamanta Maharaja Vermasen and his successor, indicating that the Sena dynasty was subordinate to Kuluta.