Taank Kingdom (also known as Takka, Tanka, or Taki) was a kingdom based in
Punjab, during 6th and 7th centuries. The main source regarding the kingdom are the chronicles of Xuanzang as well as other sources.
The kingdom was located south of
Kashmir
Kashmir () is the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term "Kashmir" denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal Range. Today, the term encompas ...
, north of
Sindh
Sindh (; ; ur, , ; historically romanized as Sind) is one of the four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the southeastern region of the country, Sindh is the third-largest province of Pakistan by land area and the second-largest province ...
and east of
Zunbil dynasty, extending from the
Indus river
The Indus ( ) is a transboundary river of Asia and a trans-Himalayan river of South and Central Asia. The river rises in mountain springs northeast of Mount Kailash in Western Tibet, flows northwest through the disputed region of Kashmir, ...
in the west to the
Beas river in the east, centered around modern day
Sialkot.
[Li Rongxi (1996), ''The Great Tang Dynasty Record of the Western Regions'', Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai and Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research, Berkeley, pp. 97–100]
Etymology
A "Taki" kingdom is mentioned by
Hiuen-Tsang
Xuanzang (, ; 602–664), born Chen Hui / Chen Yi (), also known as Hiuen Tsang, was a 7th-century Chinese Buddhist monk, scholar, traveler, and translator. He is known for the epoch-making contributions to Chinese Buddhism, the travelogue of ...
(631-643 A.D.) It is mentioned by him as situated towards east of
Gandhara
Gandhāra is the name of an ancient region located in the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent, more precisely in present-day north-west Pakistan and parts of south-east Afghanistan. The region centered around the Peshawar Vall ...
.
Hiuen-Tasng gives its name as ''Tekka'', and the
Chach Nama (history of Sindh) mentions it as ''Tak''.
The earliest
Muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
author who mentions the kingdom is a merchant named Sulaiman. He visited the area before 851 AD, when his account was written. In his account, the kingdom is mentioned as ''Táfak'' ().
[Cunningham 1871, p. 151-152.] In 915 AD, the Arab historian
Al-Masudi mentions it as ''at-Tákin'', referring to the hills of the Punjab region. The name is read ''Tákin'' () by
Sir Henry Elliott, and ''Táfan'' () by Gildemeister, in his extracts from Masudi.
''Takin, Tafan, Tafak, Taffa, Takas, and Takishar'', are various readings of the original form which is Taki or Takin.
M. Reinaud gives another spelling, ''Tában'' ().
History
Around 851 AD, a merchant named Sulaiman travelled to the area. In his account, the kingdom is known to be Taank, as described by the historian
Sir Alexander Cunningham.
Ibn Khordadbeh, who died in 912 AD, mentions the king of the confederacy as next in eminence to the
Balhara, whereas Kazwini mentions a fort named Taifand, the location of the fort agrees with the account of the hill of
Sangala
Sagala, Sakala ( sa, साकला), or Sangala ( grc, Σάγγαλα) was a city in ancient India, which was the predecessor of the modern city of Sialkot that is located in what is now Pakistan's northern Punjab province. The city was the ...
(near modern Sialkot).
They are included among 36 royal dynasties mentioned by
James Tod. According to him the names of some of the rulers were Ratapat, Bahurpal, Sahajpal and Madanpal.
Xuanzang's visit
During Xuanzang's visit, the neighboring state of Bofadou was a vassal (or province) of Taank.
He also noted
Mihirakula's capital to have been at
Sagala within Taank.
Despite an illustrious Buddhist heritage as evident from three colossal stupas, Buddhism was in decline and was sparsely practiced except in about ten monasteries; Brahminism was the primary religion and there were hundreds of ''deva'' shrines.
He visited
Lahore in 630 AD during Taank rule
and described it as a great
Brahmin city.
"The country of Takka is south of Kashmira, extending from the Indus river to its west and Vipasha river to its east. They produce abundant quantities of non-sticky rice and wheat, also gold, brass, iron and other metals. They do not believe in Buddhism, and pray in several hundred deva temples. This country has ten Buddhist monasteries left." There were many more before, states Xuanzang.
[Li Rongxi (1996), ''The Great Tang Dynasty Record of the Western Regions'', Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai and Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research, Berkeley, pp. 97–100]
See Also
*
History of Punjab
References
Bibliography
{{cite book , last=Cunningham , first=Alexander , title=The Ancient Geography of India: I. The Buddhist Period, Including the Campaigns of Alexander, and the Travels of Hwen-Thsang , publisher= , year=1871 , isbn=9788121510646 , location= , pages=150–154
Ancient empires and kingdoms of India
History of Lahore