The Varman dynasty (350–650) was the first historical dynasty of the
Kamarupa kingdom
Kamarupa (; also called Pragjyotisha or Pragjyotisha-Kamarupa), an early state during the Classical period on the Indian subcontinent, was (along with Davaka) the first historical kingdom of Assam.
Though Kamarupa prevailed from 350 to 11 ...
. It was established by
Pushyavarman
Pushyavarman (Reign 350–374) was the first historical ruler of Kamarupa (Assam) in eastern India, who established the Varman dynasty in 350 AD.
Tenure
Pushyavarman encouraged Vedic culture to flourish in his country. Hindu influence was wide ...
, a contemporary of
Samudragupta
Samudragupta (Gupta script: ''Sa-mu-dra-gu-pta'', (c. 335–375 CE) was the second emperor of the Gupta Empire of ancient India, and is regarded among the greatest rulers of the dynasty. As a son of the Gupta emperor Chandragupta I and the Li ...
. The earlier Varmans were subordinates of the
Gupta Empire
The Gupta Empire was an ancient Indian empire which existed from the early 4th century CE to late 6th century CE. At its zenith, from approximately 319 to 467 CE, it covered much of the Indian subcontinent. This period is considered as the Gol ...
, but as the power of the Guptas waned,
Mahendravarman (470–494) performed two
horse sacrifices and the status of Kamarupa as independent state remained umimpaired. According to the
Allahabad Prasasti, the ruler of Kamarupa was a frontier ruler (Pratyanta-nrpatis) of the great Gupta emperor.
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
Mleccha (from Vedic Sanskrit ', meaning "non-Vedic", "foreigner" or "barbarian") is a Sanskrit term, initially referring to those of an incomprehensible speech, later foreign or barbarous invaders as contra-distinguished from elite groups.
The ...
and then the
Pala Pala may refer to:
Places
Chad
*Pala, Chad, the capital of the region of Mayo-Kebbi Ouest
Estonia
* Pala, Kose Parish, village in Kose Parish, Harju County
* Pala, Kuusalu Parish, village in Kuusalu Parish, Harju County
*Pala, Järva County, vi ...
dynasties.
Capital
The capital was moved at least once, the last time by
Sthitavarman (566-590) with the older city not named but presumed to be
Pragjyotishpura
Pragjyotishpura () or Pragjyotisapura, now deemed to be a region within modern Guwahati, was an ancient city and capital of the Varman dynasty (350 - 650 A.D). Though the earliest mention of Pragjyotisha in local sources come from the 7th centu ...
, located at the south-eastern slope of the Narakasur hill near
Dispur
Dispur (, ) is the capital of the Indian state of Assam and is a suburb at Guwahati.
It became the capital in 1973, when Shillong the erstwhile capital, became the capital of the state of Meghalaya that was carved out of Assam.
Dispur is the ...
. The new capital was possibly some location in
Guwahati
Guwahati (, ; formerly rendered Gauhati, ) is the biggest city of the Indian state of Assam and also the largest metropolis in northeastern India. Dispur, the capital of Assam, is in the circuit city region located within Guwahati and is the ...
. Though the claim is not supported by any archaeological findings.
Origins
Kamarupa is first mentioned on
Samudragupta
Samudragupta (Gupta script: ''Sa-mu-dra-gu-pta'', (c. 335–375 CE) was the second emperor of the Gupta Empire of ancient India, and is regarded among the greatest rulers of the dynasty. As a son of the Gupta emperor Chandragupta I and the Li ...
's Allahabad rock pillar as a frontier kingdom, began as a subordinate but sovereign ally of the
Gupta empire
The Gupta Empire was an ancient Indian empire which existed from the early 4th century CE to late 6th century CE. At its zenith, from approximately 319 to 467 CE, it covered much of the Indian subcontinent. This period is considered as the Gol ...
around present-day
Guwahati
Guwahati (, ; formerly rendered Gauhati, ) is the biggest city of the Indian state of Assam and also the largest metropolis in northeastern India. Dispur, the capital of Assam, is in the circuit city region located within Guwahati and is the ...
in the 4th century:
The first king in this dynasty was
Pushyavarman
Pushyavarman (Reign 350–374) was the first historical ruler of Kamarupa (Assam) in eastern India, who established the Varman dynasty in 350 AD.
Tenure
Pushyavarman encouraged Vedic culture to flourish in his country. Hindu influence was wide ...
, possibly a contemporary of
Samudragupta
Samudragupta (Gupta script: ''Sa-mu-dra-gu-pta'', (c. 335–375 CE) was the second emperor of the Gupta Empire of ancient India, and is regarded among the greatest rulers of the dynasty. As a son of the Gupta emperor Chandragupta I and the Li ...
(c. 335/350-375 CE). The kingdom which he established with much effort, grew in the periphery of the
Gupta Empire
The Gupta Empire was an ancient Indian empire which existed from the early 4th century CE to late 6th century CE. At its zenith, from approximately 319 to 467 CE, it covered much of the Indian subcontinent. This period is considered as the Gol ...
, adopted the north Indian political model, and its kings took on names and titles of the Gupta kings and queens. Nothing much is known directly about the initial kings till the sixth king, Mahendravarman, who established a rock temple and assumed the title of ''Maharajadhiraja'' (king-of-kings) in the last quarter of the fifth century. The dynastic line from Pushyavarman first appear in the 7th century, in
Dubi and
Nidhanpur Nidhanpur is a village in Sylhet District, Bangladesh. This ancient village, earlier within Kamarupa Kingdom, is known for discovery of many Copper plate grants of Kamarupa kings such as Bhutivarman and Bhaskaravarman.
Inscription of Bhaskaravarma ...
copperplate inscriptions issued by Bhaskaravarman and in the ''
Harshacharita
The ''Harshacharita'' ( sa, हर्षचरित, ) (''The deeds of Harsha''), is the biography of Indian emperor Harsha by Banabhatta, also known as Bana, who was a Sanskrit writer of seventh-century CE India. He was the ''Asthana Kavi'', ...
'' and not earlier in any inscription from his ancestors. In these inscriptions
Bhaskaravarman
Bhaskaravarman () (600–650), the last of the Varman dynasty, was an illustrious king of medieval Kamarupa. After being captured by the Gauda king during the reign of his father, he was able to re-establish the rule of the Varman's. He made ...
claims that he was a descendant of
Narakasur,
Bhagadatta
Bhagadatta ( sa, भगदत्त) was the son of Narakasura, and the king of Pragjyotisha. Bhagadatta was born from a limb of the asura called Bāṣkala. He was a renowned warrior, and was known to be a great friend of Indra. When Arjuna emba ...
and
Vajradatta
Vajradatta ( sa, वज्रदत्त) was son and successor of the king Bhagadatta, third in line to throne of Naraka dynasty of Pragjyotisha Kingdom. Vajradatta had studied four vedas along with Angas, and the Nitishastras of Brihaspati an ...
. Modern scholars consider this claim to be a fabrication— suggests that this genealogy was created in the context of Bharkarvarman's alliance with
Harsha
Harshavardhana ( IAST Harṣa-vardhana; c. 590–647 CE) was a Pushyabhuti emperor who ruled northern India from 606 to 647 CE. He was the son of Prabhakaravardhana who had defeated the Alchon Huna invaders, and the younger brother of Rajyav ...
vardhana, to help
legitimise
Legitimation or legitimisation is the act of providing legitimacy. Legitimation in the social sciences refers to the process whereby an act, process, or ideology becomes legitimate by its attachment to norms and values within a given society. ...
his sovereignty. The use of Naraka/Bhagadatta lineage to establish sovereignty continued under the
Mlechchha
Mleccha (from Vedic Sanskrit ', meaning "non-Vedic", "foreigner" or "barbarian") is a Sanskrit term, initially referring to those of an incomprehensible speech, later foreign or barbarous invaders as contra-distinguished from elite groups.
The ...
and the
Pala Pala may refer to:
Places
Chad
*Pala, Chad, the capital of the region of Mayo-Kebbi Ouest
Estonia
* Pala, Kose Parish, village in Kose Parish, Harju County
* Pala, Kuusalu Parish, village in Kuusalu Parish, Harju County
*Pala, Järva County, vi ...
dynasties, a practice which is in keeping with the trend in the post-Gupta period in India.
Foreign records are conflicting, with
Xuanzang
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 ...
claiming him to be a Brahmana and ''She-Kia-Fang-Che'' claiming him to be a kshatriya whose ancestors came from China.
["But the She-Kia-Fang-Che records that Bhaskarvarman was a Kshatriya (and not a Brahmin) and his ancestors hailed from China (=Han) itself having nothing to do with Narayana Deva."] Though some modern scholars have opined that the Varman dynasty is probably of Indo-Aryan descent, it is now believed that the Varmans were originally non-Indo-Aryans.
Suniti Kumar Chatterjee calls Bhaskaravarman a Hinduised Mlechcha king of Indo-
Mongoloid
Mongoloid () is an obsolete racial grouping of various peoples indigenous to large parts of Asia, the Americas, and some regions in Europe and Oceania. The term is derived from a now-disproven theory of biological race. In the past, other terms ...
origin. Hugh B. Urban also infers that the Varmans descended from non-Aryan tribes.
Politics and diplomacy
The Varman's modeled themselves after the Gupta's and named themselves after the Gupta kings and queens.
Cultural environment
The Buddhist scholar
Xuanzang
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 ...
described his impressions of the people of the country:
The manners of the people simple and honest. The men are of small stature, and their complexion a dark yellow. Their language differs a little from that of Mid-India. Their nature is very impetuous and wild; their memories are retentive, and they are earnest in study. They adore and sacrifice to the Dêvas, and have no faith in Buddha; hence from the time when Buddha appeared in the world even down to the present time there never as yet has been built one sanghårama as a place for the priests to assemble. Such disciples as there are of a pure faith, say their prayers (repeat the name of Buddha) secretly, and that is all. There are as many as 100 Dêva temples, and different sectaries to the number of several myriads... The king is fond of learning, and the people are so likewise in imitation of him. Men of high talent from distant regions aspiring after office visit his dominions as strangers. Though he has no faith in Buddha, yet he much respects Śramaṇa
''Śramaṇa'' (Sanskrit: श्रमण; Pali: ''samaṇa, Tamil: Samanam'') means "one who labours, toils, or exerts themselves (for some higher or religious purpose)" or "seeker, one who performs acts of austerity, ascetic".Monier Monier ...
s of learning."
The dynasty
The dynastic line, as given in the Dubi and Nidhanpur copperplate inscriptions:
References
Bibliography
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Varman
People from Kamarupa
Kamarupa (former kingdom)