Sources OF Ancient Assam PDF

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This is the first unit of this course, dear students. We'll talk about ancient Assam's sources in this unit. Ancient Assam's history roughly spans the period from the time of the Epics to the early 13th century A.D. We must rely on a variety of sources to study the history of Assam during the ancien...

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SOURCES OF ANCIENT ASSAM INTRODUCTION

This is the first unit of this course, dear students. We'll talk about ancient Assam's sources in this unit. Ancient Assam's history roughly spans the period from the time of the Epics to the early 13th century A.D. We must rely on a variety of sources to study the history of Assam during the ancient period, the most common of which are literary and archaeological sources. As a result, we'll go over these ancient Assam sources in depth in this unit.

SOURCES OF ANCIENT ASSAM Literary Source

Literary sources are a vital source of information for historical reconstruction. These sources can be further divided into two categories: indigenous and non-indigenous literature. We will now discuss both indigenous and non-indigenous literary sources. • Native American Literature: The early and later Vedic Brahmanical works are important for understanding the cultural relations between the Aryans and Non-Aryans of India with eastern India. These works describe the Aryans' gradual advance into eastern India. The Satapatha Brahmana documents the advancement of Aryan culture up to the river Sadanira, which was identified with the river Karotoya, ancient Assam's permanent western boundary. The Aiteraya Brahmana chronicles Kamarupa's development of that culture. The Gopatha Brahmana recounts a legend about the origin of the name Kamarupa, which suggests an early meeting of Aryan and nonAryan elements. Kamarupa is known as the Land of Sunrise in the Sankhyayana Grihasamgraha. The Puranas are invaluable in reconstructing ancient Assam's history. The Garuda, Markandeya, Naradiya, Brahmana, Skanda, Agni, and Vishnu, for example, all have references to ancient Assam and its rulers. Kamarupa and Kamakhya are mentioned in

the Garuda Purana as important pilgrimage sites. Pragjyotisha is mentioned in the Markandeya Purana alongside Udayachala, Lauhitya, and Kamarupa as eastern countries. Vishnu Purana mentions Lord Vishnu's incarnation as Varaha (Boar), the killing of Naraka, and the enthronement of Bhagadatta in Pragjyotisha. The Kalika Purana, written in Assam in the 10th or 11th century A.D., contains the most recent version of the Naraka legend. The Kalika Purana paints a clear picture of the traditional boundaries of Pragjyotisha-Kamarupa, as well as the significance of Goddess Kamakhya in Assamese religious life. The Kalika Purana is essential reading for anyone interested in ancient Assam's political and cultural history. In addition to the Puranas, materials relating to the religious and political history of ancient Assam can be found in Tantrik-Buddhist literature from Eastern India, Tibet, and Nepal. They all mention Kamarupa-Kamakhya and other Assamese pithas. Kamarupa is mentioned as one of India's four pithas in the 8th century A.D. Hevajra Tantra. The Kamarupa-Yatra is a Sanskrit work written in Assam that discusses Kamakhya's mode of worship and the origins of the names Pragjyotisha and Kamarupa. The Tikkha- Kalpa is about Tara's worship and Kamarupa's ancient geography. Naraka- Bhagadatta is described in the Kamakhya Tantra. The Yogini Tantra discusses Kamarupa's ancient geography as well as the people's cultural conditions. The Koch King Visvasimha is also mentioned in the Yogini Tantra. Another tantric work, Haragaurisamvada, describes the early history of Kamarupa's territories and includes a genealogy of ancient Assam's rulers as well as an account of the mediaeval Kamarupa rulers of the Indra-vamsa (i.e., the Ahom kings). However, while the last work contains information about mythical rulers, it does not address actual historical rulers. Epics paint a vivid picture of the people's political and social lives in ancient Assam. They are a valuable source of information about Pragjyotisha-foundation. Kamarupa's The Ramayana's Adikanda records Amurtaraja's founding of the city of Pragjyotisha. The Kiskindhyakanda refers to the Varaha Mountain city of Pragjyotisha, which is located in Naraka. The Mahabharata refers to Pragjyotisha's city and country, as well as its rulers Naraka and Bhagadatta, and the Chinas, Kiratas, and other people who made up Bhagadatta's army and bravely fought the Pandavas in the Mahabharata war.

Another important source for reconstructing the history of ancient Assam is Sanskrit literature from other parts of India. Kautilya's Arthasastra mentions many Kamarupa locations, such as Suvarnakundya, Paralauhitya, and others, in relation to Kamarupa's economic products. Kalidasa mentions Pragjyotisha and Kamarupa as being east of the Brahmaputra in the Raghuvamsa. The Harshacharita of Banabhatta details the political and cultural history of Kamarupa in the seventh century. The Vikramankadevacharita of Bilhana refers to his patron Chalukya Vikramaditya VI's invasion of Kamarupa (c.1076-1126). The conquest of Kamarupa by Mayana, Ramapala's general, is described in Sandhyakaranandi's Ramacharita (c.1085-1130). The marriage of Kamarupa princess Amritaprabha and Meghavahana, the king of Kashmir, is described in Kalhana's Rajatarangini. As far as the Lauhitya, it also mentions Lalityaditya's campaign. There is no specific mention of Assam in Buddhist or Jain literature. However, we find mention of Lohicca, also known as Lauhitya, in the Nikayas in connection with two Brahmanas who came to the greater kingdom of Magadha. Tibetan, Nepalese, and Bhutanese Buddhist literature links ancient Assam to the Buddha's Mahaparinirvana, which is said to have occurred at modern-day Hajo. However, no historical evidence has been found to support the tradition. Despite the fact that there was no pure historical literature in Assam during the ancient period, there were Chronicles that contained the land's history. The Kalika Purana, Yogini Tantra, and Haragaurisamvada have all been mentioned. The Haragaurivilasa is a book that describes the ancient geography of the land. The Haragaurivilasa and the Bhuyar Puthi both contain the genealogy of the Dimarua family's rulers. Furthermore, the old Sanskrit and Assamese manuscripts cover political and cultural topics and provide information not found in other historical sources. • Foreign Literature: Foreign sources, like indigenous sources, are equally important. Foreigners who travelled from one country to another left accounts of the country's political, social, religious, and cultural aspects, which help us learn a lot about the country's history. In Greek works from the early centuries of the Christian era, there is a reference to the primitive Kirata people's homeland, which most likely includes Assam. However,

identifying the places and people mentioned in them is difficult. The Kalatiai, along with the Gangaridae and Prasioi of Assam, are mentioned by Herodotus. It's possible that some parts of Kamrupa were dubbed "Land of Kalitas" because of their predominance. Ancient Assam was most likely known to them by other names or was part of the Prasioi and Gangaridae kingdoms. Megasthenes and Strabo mention the eastern Derdai, who were known for their goldsmithing. It's likely that the reference is to some of the region's hill people. Pliny mentions a number of people from the frontier and trans-Himalayan regions in his Natural History, who can be identified with some Assamese Tibeto-Burman tribes. We find references to people and places in the Periplus of the Erythrean Sea and Ptolemy's Geography that could be identified as being in ancient Assam. Another important source was Chinese works. Chang Kien's accounts from the 2nd century B.C. mention the existence of early commercial and cultural contacts between ancient Assam and China. According to the accounts of the Shung Shu (c.420-479 A.D.), two embassies were sent from India to China, one of which was sent by YuChai of the Kapili valley. King Kalyanavarman (c.420-440 A.D.) of the Varman dynasty ruling in ancient Assam is linked to Yu-Chai. In his account, I-Tsing mentions King Devavarma of Eastern India, who ruled over the Nalanda region. This Devavarma has been linked to King Avantivarman, who may have been Bhaskaravarman's successor. The Si-Yu-Ki, written by Chinese pilgrim Hiuen-Tsang during his visit to India in 629-45 A.D., was the most important Chinese source. It describes Hiuen-visit Tsang's to Kamarupa and stay at the court of King Bhaskaravarman, as well as the political, social, and religious lives of Assamese people. Another Chinese work, New History of the Tang Dynasty, tells us about Kamarupa king Bhaskaravarman's relationship with the Chinese mission of 648 A.D. In a nutshell, Chinese sources are important for our time. The geography of Assam is shaped by the writings of Muslim scholars. A book written by the Arab merchant Sulaiman in 851 A.D. but completed by Abu Zayd in 916 A.D. was the first to mention Kamarupa among Arabic and Persian works. Hudud-ul-Alam, written by an unknown author in 982 A.D., was another work. Kamrupa is to the east of Kannauj, according to Alberuni's Arabic work Tarikhul- Hind, written around 1030

A.D. Minhajuddin Siraj's Persian work Tabaqat-i-Nasiri describes Muhammad-iBakhtiyar's expedition against Tibet via Kamarupa and the destruction of the majority of his army in Assam near Guwahati.

Archaeological Sources Archaeological remains, like literary sources, are important sources for reconstructing the history of ancient Assam. Archaeological sources can be divided into three categories: 1. Epigraphy or inscriptions 2. Numismatics or Coins 3. Remaining Materials

1. Inscriptions

Writings engraved on copper plates and rocks, as well as impressions on clay seals, are known as inscriptions. The king used inscriptions for a variety of reasons, including land donations, commemorating achievements and ideals, and recording diplomatic relations with modern powers. No authentic history of ancient Assam can be written without the use of epigraphic evidence, which is largely reliable. As a result, inscriptions are important historical sources. They provide us with a wealth of information about a period's political, social, administrative, diplomatic, and religious conditions. They also provide information on the king's and other officials' power, policies, and accomplishments. Assamese epigraphs or inscriptions can be found in large numbers. Copper plates, stone tablets, rocks, pillars, and the outsides of caves, temples, and other structures are all engraved with them. Clay seals are also imprinted with them. Sanskrit is their native language, and they use Devanagari and north Indian Brahmi scripts. They are written in verse, prose, or a combination of both. The majority of them are undated, with only one inscription dating from the Gupta era and three from the Saka era.

So far, over fifty inscriptions from the early period have been discovered. The earliest known dated inscription of ancient Assam is king Harjaravarman's Tezpur Rock Inscription. It is dated 510 A.D., which corresponds to 829 A.D. in the Gupta era. The majority of these inscriptions are copper plate grants in which, according to tradition, the genealogy of the king who issued the charter is discovered. The Varman dynasty is represented by the Umachal Rock Inscription, Barganga Rock Inscription, Doobi Copper Plates, Nidhanpur Copper Plates, and Nalanda Clay Seals. We have the Tezpur Rock Inscription, Hayungthal Copper Plate, Tezpur Copper Plate, Parbatiya Copper Plates, Howraghat Copper Plates, Nagaon Copper Plates, and Ulubari Copper Plates for the Salastambhas' history. Caratbari Copper Plates, Bargaon Copper Plates, Soalkuchi Copper Plates, Guwahati Copper Plates, Guakuchi Copper Plates, Gachtal Copper Plates, Khonamukh Copper Plates, Subhankarapataka Copper Plates, and Pushpabhadra Copper Plates provide insight into the Pala dynasty's history. Other than these dynastic inscriptions, there are a few local inscriptions that provide information about ancient Assam. Vaidyadeva's (c.1126-1140A.D.) Kamauli grant, discovered in Varanasi, records Mayana, the Gauda ruler Ramapala's general, defeating the king of Kamarupa and Vaidyadeva's conquest of the western part of Kamarupa's kingdom. The Assam Plates of Vallabhadeva (c.1180-1200 A.D.) list three kings who were most likely Vaidyadeva's successors. The Turkish army was destroyed while invading Kamarupa, according to the Kanai Barasi Bowa Rock Inscription from 1205 A.D. Some contemporary inscriptions from other parts of India also include information about early Assam's history. The name Kamarupa appears in Samudragupta's Allahabad Prasasti as a frontier kingdom whose king owed allegiance to King Samudragupta of his own volition. Yasodharman's invasion is mentioned in the Mandasore Inscription of Yasodharman up to the Lauhitya neighbourhood. The conflict between Mahasenagupta and Susthitavarman (c.585-593 A.D.), the king of Kamarupa, is mentioned in Adityasena's Aphsad Inscription. The Pasupati Temple Inscription

in

Kathmandu

contains

details

about

Nepal's

king

Jayadeva

Parachakrakama, who married Rajyamati, the daughter of Bhagadatta's king Harshadeva. During the reign of Devapala, the Bhagalpur grant of Narayanapala of

Gauda refers to diplomatic relations between Pragjyotisha, Gauda, and Orissa. A conflict between Jatavarman of Bengal and a ruler of Kamarupa is recorded in Bhojavarman's Belava grant. According to the Silimpur Stone Inscription of a Brahmana named Prahasa, the Kamarupa king Jayapala offered the Brahmana 900 gold coins equal to his own body weight, as well as other gifts. Coins

Numismatic evidence is one of the most reliable sources for studying a country's early history, especially when coins are used to determine dynasty chronologies. Unfortunately, only a few early-period coins have been discovered so far. This is without a doubt one of the reasons why determining the chronology of the rulers of the period has been so difficult. There was almost no dynasty in ancient India that did not mint its own coins, so it is reasonable to assume that the rulers of Kamarupa did as well. There are some gold issues of the type called Imitation Gupta found in a hoard discovered at Paglatek, on the south bank of the Brahmaputra, among the pre-Ahom coins found in Assam so far. The same types of coins can also be found in Bangladesh and Tripura, indicating a trade relationship between Assam and Bangladesh. Copper coins discovered near Tezpur in the Dhulapadung Tea Estate are roughly round in shape and vary in weight. The obverse of these coins has a single letter 'Va,' 'Ha,' and 'Ba' and the reverse is blank. It's most likely that 'Va' stands for Vanamalavarman, 'Ba' (Ba) for Balavarman, and 'Ha' for Harjaravarman. The tulapurush gift of Jayapala, along with 900 gold coins, is recorded in the Silimpur Stone Inscription of Prahasa. Jayapala is generally identified with the last member of the Pala line of kings of ancient Assam. However, the name Samudrapala is recorded in the Ambari stone Inscription discovered in Guwahati at a later date.

Material Remains

Neoliths, megaliths, and pottery from the undated history of ancient Assam assist us in studying the pre-Aryan and non-Aryan elements in Assam. Old monuments dating from the 5th to the 12th centuries A.D. can be found all over the country. These include architectural and fortification remnants, sculptured designs, and icons of various gods. They are useful as historical subjects not only for their artistic value, but also for the light they shed on people's religious conditions. Temples and images of various deities from various faiths provide us with information about the people's social and religious lives. The door frames found at Dah-Parvatia, the remains of a massive Sun temple at Tezpur, and Buddhist, Saivate, Shakti, and Vaisnavite shrines scattered throughout the state are just a few of the notable monuments. Only a few locations have been successfully excavated. Some early sculptures and statues were discovered near Tezpur at Dah Parvatiya, some of which date back to the Gupta period. A large number of remains were discovered at Narakasurgaon a few years ago. Beautiful architectural remains from the ancient period were discovered at Ambari in Guwahati, along with an abundance of icons of Mahisamardini Durga, Surya, and Indra. Thus, ancient architecture and monuments aid us greatly in comprehending the evolution of our forefathers' artistic and cultural development. These also provide information on various schools of art, their development, and the extent to which they have been influenced by foreign influences. LET US SUM UP

• various literary sources of ancient Assam and their importance in reconstructing the history of ancient Assam after completing this unit • Indegeneous literary sources and foreign literary sources are the two types of literary sources. • the various types of archaeological sources Inscriptions, coins, and other artefacts are among them. All of these are significant in reconstructing the history of ancient Assam....