Bhaskaravarman
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Bhaskaravarman | |
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Hiuen Tsang who visited Bhaskaravarman's court during his heydays around 643 CE. |
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Bhaskaravarman (bʱaːskərə'vərmən; 600–650) was king of
Bhaskaravarman came to power after his brother Supratisthitavarman died. He was the first Kamarupa king to claim descent from the mythical Narakasura, Bhagadatta and Vajradatta.[4] After his death, Salasthambha, who established the Mlechchha dynasty, acquired power in Kamarupa Kingdom.[citation needed]
He issued the Dubi and
Background
After Susthitavarman was defeated by Mahasenagupta, his son Supratisthitavarman came to power, who built Kamarupa's elephant army but died prematurely without an heir. Thus, the younger son, Bhaskaravarman, came to power in Kamarupa.[5] Even after he succeeded to the throne c. 600 CE, Bhaskaravarman was known as kumara (prince).
Rivals
Mahasenagupta, in alliance with Shashanka, defeated Susthitavarman
When Shashanka murdered Rajyavardhana who had succeeded Prabhakaravardhana as the king at Thaneswar, Bhaskaravarman sent an envoy, Hangsavega, to form an alliance. This incident was recorded by both Bana and Xuanzang.
Alliance with Harsha
The Harsha Charita of Bana gives a detailed account of Hangsavega's meeting with Harsha. Plying him with gifts and praise, the diplomat was able to effect an offensive and defensive alliance between the two kings.
The Nidhanpur copper-plate grant was issued from Bhaskaravarman's camp at Karnasuvarna,[9] the erstwhile capital of Shashanka.
Chinese accounts
Xuanzang's account
The Chinese traveller,
Wang Xuance's account
After 648 CE the Chinese emperor
Kamarupa of Bhaskaravarman
Xuanzang, in his travelogue, noted that he crossed a great river
Description
Xuanzang notes that Kamarupa was low and moist, and that the crops were regular.
According to the account given in the Si-yu-ki, the circumference of Kamarupa was about 1,700 miles (2,700 km). As Edward Albert Gait has pointed out, this circumference must have included the whole of the Assam valley, Surma valley, parts of North Bengal, and parts of Mymensingh.[citation needed]
Religion
Bhaskaravarman was a worshiper of Shiva, though he had great reverence for learned Buddhist priests and professors of his time, and was distinctly inclined towards Buddhism. The general populace worshiped the Devas worshiped in many temples, and adherents of Buddhism practised devotion secretly.[citation needed]
Culture
According to Xuanzang, the people of Kamarupa were honest, albeit with a violent disposition, but were persevering students. The people were short in height and of yellow complexion. Their speech differed from that of mid-India. The Nidhanpur grant issued from Karnasuvarna contained local literary forms and offices not found in subsequent Kamarupa inscriptions.[citation needed]
Art and industry
The gifts from Bhaskaravarman to Harshavardhana contained mostly products of the land—royal umbrella of exquisite workmanship studded with valuable gems, puthis written on Sachi-bark, dyed cane-mats, Agar-essence, musk in silk-bags, liquid molasses in earthen-pots, utensils, paintings, a pair of Brahmini ducks in a cage made of cane and overlaid with gold, and a considerable quantity of silk-fabrics indicating industry was rudimentary.[citation needed]
Nidhanpur inscription
In his Nidhanpur copper-plate inscription Bhaskaravarman is said to have revealed the light of the
Nalanda seal
Bhaskaravarman's close connection with Harsha and Xuanzang led to his association with the famous Buddhist university of Magadha, for his seal has been discovered at the site of
Sri Ganapati Varma Sri Yajnavatyam Sri Mahendra Varma.
Sri Suvratayam Sri Narayanavarma Sri Devavatyam Sri Mahabhuta Varma.
Sri Vijnana Vatyam Sri Chandramukha Varma Sri Bhogavatyam.
Sri Sthitavarma tena Sri Nayana Sobhayam (Sri Susthitavarma)
(Sri Syama Lakshmyam) Sri Supratisthita Varma.
Sri Bhaskara Varmeti.
K.N. Dikshit, in his "Epigraphical notes of the Nalanda finds", thinks that the seal probably accompanied Bhaskaravarman's letter to Silabhadra inviting Xuanzang.[19][full citation needed] As however it was found in the company of the two Harsha seals the probability is that both Harsha and Bhaskaravarman, on their march from Rajmahal to Kanauj, visited Nalanda together with the Chinese pilgrim and, to commemorate their visit, left their respective seals at the university.[20]
Death
It is not known how or when Bhaskaravarman died, but it is estimated that his reigned ended about 650.[citation needed]
Legacy
Kumar Bhaskar Varma Sanskrit and Ancient Studies University of Nalbari, Assam has been named after him.[citation needed]
See also
Notes
- ^ (Dutta 2008:282), reproduced from (Acharya 1968).
- ^ "He travelled from Pun-na-fa-tan-na (Pundravardhana) on the east more than 900 li or 150 miles; crossed a large river and reached Kia-no-leu-po (Kamarupa). The T'ang Shu refers to this large river as Ka-lo-tu which undoubtedly meant the Karatoya. The pilgrim further states that to the east of the country was a series of hills which reached as far as the confines of China." (Baruah 1986:75)
- ISBN 978-9-38060-734-4.
- ^ "The mythical ancestors of (the Varman) line of rulers were Naraka, Bhagadatta and Vajradatta." (Sharma 1978:0.29)
- ^ (Sircar 1990b:109)
- ^ (Sircar 1990b:107)
- ^ Barua 1933, p. 58.
- ^ Barua 1933, p. 62.
- ^ Epigraphia Indica Vol XII. p. 78.
- ^ (Gait 1906:53–55)
- ^ "The present king belongs to the old line (tso yari) of Narayana-deva. He is of the Brahman caste. His name is Bhaskaravarman, and his title Kumara (Keu-mo-lo)."(Beal 1884, p. 196)
- ^ "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."(Sharma 1978, p. xiv)
- ^ "Hiuen Ts’ang by mistake described Bhaskara-varman as a Brahman, but he was just a neo-Kshatriya, a member of a Hinduised mleccha or non-Hindu Indo-Mongoloid family which had been accepted within the fold of Hindu orthodoxy."(Chatterji 1951, pp. 90–91)
- ^ Chatterji, Suniti Kumar (1951). Kirata-jana-krti. pp. 90, 92.
- ^ (Sircar 1990b:119)
- ^ (Gait 1926:23–24)
- ^ Epigraphia Indica Vol XII. p. 78.
- ^ J.B.O.R.S Vol VI. p. 151.
- ^ ibid.
- ^ Barua 1933, p. 98.
References
- Acharya, N. N. (1968), Asama Aitihashik Bhuchitravali (Maps of Ancient Assam), Bina Library, Gauhati, Assam
- Barua, Kanak Lal (1933). Early History Of Kamarupa.
- Baruah, S L (1986), A Comprehensive History of Assam, New Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers Pvt Ltd
- Beal, Samuel (1884). Si-Yu-Ki. Buddhist Records of the Western World, Translated from the Chinese of Hsüan-tsang (A.D. 629). Vol. II. London: Trubner & Co. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
- Dutta, Anima (2008). Political geography of Pragjyotisa Kamarupa (PhD). Gauhati University. hdl:10603/68309.
- Gait, E A (1906), A History of Assam, Thacker, Spink and Co., Calcutta
- Gait, Sir Edward (1926), A History of Assam, Lawyer's Book Stall, Guwahati
- Ghosh, Suchandra (2012). "Karnasuvarna". In Islam, Sirajul; Jamal, Ahmed A. (eds.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
- Sircar, D C (1990b), "Political History", in Barpujari, H K (ed.), The Comprehensive History of Assam, vol. I, Guwahati: Publication Board, Assam, pp. 94–171
- Kāmarūpa-Kaliṅga-Mithilā:a politico-cultural alignment in Eastern India : history, art, traditions by Chandra Dhar Tripathi, Indian Institute of Advanced Study
- Sharma, Mukunda Madhava (1978). Inscriptions of Ancient Assam. Gauhati University, Assam.