Sunday, April 26, 2009

The Empire of Kashmir

























Map shows:

UTTARAPATHA oAncient North-West Bharat

(Ref: Pandit Chelam's book Chronology of Kashmir History Reconstructed, which can be downloaded in pdf form from http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=creator%3A%22Kota%20Venkata%20Chalam%22)


Kashmir was not a small state but an empire having many small states as feudatories and their rulers were paying tribute to their over-lord. There were twenty-two petty regions-under its sway: 

1. Darva;  
2. Abhisara : 

Though these two were comprised in Kashmir, they had independent rulers who were subordinate to the king of Kashmir. These were inhabited by people called Yavana Kshatriyas. 

3.Urasa or Uraga: This is also part of Kashmir having an independent ruler, subordinate to the king of Kashmir. This region also was inhabited by Mlechchas termed Yavanas. 

4. Kambhoja; its capital was Rajapura and was in the Southern part of Kashmir. This region had an independent ruler and was subordinate to the king of Kashmir. 

5.Trigarta: This was a feudatory  state to Kashmir.

6. Lohar: This was subordinate to Kashmir king. 

7. Dhekkan territory: This was a region consisting of three Yavana Kshatriya states called Simhapura, Divyakataka, Uttara Jyotisha.  Its capital was Udabhandapura.  The people living in these tracts were Yavana Kshatriyas and the other three castes.  These extended from
North to South, in three-fourths region of present Afghanistan.  The descendents of Lallya Sahi or Hindu Sahi Dynasty conquered and reigned over this territory from 850 A.D. onwards.  This was also sub-ordinate to the king of Kashmir.

8. Phalguna Dvara Region.

9. Krama Desa. 

10. Champakapura.

11. Gada Desa. 

12. Kastavata Rashtra. 

13. Nilapura  Rashtra.

14. Vallapura Rashtra. 

15. Dhakka Desa. 

16. Lata Desa 

17. Gurjara Rashtra. 

18. Lonamaka Rashtra. 

19. Madava Rashtra. 

20. Karala Rashtra. 

21. Yavana Rashtra. 

22. Kampana Rashtra. 

The states from 8 to 22 were round about the Kashmir Empire and "Rajatarangini" relates that the rulers of those states paid tribute to the kings of Kashmir.  Darada, Turushka (which are in present Russian Turkistan) and Gandhara Desa were often conquered by Kashmir kings and again used to declare independence. 

The states 1, 2, 3, and 7 were Kshatriya kingdoms of the Yavana sect, Rajataragini mentions that besides these, the 21st also went by the name of Yavana country. In the seventh a number
of states were comprised such as Simhapura. Divya Kataka and Uttara Jyotisha. which were Yavana regions. In olden days these three states were under independent kings. It appears that the Brahma-Kshatriya king by name Lalliya conquered these three states and consolidated them into Dhekkan territory. Therefore, Kashmir was a small Empire comprising of these petty states.

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