The Aryan wave extended to Kamarupa directly from Videha (Mithila) and Magadha long before Lower Bengal
became either habitable or fit for Aryan occupation. Kamarupa was
therefore Aryanized long before central and lower Bengal.1
The Magadha empire was founded by Chandra Gupta in the fourth century B.C. About this time, or after, the whole of northern Bengal, to the south of the Jalpaiguri district and west of the Trisrota, was absorbed in the Maurya empire together with the Tamralipti region in the south west. The Mauryan empire of Asoka undoubtedly included northern Bengal between the Teesta (Karatoya) and the Kosi, for within this area stupas erected by Asoka were found by Yuan Chwang in the seventh century A. D. This area continued to be included in the Magadha empire at least till the sixth century A.D. During the rule of the Imperial Gupta's this stretch was known as Pundravardhana. To the east and north of Pundravardhana, Kamarupa continued as an independent kingdom ruled over by an indigenous line of kings who traced descent from rulers Naraka of Mithila and his descendents Bhagadatta and Vajradatta who were heroes mentioned in the epics. From epigraphic records, so far brought to light, it is possible to trace an almost unbroken genealogy of these kings from about the middle of the fourth century A.D down to the twelfth century or a period of nearly nine hundred years. Very few of the old Hindu kingdoms in India can present such unique genealogical records covering such a long period.
The Magadha empire was founded by Chandra Gupta in the fourth century B.C. About this time, or after, the whole of northern Bengal, to the south of the Jalpaiguri district and west of the Trisrota, was absorbed in the Maurya empire together with the Tamralipti region in the south west. The Mauryan empire of Asoka undoubtedly included northern Bengal between the Teesta (Karatoya) and the Kosi, for within this area stupas erected by Asoka were found by Yuan Chwang in the seventh century A. D. This area continued to be included in the Magadha empire at least till the sixth century A.D. During the rule of the Imperial Gupta's this stretch was known as Pundravardhana. To the east and north of Pundravardhana, Kamarupa continued as an independent kingdom ruled over by an indigenous line of kings who traced descent from rulers Naraka of Mithila and his descendents Bhagadatta and Vajradatta who were heroes mentioned in the epics. From epigraphic records, so far brought to light, it is possible to trace an almost unbroken genealogy of these kings from about the middle of the fourth century A.D down to the twelfth century or a period of nearly nine hundred years. Very few of the old Hindu kingdoms in India can present such unique genealogical records covering such a long period.
Inscriptions
No less than twelve copperplate inscriptions, inscribed seals and rock-inscriptions recorded by various kings of Kamarupa during this period have been discovered and deciphered. Epigraphic records left by the famous Gupta emperor Samudra Gupta, Yasodharman, king of Malwa, who was a famous conqueror, Adityasena, who belonged to the line of "Later Gupta's of Magadha", Jayadeva, a well-known king of Nepal and some of the Pala kings and Sena kings of Bengal provide useful material for the history of Kamarupa during this period. The Raghuvaugsa of Kalidasa, the very valuable accounts of the Chinese writers, the Harsha-Charita of Banabhatta, the Raja-tarangini of Kahlan and the translations from Tibetan records, made available, also throw valuable light. The local epigraphic records constitute, however the most important foundation;on on which a reliable frame-work of history can be based. These can be enumerated as follows in chronological order:-- The Nidhanpur copper-plate inscription of Bhaskar Varman (Circa 610 A.D.) discovered and deciphered by Pandit Padmanath Bhattacharya Vidya Vinod and published in Epigraphia Indica, Vols XII and XIX. One plate of this inscription is still missing.
- The Nalanda clay-seal of Bhaskar Varman,(circa 643 A.D.) deciphered by Mr. K. N. Dikshit and published in the journal of the Bihar and Orissa Research Society, Vol. VI (1920).
- The Hayungthal copper-plate inscription of Harjara-Varman (circa 825 A.D.) discovered and deciphered by Pandit Padmanath Bhattacharya Vidya Vinod and published by him in his "Kamarupa Vansavali". Only the middle plate of this inscription has been discovered.
- The rock-inscription of Harjara-Varman near Tezpur (dated 510 Gupta era equivalent to 829 A.D.) deciphered by M. M. Pandit Hariprasad Shastri and published in the Journal of the Bihar and Orissa Research Society, December 1917.
- The Tezpur copper-plate inscription of Vanamala-Varman (circa 854 A. D.) deciphered by Pandit Kamala Kanta and published in the journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal Vol. IX,1840.
- The Nagaon copper-plate inscription of Bala Varman III (circa 883 A.D.) originally deciphered by the late M. M. Pandit Dhireswara Bhattacharya Kaviratna and published in the `Assam. It was subsequently re-deciphered by Rudolf Hoernle and published in the journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal (No. i of 1897).
- The Bargaon copper-plate inscription of Ratna Pala (circa 1025 A. D.) deciphered by Hoernle and published in the journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal (Part I of 1888).
- The Sualkuchi copper-plate inscription of Ratna Pala (circa 1026 A.D.) deciphered by Hoernle and published in the journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal,(part I of 1898).
- The Guwahati copper-plate inscription of Indra Pala (circa 1038 A.D.) deciphered by Hoernle and published in the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal(part I of 1897).
- The Guakuchi copper-plate inscription of Indra Pala (circa 1051 A.D.) deciphered by Pandit Padmanath Bhattacharya Vidya Vinod and published by him in his "Kamarupa Vansanavali".
- The first copper-plate inscription of Dharma Pala (circa 1092 A.D.) collected by the late Hem Chandra Gosain, deciphered by Pandit Padmanath Bhattacharya Vidya Vinod and published in his "Kamarupa Vansanavali".
- The second or Puspabhada copper-plate inscription of Dharma Pala (circa 1110 A.D.) deciphered by the late Hem Chandra Gossain and published by Pandit Vidya Vinod in his "Kamarupa Vansanavali".
- The rock-inscription in North Guwahati dated 1127 Saka equivalent to 1205-06 A. D. relating to the defeat of Mahammad-i-Bukhityar in Kamarupa. Col. Gordon read a paper on this inscription in 1918. A photograph of this inscription also appears in Pandit Vidya Vinod's "Kamarupa Vansavali". This inscription was referred to in paper on the "Earlier Muhammadan invasions of Kamarupa" read in the anniversary meeting of the Kamarupa Anusandhan Samiti during 1931. General Jenkins collected and forwarded to the Asiatic Society of Bengal the inscription of Vanamala and another said to have been recorded by Dharma Pala in the thirty sixth year of his reign. The Society published the text of the Vanamala inscription but the one said to have been recorded by Dharma Pala was not published at all and it is not traceable now. Probably it was one of the Dharma Pala inscriptions now published by Pandit Vidya Vinod. All the inscriptions deciphered by Dr. Hoerale were sent to him by Sir Edward Gait who was then Secretary to the Chief Commissioner of Assam and was collecting materials for his "History of Assam" which was actually published.
Reference material
The Aryan text 'Satapatha Brahmana' alludes to the stretching out of Aryan culture to the east of the Karatoya river.4 'Aitareya Brahmana' indicated spread of Aryan culture to prehistoric Brahmaputra valley, Gopatha Brahmana narrates origin of name 'Kamarupa',4 furthermore 'Sankhyayana Grihasamgraha' mentions 'Pragjyotisha' as the land of sunrise.5 The commentators of Arthashastra of Kautilya of third century B.C mentioned import of economic goods from Sonkuriha (Suvarnakundya) village in Nalbari district.7Sources
- Barua, Kanak Lal (1933), Early History of Kamarupa, pp. I The Aryan wave extended to Kamarupa directly from Videha and Magadha long before Lower Bengal became either habitable or fit for Aryan occupation. Kamarupa was therefore Aryanized long before central and lower Bengal.
- Sharma, Naliniranjan (1994), The Kāmarūpa School of Dharmaśāstra, Punthi Pustak, p.3 Moreover, the discovery of the copper plate-inscriptions issued by different kings of ancient Assam (Kamarupa) at different times brings to light the Aryan colour of the cultural heritage of Assam.
- Barua, B.M (1947), The Indian Historical Quarterly - Volumes 23-24, Calcutta Oriental Press, p. 209 The above suggestion, that the first Indo-Aryan rule favourable to Brahmanism was founded in Kamarupa with Pusyavarman as the first ruler under Samudragupta received its support from these two facts
- Niśipada Caudhurī (1985), Historical archaeology of central Assam, B.R. Publishing Corporation, p.2, ISBN 9780865907126, 0865907129
- Pathak, Guptajit (2008), Assam's history and its graphics, Mittal Publications, p. 39, ISBN 9788183242516, 8183242510
- Niśipada Caudhurī (1985), Historical archaeology of central Assam, B.R. Publishing Corporation, p.26, ISBN 9780865907126, 0865907129 Assam's early contact with Aryan India is revealed by the reference in the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Kautilya's reference to Aryanized place-names in Kamarupa shows that during the Mauryan period, an Aryan wave entered the land.
- Barua, Prafulla Chandra (1965), Fundamentals of Assamese culture, The Author, p. 20. Commentators of Kautilya's Arthashastra of third century B.C. viz. Bhattaswami and Kulluka Bhatta make special reference to the best specimens of Ksauma, Dukula and Patrorņa standing for pāt , mugā and edi from Kamarupa . An āgurān of śiśupāt could be concealed in ones palm. Modern Sonkuriha, a village in Uporborbhag mouza of Nalbari circle in Kamrup district has been identified with Suvarnakudya of the ancient times (Arthashastra).
