History of Himachal Pradesh - Information

After the Mauryan Empire disintegrated, the republics in Himachal again reorganized themselves. Some of them like Kunindas issued coins but Audambaras and Trigarta Shashtha had been damaged beyond repair. The latter had fragmented into parts and some of its units like Brahma-gupta had got a separate and an independent identity (Brah-mapura) which is mentioned by Hiuen Tsang

During Kanishka's time, Kushans, were the overlords of these republics but as the Kushan empire weakened, Kunindas along with Yaudheyas and Arjuneyas fought for their independence and secured it. Their hard-won freedom however, could not last long. In about A.D. 340 the imperialist Samudragupta, prior to his Ashwamedh Yajna, sent them a challenge to either accept his over lordship and live in peace and prosperity or face destruction which other kindgoms that dared to oppose him had suffered. He never had to carry his sword to the hills which recognized his superiority.

The Gupta Empire broke up in A.D. 480-90 due to internal dissensions and under external pressure from the Huns, whose inroads from north-west increased towards the end of the 5th century. In A.D. 500 Tormana, the Hun established himself as the ruler of as far-off an area as Malwa in central India. After his death he was succeeded by Mihiragula, 'the Attila of India', who with his implacable cruelty destroyed people and constitutions alike. Life in north and north-west India was completely uprooted. 

The Hun hordes travelled all over, devastating everything. Mihiragula was defeated by Yashodharman, who was the Raja in central India, in A.D. 528 and he retired to Kashmir to later become its master by deception.

Huns are often mentioned in books and inscriptions in connection with 'Gurjaras' whose name survives in modern Gujjars. The early Gurjaras were thus foreign elements, closely associated with and possibly allied in blood to the white Huns. 

In the wake of the Hun invasion, and in the confusion following the defeat of Mihiragula, a number of petty states emerged in the cis-Himalayan regions. Their chiefs were known as Rajas, Ranas and Thakurs. They claimed them-selves to be Kshatriyas. In fact, clans or families which succeeded in winning chieftainship were readily admitted into the frame of Hindu polity as Kshatriyas or Rajputs. These chieftains derived their title of Raja from Rajangas and Rana from Rajanka while the word Thakura, according to the latest research, is a word of the Yue-che Tokhari language and was brought by its speakers to India. Originally it denoted the Yue-Che Tokhorian tribe which lived near the Aral Sea and which reached its zenith of power under Kanishka. Since the Yue-Che came to hold a dominant position in India the word Thakur or Thakkura was invested with a sense of prestige and came to mean a chief, warrior, lord, noble, in general. From being synonymous of 'lord' or 'chief', Thakura signified a man of high caste, Kshatriya or Brahman and even to stand for high divine power later. 

North-west India was in a state of political ferment and anarchy when Harsha in A.D. 606 came to the throne of Sthanesvara (Thanesar) the land of Kurus which is famous as the battlefield of the Pandavas and Kauravas. Young Harsha devoted his signal ability and energy to the implementation of a methodical scheme of conquest with the purpose of bringing 'entire India under one umbrella.' He possessed at that stage 5,000 elephants, 20,000 cavalry and 50,000 infantry. He had discarded chariots as useless. With the mobile and formidable force Harsha overran first the north-west and then the entire northern India. The hill chieftains bowed to Harsha apparently without a fight. But once the strong hand of Harsha was removed, the subdued chieftains again assumed independence. The Rajas or Ranas held sway over their 'Rahuns' and Thakurs over their 'Thakuris' or 'Thakurais'. Their states were small in size and were constantly engaged in strife with one another. Their boundaries were changed as one ruler established super einortiirtye over the other. Numerous battles between them have found place in folklore. Excepting Kangra and Kulu, the Himachal area was fragmented into such 'Rahuns' and `Thulkrais'. 

For more information about Himachal and tours in Himachal Pradesh contact Swantour.com.