First Hun Invasion of India

Skandagupta's war with the invaders were a series of invasions by the invading hoardes of Hephthalites, Kidarites (Kushans) and Sassanians (Pahlavas). They were

First Hun Invasion of India
Skandagupta's wars with the invaders
Part of Gupta–Hunnic Wars, Sasanian–Gupta conflicts and Gupta–Kushan conflicts

Bhitari pillar inscription of Skandagupta
Date450s–460s[1] or 453–459[2]
Location
Northwestern frontiers and Northwest India
Result Gupta victory[a][b][c]
Territorial
changes		 Gupta Empire imposed suzerainty over the Indus basin[d]
Belligerents
Hephthalites
Kidarites (Kushans)
Sasanians		 Gupta Empire
Commanders and leaders
3 unknown Hephthalite kings (POW) &  Executed (possibly)[7]
Nirmūka		 Kumaragupta I
Skandagupta
Strength
300,000 Hephthalite soldiers (possibly)[8] 200,000 men (possibly)[9]
Casualties and losses
Heavy losses for the Hephthalites[10] unknown

Skandagupta's war with the invaders were a series of invasions by the invading hoardes of Hephthalites, Kidarites (Kushans) and Sassanians (Pahlavas). They were eventually defeated and repelled by the young King, Skandagupta.

Prelude

See also: Sasanian–Kushan Wars and Hephthalite–Sasanian Wars

The Kushans defeated the Sasanian monarch Shapur II. Later, during the years from 388 to 450, the Sasanian-Kidarite Wars have come about.[11] After Yazdegerd II quelled a rebellion. He marched against the Hephthalites, which resulted to his defeat. From their base at Herat in Afghanistan, the Hunas (Hephthalites) had already invaded Persia and started moving southwards to the northwestern frontiers as they intrude upon the Gupta Empire's territory.[12][13]

Skandagupta's wars against the invaders

During Skandagupta's period, the Indo-Hephthalites (known as the White Huns or Hunas) invaded India from the northwest, advancing as far as the Indus River.[3]

Madra inscription on the Kahaum pillar

Battle of the Indus river (458 AD)

Main article: Battle of the Indus River

During the Hun invasion, a battle along the Indus river took place which resulted in Skandagupta checking the advances of the Hunas, along with heavy losses for the Hunas.[14][15][e]

Bhitari pillar of Skandagupta
The Bhitari pillar of Skandagupta

The Bhitari pillar inscription states that Skandagupta defeated the Hunas:[3]

(Skandagupta), "by whose two arms the earth was shaken, when he, the creator (of a disturbance like that) of a terrible whirlpool, joined in close conflict with the Hûnas; . . . . . . among enemies . . . . . . arrows . . . . . . . . . . . . proclaimed . . . . . . . . . . . . just as if it were the roaring of (the river) Ganga, making itself noticed in (their) ears."

— Bhitari pillar inscription of Skandagupta Line 15

Victory against the invaders

The date of the Huna invasion is not certain. The Bhitari inscription mentions it after describing the conflict with the Pushyamitras (or the Yudhyamitras), which suggests that it happened later during Skandagupta's reign. However, a possible reference to this conflict in the Junagadh inscription suggests that it may have happened at the beginning of the Skandagupta's reign or during the reign of his father Kumaragupta. The Junagadh inscription, dated to the year 138 of the Gupta era (c. 457–458 CE) mentions Skandagupta's success against the invaders:[17]

...whose [Skandagupta's] fame, moreover, even [his] enemies, in the countries of the mlechchhas... having their pride broken down to the very root, announce with the words "verily the victory has been achieved by him."

— Junagadh inscription[3]

The victory against the invaders happened in or before the year 136 of the Gupta era (c. 455-456 CE), when Skandagupta ascended the throne and when he appointed Parnadatta as the governor of the Saurashtra region, in which Junagadh is located. Since Skandagupta is not known to have fought against any other foreigners, these invaders were probably the Hunas. If this identification is correct, it is possible that as a prince, Skandagupta was sent to check the Huna invasion at the frontier, and Kumaragupta died in the capital while this conflict was happening; Skandagupta returned to the capital and overcame rebels or rival claimants to ascend the throne.[17]

A sentence in the Sanskrit text Chandra-Vyakarana (c. 7th century) states Ajayad-Gupto Hunan, literally, "The Gupta conquered the Hunas". This may be a reference to Skandagupta's victory over the Hunas, although an alternative reading by scholar K. P. Jayaswal has "Jato" instead of "Gupto".[18] A story in the Kathasaritsagara (11th century) states that the legendary king Vikramaditya ascended the throne after his father Mahendraditya abdicated it, and inflicted a crushing defeat on the invaders. Since Mahendraditya was a title of Kumaragupta, and Vikramaditya that of Skandagupta, this may be a reference to Skandagupta's victory over the Hunas.[19] Mahendraditya was the title of Kumaragupta, in fact it seems that he sent his army under Skandagupta to check the progress of the invaders (which included the hoardes of the Hunas/Hephthalites, Persians/Sasanians and Kidarites/Kushanas) who invaded the northwestern frontiers and territory of the Gupta Empire, eventually, the wars and invasion were repelled by Skandagupta.[f][21][1][22][g][24]

Notes and aftermath

  1. ↑

    ...whose [Skandagupta's] fame, moreover, even [his] enemies, in the countries of the mlechchhas... having their pride broken down to the very root, announce with the words "verily the victory has been achieved by him."

    — Junagadh inscription[3]
  2. ↑ "Kumāra Gupta I, thus, seems to have been engaged in the encounters with the barbarians, during the concluding years of his reign. The earliest invasion was successfully repulsed by the Crown Prince, Skanda Gupta, but later on the strain of continued warfare was acutely felt by the treasury and the emperor was compelled to issue coins of impure gold. No inscription of Kumāra Gupta I., however, gives us the chronology or other information regarding the wars with the barbarians. In the meanwhile Kumāra Gupta I., died in 455 -56 A. D. and the credit of restoring the deteriorating fortunes of the dynasty goes exclusively to Skanda Gupta."[4]
  3. ↑ "When Skandagupta assumed the throne, he almost immediately faced an internal conflict with the Pushyamitras whose challenge to the new Gupta Emperor was crushed only after a bloody fight. Externally, the Hunas (Huns) presented another challenge. From their base at Herat in Afghanistan, the Hunas had invaded Persia and began to encroach on Gupta territory. Skandagupta fended off their attacks and forced them to abondon their plans of conquest for the next fifty years."[5]
  4. ↑ "THE SECOND HUNA INVASION
    The attitude of the imperial Guptas towards the North-West presents a very interesting problem for the students of their history. It is quite apparent that they had the power and resources to incorporate the Indus basin in their empire ; but they did nothing more than imposing a vague sort of suzerainty over it which did not last very long."[6]
  5. ↑ "In their second attempt, which took place in the initial years of the reign of Skandagupta, these barbarians shook the foundation of the empire, though somehow Skandagupta ultimately succeeded in checking the tide of their progress." [16]
  6. ↑ "Kumāragupta I., had taken up the title Mahendrāditya and the fact seems to have been that during the latter part of his reign, the north-western frontiers of the Gupta empire was invaded by horde after horde of barbarians, consisting of Hūṇas, Sassanians, and Kuṣāṇas. Kumāragupta I., sent his army under Skandagupta to check the progress of the invaders."[20]
  7. ↑ "The wars of Skandagupta are laconically referred to in his Bhitari and Junāgarh inscriptions. The fourth verse of the Bhitari inscription refers to the coronation of Skandagupta after his victory over the Pusyamitras, a variant reading being Yudhiyamitras, who are probably identical with the tribe of the Pusyamitras associated in the Viṣnupurana with the region of Mekala near the source of the Narbudda. The seventh verse of this inscription refers to the "conquest of the earth" made by Skandagupta and the eighth verse relates to his victory over the Hunas. It appears that the Hūnas, Kidarites and Pahlavas jointly invaded northern India and were repelled by Skandagupta. In the Junagarh Rock inscription dated 136, 137, 138 GE they are referred to as Mlecchas. In the Bhitari epigraph, however, we have the mention of the Hunas, which constituted a prominent element of the invaders. The result of the victory of Skandagupta was that his fame spread and his influence was felt in foreign countries including the Iranian settlements in the north west. It may be noted that Somadeva in his Kathasaritsāgara includes Nirmūka, the king of the Persians, among the vassals of Vikramaditya, son of Mahendraditya, who as undoubtedly identical with Skandagupta Vikramāditya. The vassalage of the Persian king is a reminiscence of the victory of Skandagupta over the invaders mentioned above. The Kidarites (Kusanas) driven away from India by the young prince Skandagupta in the closing years of the reign of Kumara gupta took refuge in the mountainous retreats of the north west. Some petty rulers of the Kidarite dynasty, who were completely Hinduised, ruled over the north west including some parts of western Panjab Coins have revealed the existence of the kings Kṛtavirya, Sitaditya, Bhāsvan, Kuśala, Prakāśa and Sarvayaśas who used the title kidla. They adopted Hindu names and culture. Finally they merged in Hindu society. Some sections of the Kusānas repaired to the valleys of Chitral and Gilgit about 475 AD and descended from there after the defeat of the Hunas in the sixth century and occupied some parts of Gandhāra on parts of which they kept their possession up to the ninth century. About 595 we hear of two powerful Kuṣāna chiefs, Shog and Pariok. Pariok assassinated Wistam the uncle of Khusrau II who was appointed the governor of Khurāsan."[23]
  • Coin of Skandagupta (455-467), in the style of the Western Satraps.[25]
    Coin of Skandagupta (455-467), in the style of the Western Satraps.[25]
  • Coin of Skandagupta Kramaditya with facing Garuda.
    Coin of Skandagupta Kramaditya with facing Garuda.
  • Gold dinar of Skandagupta.
    Gold dinar of Skandagupta.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Schmidt, Karl J. (2015-05-20). An Atlas and Survey of South Asian History. Routledge. p. 25. ISBN 978-1-317-47681-8.
  2. ↑ Bakker, Hans T. (2020-03-31). The Alkhan: A Hunnic People in South Asia. Barkhuis. p. 31. ISBN 978-94-93194-06-9.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 R. C. Majumdar 1981, p. 73.
  4. ↑ R N Dandekar (1941), p. [1] 100.
  5. ↑ Karl J. Schmidt (2015), p. [2] 24.
  6. ↑ S. R. Goyal, p. [3] 277.
  7. ↑ "The young son of Mahendrasena led his father's army of two hundred thousand men against the enemy whose soldiers numbered three hundred thousand. The prince however, broke the enemy army and won the battle. On his return his father crown him saying "henceforth rule the kingdom," and himself retired to religious life. For twelve years after this, the new king fought these foreign enemies, and ultimately captured and executed the three kings.' It has been suggested that this story gives an account of the fight between Skanda-Gupta and the Hūṇas (IHIJ. 36)." The History and Culture of the Indian People: The classical age. G. Allen & Unwin. 1951. p. 27.
  8. ↑ "The young son of Mahendrasena led his father's army of two hundred thousand men against the enemy whose soldiers numbered three hundred thousand. The prince however, broke the enemy army and won the battle. On his return his father crown him saying "henceforth rule the kingdom," and himself retired to religious life. For twelve years after this, the new king fought these foreign enemies, and ultimately captured and executed the three kings.' It has been suggested that this story gives an account of the fight between Skanda-Gupta and the Hūṇas (IHIJ. 36)." The History and Culture of the Indian People: The classical age. G. Allen & Unwin. 1951. p. 27.
  9. ↑ "The young son of Mahendrasena led his father's army of two hundred thousand men against the enemy whose soldiers numbered three hundred thousand. The prince however, broke the enemy army and won the battle. On his return his father crown him saying "henceforth rule the kingdom," and himself retired to religious life. For twelve years after this, the new king fought these foreign enemies, and ultimately captured and executed the three kings.' It has been suggested that this story gives an account of the fight between Skanda-Gupta and the Hūṇas (IHIJ. 36)." The History and Culture of the Indian People: The classical age. G. Allen & Unwin. 1951. p. 27.
  10. ↑ " A decisive battle along the river inflicted heavy losses and checked the advance of the "White Huns." " Jaques, Tony (2007). Dictionary of Battles and Sieges: A Guide to 8500 Battles from Antiquity Through the Twenty-first Century. Miegunyiah Press. p. 471. ISBN 978-0-522-85336-0.
  11. ↑ Bakker, Hans T. (2020-03-12). The Alkhan: A Hunnic People in South Asia. Barkhuis. p. 31. ISBN 978-94-93194-00-7.
  12. ↑ Schmidt, Karl J. (2015-05-20). An Atlas and Survey of South Asian History. Routledge. p. 24. ISBN 978-1-317-47681-8.
  13. ↑ Prakash, Buddha (1962). Studies in Indian History and Civilization. Shiva Lal Agarwala. pp. 316–317.
  14. ↑ Fisher, William Bayne; Yarshater, Ehsan (1968). The Cambridge History of Iran. Cambridge University Press. p. 214. ISBN 978-0-521-20092-9.
  15. ↑ Jaques, Tony (2007). Dictionary of Battles and Sieges: A Guide to 8500 Battles from Antiquity Through the Twenty-first Century. Miegunyiah Press. p. 471. ISBN 978-0-522-85336-0.
  16. ↑ S. R. Goyal, p. [4] 280–281.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 R. C. Majumdar 1981, pp. 73–74.
  18. ↑ R. C. Majumdar 1981, p. 74.
  19. ↑ R. C. Majumdar 1981, p. 75.
  20. ↑ R N Dandekar (1941), p. [5] 99.
  21. ↑ R N Dandekar 1941, pp. 99–100.
  22. ↑ "Soon after this triumph the Hephthalites moved southwards and crossing the Indus and swooped down upon the Gupta empire in 455 A.D. But Skandagupta beat them back, as we gather from the Bhitari inscription." Prakash, Buddha (1962). Studies in Indian History and Civilization. Shiva Lal Agarwala. p. 317.
  23. ↑ Buddha Prakash, p. [6] 375–377.
  24. ↑ Line 12 of the Bhitari pillar inscription of Skandagupta : "Who, when (his) father had attained the skies, conquered (his) enemies by the strength of (his) arm, and established again the ruined fortunes of (his) lineage; and then, crying "the victory has been achieved" betook himself to (his) mother, whose eyes were full of tears from joy, just as Krishna, when he had slain (his) enemies, betook himself to (his mother) Dêvakî"
  25. ↑ "Evidence of the conquest of Saurastra during the reign of Chandragupta II is to be seen in his rare silver coins which are more directly imitated from those of the Western Satraps... they retain some traces of the old inscriptions in Greek characters, while on the reverse, they substitute the Gupta type ... for the chaitya with crescent and star." in Rapson "A catalogue of Indian coins in the British Museum. The Andhras etc.", p.cli

Bibliography

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