The Kingdom of Malwa, or from 515, the Malwa Empire or the Malava Empire, was a kingdom in Central India ruled by the Aulikara dynasty during the classical era and the early medieval era. It was established by Jayavarman in 350 and vastly expanded during the reign of Yashodharman, the last king.
Kingdom of Malwa Mālavā Rājya (Shauraseni) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 350–545 | |||||||||
 The Kingdom of Malwa in 544 | |||||||||
| Capital | Mandsaur | ||||||||
| Religion | Hinduism | ||||||||
| Government | Absolute monarchy | ||||||||
| Rajadhiraja | |||||||||
• 350–375 | Jayavarman (first) | ||||||||
• 515–545 | Yashodharman (last) | ||||||||
| Historical era | |||||||||
• House of Aulikara established | 350 | ||||||||
• Death of Yashodharman | 545 | ||||||||
| |||||||||
| Today part of | India | ||||||||
The Kingdom of Avanti of ancient India had been based in the region where the Kingdom of Malwa later came up. The Kingdom of Avanti was conquered by Indo-Scythia in 61 BC. Following this, the region was ruled by the Malava republic. During the period, the region's name gradually changed to Malava or Malwa. In 350 AD, Jayavarman established the Kingdom of Malwa in region and founded the House of Aulikara. Yashodharman, the King of Malwa between 515 and 545 AD significantly expanded the kingdom and conquered the territories of Huns.
Following the death of Yashodharman, his empire disintegrated and Malwa was re-conquered by the Magadhan Empire.
History
editEstablishment
editThe region where the Kingdom of Malwa was established had earlier been part of the Malava republic. The Malavas had been a tribe from northwestern India who conquered and established their rule over the Malwa region sometime after the fall of the Kingdom of Avanti (61 BC).[1] They formed an oligarchic republic and maintained their rule over Malwa until 350 AD. Jayavarman, a Malava chief, deposed the republican government and established the Kingdom of Malwa and the House of Aulikara.
Early expansion
editTaking advantage of the confusion created during the reign of Rudrasena III, the Saka Satrap of Gujarat for thirteen years, from 351 to 364 AD, Jayavarman seized the territory near Mandsor from the Sakas. In 423 AD, Viswavarman accepted the suzerainty of Kumaragupta I, the Emperor of Magadha. In 467 AD, following the succession crisis after the death of Emperor Skandagupta of Magadha, Prabhakara became an independent monarch.
Second Aulikara dyansty
editA second dyansty succeeding the first one is found to have ruled from Dashapur following the first one. The first ruler, Drumavardhana (also interpreted as Drapavardhana) was a warlord in the Magadhan Empire. His successors ruled the kingdom as independent sovereigns.
Yashodharman
editFurther north, the First Hunnic War began in 496 between the Hunnic Empire and the Magadha Empire and the Huns conquered parts of Central and Northwest India by 510. However, in 515 during the reign of Yashodharman, the Kingdom of Malwa joined the War in aid of Magadha and managed to defeat the Huns. The Hunnic King Toramana died from war injuries after a battle with the Magadhan Emperor Narasimhagupta.
In 520, the Second Hunnic War began after the son of Tomara, Mihirakula, King of the Huns invaded the Magadhan Empire once more and occupied and sacked Patliputra, the Magadhan capital. Following this, Malwa formed an alliance with the Kingdom of Thanesar and in 528, defeated the Hunnic Empire. Yashodharman died in 545 AD.
Dravyavardhana
editThe events following Yashovarman's death are mostly unclear. However a sixth century scholar of Malwa, Varāhamihira mentions a king of Avanti (Malwa), Maharajadhirajakah Dravyavardhana. The consensus among most scholars is that he is either the immediate successor or predecessor of Yashovarman. Buddha Prakash, Goyal and Shastri consider him to be the successor of Yashovarman. Others such as Mirashi and Agarwal consider him to be the immediate predecessor of Yashovarman. Balogh however consider it to be the erroneous spelling of the first ruler, Drapavardhana.
The full title being Nrpa Maharajadhirajakah, the '-kah' has been interpreted by most scholars as belonging to the dynasty of a Maharajadhiraja while Balogh and Bakker have interprets it as a governor installed by a Maharajadhiraja.
Aftermath
editThe region of Malwa was likely re-conquered by the Magadhan Empire. In 575 AD, the Kingdom of Kannauj conquered the core region of Magadha from the Magadhan Empire, following which Mahasenagupta escaped to Malwa, the remaining unconquered part of his empire. He ruled the rump state of the Malwa until his death in 601 AD, and succession by his son Devagupta. Devagupta engineered a Malwa–Gauda alliance against the Thanesar–Kannauj alliance which was initially successful but later failed and Malwa and Gauda were conquered by Harsha.
Administration
editOnly three offices of the Aulikaras are known from their epigraphical records: the Senapati (commander-in-chief), the Amatyas (ministers) and the Rajasthaniya (viceroy). The exact nature of the office of the Rajasthaniya, which is mentioned in several inscriptions is not clear from them. George Buhlar rendered Rajasthaniya as the viceroy, and his view is mostly accepted. It seems that the office of the Rajasthaniya of the Aulikaras became hereditary in the Naigama family since the days of Shashthidatta. Shashthidatta's son Varaha is identified with Varahadasa of the Chittaurgarh fragmentary inscription of his grandson by a historian D.C. Sircar. Varaha's son Ravikirti was an amatya under Rajyavardhana. He had three sons by his wife Bhanugutpa: Bhagavaddosha, Abhayadatta and Doshakumbha. Bhagavaddosha was a Rajasthaniya under Prakashadharma. His younger brother Abhayadatta was appointed a Rajasthaniya after him[2] The Chiitaurgarh fragmentary inscription mentions Abhayadatta as a Rajasthaniya of Dashapura and Madhyama.[3] The Mandsaur inscription dated Malava Samvat 589 describes Abhayadatta as the Rajasthaniya' between the Vindhyas and the Pariyatras. His nephew and son of Doshakumbha, Nirdosha succeeded him as the Rajasthaniya of the same region. Nirodsha's elder brother Dharmadosha was also a high-ranking official under the Aulikaras, but his exact designation is not known.[2]
Art and architecture
edit
The most significant monuments which definitely belong to the Aulikara period are two freestanding victory pillars of Yashodharma Vishnuvardhana bearing his inscriptions. These almost identical pillars, situated at Sondani, a suburb to the southeast Mandsaur, are made of sandstone. The height of the entire column is 44 ft 5 in. Its square base is 4 ft 5 in high and 3 ft 4 in wide. The bell-shaped capital is 5 ft 2 in high. Its shaft is sixteen faced round. Most probably there was a crowning statue, which has not been found.[4]
-
Sondhni, two Dvarapalas -
Sondhni pillar capital -
Vidyadhara, Sondani, circa 525 CE. National Museum, New Delhi -
List of kings
edit| Royal title | Name | Reign | Dynasty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jayavarman founded the Aulikara clan and was the first ruler of the first Aulikara dynasty. They ruled as feudatories of the Magadhan Empire. | |||
| Jayavarman | First | ||
| Simhavarman | First | ||
| Maharaja | Naravarman | c. 400–420[a] | First |
| Maharaja | Vishvavarman | 420s | First |
| Maharaja | Bandhuvarman | 430s | First |
| Drapavardhana, a military commander serving the Magadhan Empire, rules or governs a state around Dashapur in Malwa. First ruler of the second Aulikara dynasty. | |||
| Senapati | Drapavardhana | Second | |
| Jayavardhana | Second | ||
| Ajitavardhana | Second | ||
| Vibhishanavardhana | Second | ||
| Rajyavardhana | Second | ||
| Adhiraja | Prakashadharman or Adityavardhan | Second | |
| Rajadhiraja | Yashodharman or Vishnuvardhan | 515–545 | Second |
| While some scholars consider Yashodharman to be the last king, others consider the existence of another Dravyavardhana.[b] | |||
| Maharajadhiraja (disputed)[b] |
Dravyavardhana | late 6th-century | Second |
See also
editNotes
edit- ^ (two inscriptions found 404 and 417 AD)
- ^ a b Varāhamihira, a sixth century astrologer, mentions Dravyavardhana as a king of Avanti. Though some scholars consider it to be an error which actually refers the Drapavardhana, other scholars consider him the contemporary royal patron of Varaha.
Also disputed is the king's titles which is mentioned as Maharajadhiraja-jah in three places and Maharajadhiraja in one, some interpreting the former to denote a governor of a Maharajadhiraja, while others interpreting it as belonging to the dynasty of Maharajadhiraja.
References
edit- ^ Yenne, Bill (2010-04-13). Alexander the Great: Lessons from History's Undefeated General. St. Martin's Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-230-10640-6.
- ^ a b Ojha, N.K. (2001). The Aulikaras of Central India: History and Inscriptions, Chandigarh: Arun Publishing House, ISBN 81-85212-78-3, pp.60-4
- ^ Jain (1972)
- ^ Ojha, N.K. (2001). The Aulikaras of Central India: History and Inscriptions, Chandigarh: Arun Publishing House, ISBN 81-85212-78-3, pp.99-100
Sources
edit- Kailash Chand Jain (1972). Malwa Through the Ages, from the Earliest Times to 1305 A.D. Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 978-81-208-0824-9. Archived from the original on 16 February 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2016.