Arjunayanas | |||||||
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| 2nd century BCE–6th century | |||||||
 .png) Location on the Arjunayanas and contemporary South Asian polities circa 150 CE.[1] | |||||||
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| Government | Aristocratic republic | ||||||
| Legislature | Sabhā | ||||||
| History | |||||||
• Established | 2nd century BCE | ||||||
• Disestablished | 6th century | ||||||
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| Today part of | India | ||||||
Arjunayana, Arjunavana, Arjunavayana[2][3] orArjunayanaka was an ancient republican people located in Punjab or north-eastern Rajasthan. They emerged as a political power during theShunga period (c. 185 – c. 73 BCE). In theAllahabad Pillar Inscription ofSamudragupta (c. 335 – c. 380 CE), the Arjunayanas figure among the autonomous political communities bordering on theGupta Empire who accepted the overlordship of Samudragupta. They are also mentioned inBṛhat Saṃhitā of Varahamihira (6th century CE).[4][5] According to Dr Buddha Prakash, the Arjunayanas are mentioned as Prajjunakas inKautiliya's textArthashastra[5] which also places them in the northern division of India.[6][7]Vincent Smith locates their republic inAlwar andBharatpur states now inRajasthan, a view which has been rejected byR. C. Majumdar. They are mentioned in the literary sources in Afghanistan from 4th century BCE and after Alexander's invasions in 3rd century they have been mentioned in Agra, Mathura and Southern Haryana region till 4th century CE where their coins have been found too.
The origin of the Arjunayanas is shrouded in obscurity. In terms of literary evidence, Arjunava is mentioned as geographical term inGanapatha (IV.2.127 dhuma-aday-ah) inPāṇini (c. 600 BCE to 400 BCE). In terms of excavated archaeological evidence, they make their first appearance in history sometime after the invasion ofAlexander and were first attested by their coins belonging to 2nd or 1st century BCE.[8] Arjunavana is derived from Arjunava. Arjunayana is same as Arjunavana or Arjunavayana.[9] Arjunavana is believed to be derived from Arjunava, a composite ofArjuna andnava (young, modern or descended from).
Greek chroniclerArrian attests one city which he calls Arigaeum or Arigaeon/Arigaion which commanded the road betweenKunar andPanjkora valleys[10] in north-easternAfghanistan. It was in theKamboja region and the habitat of theAspasioitribe (Aśvakas) whom Arrian calls Indian barbarians. These people had given a tough fight to Alexander in 327 BCE and when the defense of their citadel became difficult in view of the superior forces of Alexander, the inhabitants of Arigaeum/Arigaion had deserted the city, set it on fire and retreated to mountainous fastnesses. Alexander took his forces towards the mountainous fastness where most of the Arigaionians (inhabitants of Arigaion) were collected. A hard contest ensued with the Arigaionian Aspasians, both from the difficult nature of the ground and because the Aspasian Indians were not like the other barbarians of this district but were far stronger than their neighbors.[11] Ptolemy attests that Macedonian forces captured about 40,000, and that over 23,000 of which Alexander picked out the finest and sent them into Macedonia.[11] Scholars like Dr V. S. Agarwala have equated theArigaeum orArigaion of Arrian toSanskrit name Arjunava which finds mention inPāṇini's Ganapatha[12] as well as in the Kasika.[13] If this interpretation of scholars like Dr V. S. Agarwala is correct and the "Arjunava" of the Kashika or Pāṇini's Ganapatha is indeed the "Arigaeum/Arigaion" of Arrian, then the probable origin of the Arjunayanas can possibly be speculated. The section of Aspasian people inhabiting the city of Arigaion (Arjunava) were probably known as Arjunavanas, Arjunavayanas or Arjunayanas (from Arjunava).
A variant of Sanskrit Arjunayana is attested as Arjunayanaka.Kautiliya'sArthashastra (c. 200 BCE to 300 CE) mentions and brackets a nation called Prajjunaka withGandhara[14] and refers to their buffoons, Artisans and professional singers and actors. Since Gandhara was a great ancient cultural center, therefore, the Prajjunakas who are bracketed with the Gandharas and are attested to have Gandhara-like cultural characteristics, must also have laid close to Gandhara. The Prajjunakas ofArthashastra have been supposed by some scholars to be a variant of Sanskrit Arjunayanakas (Arjunayana).[5][15][16] If this be correct, then the 4th-century BCE text on statecraft also attests the Arjunayanas (Arjunavanas) as close neighbors of theGandharas which fact possibly alludes to the inhabitants of Arigaion (Arjunava) of the Swat/Kunar valleys.
It is conceivable to infer that after suffering serious defeat at the hands of Alexander'sMacedonian forces in 326 BCE, a section from the Arigaionians had left their old habitat betweenSwat andKunar valleys, crossed the Punjab rivers and moved to Punjab and beyond to avoid further persecution by Alexander. 3rd centuryBuddhist tantra textMahamayuri attests one place name Arjunavana which is presided over byYakshaArjuna. The same text also says thatDuryodhana was the tutelary Yaksha ofSrughana (modern Sugh inYamunanagar). On the basis of the Mahamayuri, it has been speculated that the place name Arjunavana of theBuddhist text may have been somewhere near to Srughana (Yamunanagar in Haryana). It has been located somewherewithin the triangle formed byDelhi-Jaipur and Agra regions.[17][18] It is possible that the splinter group from the Arigaion (Arjunava) had moved to and settled insouth-east Punjab and Rajasthan under pressure from Alexander and they probably named the political headquarters of their new-found territory also as Arjunavana (from Arjunava) which name finds reference in the 4th century CE Buddhist tantra textMahamayuri. Arjunayanas of the coins have been identified byFleet with theKalachuris who traces their descent fromKartavirya Arjuna of theHaihaya tribe of the antiquity. Some other scholars like Dr Buddha Prakash however like to connect Arjunayanas toPandava-heroArjuna.[citation needed]
The findspot of Arjunayanacoins indicates that their territory lay within the triangle formed by Delhi-Jaipur-Agra.[19] The Arjunayana coins resemble those of theYaudheya coins which show their contemporariness. They are several varieties. In one type, the obverse shows a bull and a standing goddess on the reverse. On another type, bull is standing before a tree in railing on the obverse and another bull facing a linga symbol and also carrying a legendArjunayanajaya on the reverse. The third variety has a bull in the obverse and a swastika with taurine symbol at the end of arms and a branch or palm leaf and the legendJanayana on the reverse. These coins show that these people weredevotees of the godShiva. Now Shiva was the god of the North and also of theAshvaka land as is attested byGreek chroniclers.[20][21][22] With the interpretation of Arrian'sArigaum/Arigaion with SanskritArjunava as suggested by scholars, the possible origin and descent of Arjunayanas can possibly be traced to this Arigaion (Arjunava) ofSwat/Kunar regions and possibly be connected with theAshvakas of the Indian texts. Like Arjunayanas, the Ashvakas (Aspasioi and Assakenoi) were also a republican people as has been attested by Greek chroniclers.[23] TheAshvakas are believed to be a section of the ancientKambojas. They are mentioned as Ashvayanas and Ashvakayas byPāṇini.[24] That the Arjunayanas were devotees of god Shiva also alludes to their possible connections with the Swat/Kunar valley, the land of the Ashvakas.
2nd-century coin evidence attests that the Arjunayanas and Yaudheyas were neighbourly tribes and had collaborated in their joint fight against the foreign invaders like theYavanas,Sakas,Pahlavas and later theKushanas. Thus, some people speculate that Arujayanas and Yaudheyas may have been allied or related tribes. TheAdiparva ofMahabharata references Yaudheya as the son of thePandava,Yudhishthira.[25] Based on these references, these scholars have speculated thatYaudheyas had descended from, Yaudheya, son of Yudhishtra. And similarly, it has also been speculated that Arjunayanas had also probably descended from Pandava hero,Arjuna. This view is purely mythical and anachronistic. The Yaudheyas as a full-fledged tribe had participated in theKurukshetra war on the side ofKauravas,[26] the enemies of Pandavas. Furthermore, prior to Kurukshetra war, the Yaudheyas, together with otherPunjabi tribes like the Sibis, Trigartas, Rajanyas,Madras,Kekayas, Ambasthas, Kaukuras etc., had joined theRajasuya ceremony of the Pandavas and had brought tributes to Yudhishtra.[27] Thus, the claim that Yaudheyas had descended from Yaudheya, son of Pandava Yudhishtra is utterly baseless. Similarly, there is no basis, whatsoever, in the speculation that Arjunayanas may have descended from the Pandava hero Arjuna. These seem to be merely fantastic myths invented at later time to connect the Yaudheyas as well as the Arjunayanas to the heroic Pandava lineage. The Arjunayanas are not mentioned in theMahabharata,Ramayana or any Vedic texts. While Yaudheyas are mentioned in the list ofAyudhajivi Samghas ofPāṇini,[28] the Arjunayanas don't find any reference as such. It may also be a mere speculation that the Prajjunakas of Kautiliya's Arthashastra[29] are same as Arjunayanas (or Arjunayanakas).[30] Thus, the Arjunayanas/Arjunavanas or Arjunayanakas are, in all probability, a post-Alexandrian phenomena and it is highly likely that this people had been fugitives from the Arigaion (Arjunava) region of the Kunar/Swat valleys.
The territory of the Arjunayanas bordered on theGupta empire. They are recorded in theAllahabad Pillar inscription ofSamudragupta (c. 335 – c. 380 CE) and are mentioned together with Malavas, Yaudheyas, Madrakas, Abhiras, Prarjunas, Sanakanikas, Kakas, Kharaparikas and other tribes.[31][32] They are believed to have been vanquished by Samudragupta, around 335 CE and amalgamated into the Gupta empire.
(Lines 22–23) (Samudragupta, whose) formidable rule was propitiated with the payment of all tributes, execution of orders and visits (to his court) for obeisance by such frontier rulers as those ofSamataṭa,Ḍavāka,Kāmarūpa,Nēpāla, andKartṛipura, and, by theMālavas, Ārjunāyanas,Yaudhēyas,Mādrakas,Ābhīras, Prārjunas, Sanakānīkas, Kākas, Kharaparikas and other (tribes)."
