Daradas were an ancient people who lived north and north-west to the Kashmir Valley. This kingdom is identified to be the Gilgit River region, in the Gilgit-Baltistan region (part of ancient Baloristan[.]) along the river Sindhu or Indus. They are often spoken along with the Kambojas. The Pandava hero Arjuna had visited this country of Daradas during his northern military campaign to collect tribute for Yudhishthira's Rajasuya sacrifice. The country of Darada has also been mentioned in the Rasa Ratna Samucchaya, a book dealing about Rasashastra
Location of Daradas
- ete desha udichyastu
- Kambojah Daradashchaiva Barbarashcha Angalaukikah ||
- Chinashchaiva Tusharashcha Pahlavadhayata narah |
[Kirfel's text of the Uttarapatha Countries of Bhuvanakosha, based on the Puranas.]
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Puranas also refer to river Sindhu as watering the lands of Daradas, and the Aurasas (Ursas).
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Brhatsamhita groups the Daradas with the Abhisaras and the Tanganas.
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Mahabharata also mentions the Daradas as neighbors to the Kambojas and Bahlikas.
[Mahabharata II.27.20-23]
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Mahabharata locates the country of Daradas in the Himavata-Pradesa.
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Ptolemy refers to the Daradas as living below the sources of the Indus River.
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Herodotus refers to the Daradas as Dadicae and groups them with the and the Afridi. Herodotus and Strabo also connect the Daradas with the gold producing area located in the west of Tibet. There is an evidence that the Daradas, in ancient times, had their colonies located in Baltistan and Leh also.
All the above references locate the Daradas in Uttarapatha as neighbors to Kambojas of Kashmir-Nuristan.
Struggles in Mahabharata
Sabha Parva of
Mahabharata attests that
Arjuna had led a digvijaya expedition against the
, Ursas, Abhisaras, Sinhapuras, Suhmas, Daradas,
Kambojas,
Bahlikas, Lohas,
Rishikas and
Parama Kambojas etc.
[Mahabharata II.27.18-25.]
Drona Parva of Mahabharata attests that Krishna had vanquished the Daradas along with Anga, Vanga, Magadha, Kasi, Kosala, Vatsa, Garga, Karusha, Pundra, Avanti, Daserka, Kasmira Kingdom, Ursa, Madugalas, Kambojas, Pisachas, Malavas, Sakas, Yavanas etc.[MBH 7.13.15-18.]
Daradas in Yudhishtra's Rajasuya ceremony
The Daradas along with numerous other tribes from northwest had including the Bahlikas, Kiratas, Pahlavas, Paradas, Kambojas, Shakas, Yavanas, Trigartas, Kshudrakas, Malavas, Angas, Vangas etc. had joined Yudhishtra at his
Rajasuya ceremony and brought him numerous gifts.
[Mahabharata 2.51-2.53; 3.51]
Daradas in Kurukshetra war
Daradas had also participated in the Kurukshetra war fought between the Kauravas and Pandavas. They are variously listed with Sauviras, Bahlikas, Shakas, Yavanas, Pahlavas, Paradas, Kekayas, Kambojas, Madras, Mlecchas, northern and westerner tribes etc.
[Mahabharata 6.51, 6.118, 7.20, 7.90, 7.116, 7.118, 8.73 etc]
Horses of Daradas
Brahmanda Purana refers to the horses from Darada country.
[Brahmanda Purana, III, Upodghata -pada 16-17]
Daradas in Brahatsamhita of Varahamihira
The Daradas are mentioned with the
Shakas,
Yavanas,
Paradas and the
Kambojas in the 6th-century AD Brhatsamhita of Varahamihira.
[Brhatasamhita verse 13.09] They are also mentioned with the Abhisaras in the same text as living on the borders of
Kashmir.
[Brhatsamhita verse 14.29.]
Daradas in Tibetan chronicles
The Daradas are mentioned in the Tibetan chronicle
Dpag-bsam-ljon-bzah (
The Excellent Kalpa-Vrksa), along people like the
,
Kambojas,
Tukharas,
Hunas,
Khasas etc.
[ Tho-gar yul dań yabana dań Kambodza dań Khasa dań Huna dań Darta dań...(See: Pag-Sam-Jon-Zang (1908), I.9, Sarat Chandra Das; Ancient Kamboja, 1971, p 66, H. W. Bailey.]
Rajatarangini references to Daradas
According to ancient text
Rajatarangini of
Kalhana, a
Sanskrit text from the north, king Lalitaditya Muktapida of
Kashmir undertakes to reduce his neighbouring countries. He launches war expedition onto the region of north from Kashmir and first he fights with the
Kambojas[Rajatrangini: 4.164- 4.165] and deprives them of their horses. Immediately after the Kambojas, he meets the
Tukharas. Tukharas do not give him fight, but run away even abandoning their horses in the field.
[Rajatrangini 4.166.] Then Lalitaditiya meets the Bhauttas in
Baltistan in western
Tibet north of Kashmir,
[Rajatrangini 4.168] then the Dardas in
Karakorum/
Himalaya,
[Rajatrangini 4.169, 4.171] the Valukambudhi
[Rajatrangini 4.172] and then he encounters
Strirajya,
[Rajatrangini 4.173-174] the
Uttarakurus[Rajatrangini 4.175] and the
Kamarupa respectively.
Kalhana names several Darada rulers: Acalamangala, during the reign of Ananta of Kashmir, AD 1028 to AD 1063,[Rajatrangini VII, 167] Vidhyadhara Shahi during the reign of Harsa, 1089–1101 AD,[Rajatrangini VII, 913] Jagaddala during the reign of Uccala, AD 1101 to AD 1111,[Rajatrangini VIII, 209] Manidhara during the reign of Sussala, AD 1112 to AD 1120[Rajatrangini VIII, 614]), and Yasodhara during the reign of Jayasimha, AD 1128 to AD 1149.[Rajatrangini VIII, 2454]
Epigraphic references to Daradas
Three inscriptions on rocks along the
Indus River and
Gilgit River Rivers in the southern reaches of the
Karakoram provide the earliest epigraphic references to Darada kings.
The first inscription is found on rocks where the present-day road between Gilgit and Skardu crosses the Gilgit River, over a bridge known as the Alam bridge, now called the Farhad bridge. The inscription is in poor
Kharoshthi, and Fussman has read "daradaraya", meaning "King of the Daradas".
[Fussman 1978:1-6.] The second inscription is found at Chilas Terrace, near to Chilas village along the Indus River, south of the junction of the Gilgit River and the Indus River. It is in Brahmi
writing system. Hinuber has published a transliteration , which he interprets as daran-maharaja "great king of Daran" or "great king of the Daradas" (1989:57-8).
A third inscription is immediately below the Thalpan bridge over the Indus River on the Thalpan side of the bridge. It is also in Brahmi script. Hinuber publishes a transliteration of
daratsu maharaja sri vaisravanasena ssatrudamanah, which he translates as "The glorious Vaisravanasena, the subduer of enemies, great King in the land of the Daradas" (1989:59). Hinuber has interpreted these Brahmi
as referring to the same king Vaiaravanasena, and dates them to the 4th or 5th centuries AD. He remarks that this king "is the second oldest king of the Daradas known by name, preceded only by the
daradaraya mentioned at Alam bridge in a Kharoshthi inscription" (1989:59). These inscriptions appear to be the only known self-reference to a Darada people.
See also
