Panchala () was an ancient Realm of northern India, located in the Ganges-Yamuna Doab of the Gangetic plain which is identified as Kannauj or region around Kannauj.[Witzel, Michael (1995), "Early Sanskritization: Origin and Development of the Kuru state", EJVS |volume=1 |issue=4 |date=1995] By the c. 5th century BCE, it had become an Oligarchy Confederation, considered one of the solasa (sixteen) mahajanapadas (major states) of the Indian subcontinent. After being absorbed into the Mauryan Empire (322–185 BCE), Panchala regained its independence until it was annexed by the Gupta Empire in the 4th century CE.
Location
The Pañcāla state was located to the west of the
Gomti river, and the north of the
Chambal River. Its western neighbours were the
Surasena and the Yakṛllomas, while in the north-west it was separated from the
Ganges and the
Kuru Kingdom by dense forests. The northern boundaries of Pañcāla were the forests around the region of the Gaṅgā's source. The territory of Pañcāla corresponded to the modern-day areas of Rohilkhand such as Bareilly,
Budaun district, Shahjahanpur, Kannauj such as Farrukhabad,
Kannauj and
Kanpur, and parts of Awadh such as the western half of
Hardoi, and parts of Lakhimpur
as well as the Central Gaṅgā-
Yamuna Doab in
Uttar Pradesh.
Mahabharata
Drupada, the king of Panchala was the father of
Draupadi, who married the
. To avenge her humiliation during the game of dice played at
Hastinapur which led to their lengthy exile, he fought on the side of the Pandavas in the
Kurukshetra War.
Bhishma ranked him a Mighty
Maharathi, his son
Dhrishtadyumna an
Atirathi and his other son,
Shikhandi, a
Rathi. He contributed three (of the seven)
Akshauhini armies to the Pandavas during the war.
[Raychaudhuri, H.C. (1972). Political History of Ancient India, Calcutta: University of Calcutta, p. 206]
Vedic period
The Panchala
janapada is believed to have been formed by multiple
janas (tribes). The
Shatapatha Brahmana suggests that Panchala was the later name of the Krivi tribe (who, according to the
Rigveda, lived on the bank of the
Indus river). The later
Vedas uses the term Panchala to describe the close associates of the
Kuru Kingdom.
Panchala is identified with the city of
Kanyakubja or the region around it.
The
Mahabharata mentions the 'Saranjayas' as a tribe or a family among the Panchalas, occasionally using the terms inter-changeably, but also separately at a few places. The
Mahabharata further mentions that the Panchala country had its capital at
Kanyakubja or modern day
Kannauj but was later divided into two territories: the northern Panchala with its capital at
Ahichchhatra, and the southern Panchala with its capital at
Kampilya.
According to the political scientist Sudama Misra, the name of the Panchala janapada suggests that it was a fusion of five ( pancha) janapadas (tribes). H.C. Raychaudhuri theorized that these five clans were the Krivis, the Turvashas, the Keshins, the Srinjayas, and the Somakas.
King Drupada, whose daughter Draupadi was married into the Pandavas in the Mahabharata, belonged to the Somaka clan.[Pargiter, F.E. (1972). Ancient Indian Historical Tradition, Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, p.117] However, the Mahabharata and the Puranas consider the ruling clan of the northern Panchala as an offshoot of the Bharata clan, identifying Divodasa, Sudas, Srinjaya, Somaka, and Drupada (also called Yajnasena) as its most notable rulers.[Raychaudhuri, H.C. (1972) Political History of Ancient India, Calcutta: University of Calcutta, pp.65-8.] It is also mentioned that Sutasoma, the son of Draupadi and the Pandava prince Bhima, was the king of the Somaka tribe during the Kurukshetra War.
The Panchala kingdom rose to its highest prominence in the aftermath of the decline of the Kuru Kingdom, culminating in its eventual defeat by the non-Vedic Salva tribe. The king of Panchala, Keśin Dālbhya (approximately between 900 and 750 BCE[Michael Witzel (1989), Tracing the Vedic dialects in Dialectes dans les litteratures Indo-Aryennes ed. Colette Caillat, Paris, p.127]), was the nephew of the Kuru king, who had died heirless; Keśin subsequently took over the leadership, establishing his kingdom as the new political and cultural center, and ensuring the continuation of the Vedic tradition.[Witzel (1995), p.22] His dynasty remained in power for many generations; one of his later successors was the philosopher-king Pravahana Jaivali, who was the contemporary of King Janaka of Videha and the philosophers Uddalaka Aruni and Svetaketu (8th–7th centuries BCE).[Raychaudhury, pp.67–68]
Under "Magadh" state
Originally a
Monarchy Jat, the Panchalas appear to have switched to a republican model of government around 500 BCE. The Buddhist text
Anguttara Nikaya mentions Panchala as one of the sixteen
of the c. 6th century BCE.
[Raychaudhuri, H.C. (1972). Political History of Ancient India, Calcutta: University of Calcutta, p.85] The 4th century BCE text
Arthashastra also attests to the Panchalas as following the
Rajashabdopajivin (king consul) constitution. Panchala was annexed into the
Nanda Dynasty during the reign of
Mahapadma Nanda in the mid-4th century BCE.
[Raychaudhuri, H.C. (1972). Political History of Ancient India, Calcutta: University of Calcutta, p.206]
Post-Mauryan period
Numismatic evidence reveals the existence of independent rulers of Panchala during the post-Mauryan period. Most of the coins issued by them are found at
Ahichchhatra and adjoining areas. All the coins are round, made of a copper alloy and have a set pattern on the obverse-a deeply incised square punch consisting of a row of three symbols and the ruler's name placed in a single line below them. The reverse bears depictions of the deities or sometimes of their attributes, whose names form a component of the issuers' names (for example, coins of
Agnimitra bear the depiction of
Agni). The names of the rulers found on these coins are Vangapala, Yajnapala, Damagupta, Rudragupta, Jayagupta, Suryamitra, Phalgunimitra, Bhanumitra, Bhumimitra, Dhruvamitra, Agnimitra, Indramitra, Vishnumitra, Jayamitra, Prajapatimitra, Varunamitra, Anamitra, Bhadraghosha and Yugasena (the reverse of the coins of Varunamitra, Yugasena and Anamitra do not exhibit any deity). Shaunakayaniputra Vangapala, ruler of Ahichatra, whom Vaidehiputra Ashadhasena mentioned as his grandfather in his Pabhosa inscription, is identified with king Vangapala, known from his coins. The name of Damagupta is also found on a clay sealing.
[Lahiri, B. (1974). Indigenous States of Northern India (Circa 200 B.C. to 320 A.D.) , Calcutta: University of Calcutta, pp.170-88][Bhandare, S. (2006). Numismatics and History: The Maurya-Gupta Interlude in the Gangetic Plain in P. Olivelle ed. Between the Empires: Society in India 300 BCE to 400 CE, New York: Oxford University Press, , pp.76,88]
The last independent ruler of Ahichatra was Achyuta, who was defeated by Samudragupta, after which Panchala was annexed into the Gupta Empire.[Raychaudhuri, H.C. (1972). Political History of Ancient India, Calcutta: University of Calcutta, p.473] The coins of Achyuta found from Ahichatra have a wheel of eight spokes on the reverse and the legend Achyu on the obverse.[Lahiri, B. (1974). Indigenous States of Northern India (Circa 200 B.C. to 320 A.D.) , Calcutta: University of Calcutta, p.182]
Gallery
File:Panchalas of Adhichhatra.jpg|Coin of the Panchalas of Ahichhatra (75-50 BCE).
Obv Indra seated facing on pedestal, holding bifurcated object.
Rev Idramitrasa in Brahmi, Panchala symbols.
File:Coin-of-Agnimitra.jpg|Coin of Agnimitra, showing the depiction of Agni with flaming hair on the obverse, and a reverse showing the three dynastic symbols of the Panchala rulers and a legend naming the king: Agimitasa.
File:I38 12karshapana Panchala MACW4540 1ar (8486500958).jpg|A bronze currency of karshapana of King Indramitra (ca 75-50 BC?) Of Ahichatra of Panchala. Obv: A inside a rectangle, a line of 3 symbols, under the name of the king. Rev: Indra standing on a pedestal without pillars. Dimensions: 15 mm. Weight: 4.18 g.
File:Coin-of-Achyuta.jpg|Coin of Achyuta, the last Panchala king, showing an 8-spoked wheel and the king's name: Achyu.
Rulers
Ajamida II had a son named Rishin. Rishin had two sons namely Samvarana II whose son was
King Kuru and Brihadvasu whose descendants were Panchalas.
[Kisari Mohan Ganguli, The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa Translated into English Prose, 1883-1896, Bk. 1, Ch. 3.][Kisari Mohan Ganguli, The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa Translated into English Prose, 1883-1896, Book Chapter 1][Raychaudhuri, H.C. (1972). Political History of Ancient India, Calcutta: University of Calcutta, p. 85]
- List of Panchala Kingdom rulers are-
-
Rishin, (his sons were Brihadvasu and Samvarana II)
-
Brihadbhanu, (son of Brihadvasu)
-
Brihatkaya
-
Puranjaya
-
Riksha
-
Bramhyaswa
-
Aramyaswa
-
Mudgala, Yavinara, Pratiswan, Kampilya (Founder of Kampilya - Capital of Panchala Kingdom) and Sranjaya were the sons of Aramyaswa and were the founders of Panchala and were called as Panchalas.
-
Dritimana, (son of Mudgala)
-
Drdhanemi
-
Sarvasena, (founder of Ujjain Kingdom)
-
Mitra
-
Rukmaratha
-
Suparswa
-
Sumathi
-
Sannatimana
-
Krta
-
Pijavana
-
Somadutta
-
Jantuvahana
-
Badhrayaswa
-
Brihadhishu
-
Brihadhanu
-
Brihadkarma
-
Jayaratha
-
Visvajit
-
Seinyajit
-
Nepavirya, (after this King's name the country was named Nepaldesh)
-
Samara
-
Sadashva
-
Ruchiraswa
-
Pruthusena
-
Prapti
-
Prthaswa
-
Sukrthi
-
Vibhiraja
-
Anuha
-
Bramhadatta II
-
Vishwaksena
-
Dandasena
-
Durmukha
-
Durbuddhi
-
Dharbhya
-
Divodasa
-
Sivana I
-
Mitrayu
-
Maitrayana
-
Soma
-
Sivana II
-
Sadasana
-
Sahadeva
-
Somaka, (Somaka's eldest son was Sugandakrthu and youngest was Prishata. But in a war all sons died and Prishata Survived and became the king of Panchala)
-
Prishati, (son of Somaka)
-
Drupada, (son of Prishata)
-
Dhrishtadyumna, (was the son of Drupada, Draupadi and Shikhandi were the daughters of Drupada)
-
Keśin Dālbhya
-
Pravahana Jaivali
-
Achyuta, (last known ruler of Panchala Kingdom which was defeated in c. 350 CE by Gupta Empire ruler Samudragupta.)
See also
Works cited
External links
