Trigarta was an ancient Indo-Aryan kingdom based in the region of Jalandhar and Kangra district. According to the ancient Indian epic Mahabharata its king Susharma, who ruled the kingdom from Prasthala, participated in the Kurukshetra War.
Geography
Prior to the Muslim period in the Indian subcontinent, Trigarta encompassed the territory situated between the
Sutlej and
Ravi River rivers in the outer hills, extending to the
Jalandhar Doab in the south, as outlined by J. Ph. Vogel. Their territory held two principal capitals,
Kangra district and
Jalandhar.
The etymology of Trigarta has been understood to mean 'The land of the three rivers', referring to the Sutlej, Ravi and Beas River in modern-day Punjab. However it has also been thought to represent the three tributaries of the Beas in the Kangra district.
History
Ancient
The earliest documented reference to Trigarta is found in the works of Pāṇini, in which he characterizes it as a martial republic consisting of a confederation of six states. As per the
Mahabharata, Trigarta encompassed seven states, indicating the possibility that one state had either seceded from the union or amalgamated with another state.
The Audumbaras, a neighbouring tribal group, are mentioned in the Vishnu Purana as being linked with the Trigarta.
Mahabharata
Trigarta is mentioned in the epic
Mahabharata. It mentions two different Trigarta kingdoms, one in the west close to the
Sivi kingdom and the other north to the
Kuru kingdom. Modern
Kangra district is one of the ancient towns in North Trigarta, extending westward to the
Punjab area.
Multan was the capital of Trigarta, with its original name being Mulasthan.
The territory of Trigarta kingdom is around the three rivers of Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi. Trigarta kings were allies of
Duryodhana and enemies of the
and
Virata kingdom. Their capital was named
Prasthala. They attacked the Virata kingdom aided by the Kurus to steal cattle from there. The Pandavas living there in anonymity helped the Viratas to resist the combined forces of Trigartas and Kurus. Trigarta kings fought the
Kurukshetra War and were killed by
Arjuna, after a ruthless and bloody conflict. Arjuna also annihilated an
akshauhini (a large military unit) of Trigarta warriors called the
Samsaptakas. These warriors had vowed to either die or kill Arjuna as part of a larger plan by Duryodhana to capture
Yudhishthira alive.
Trigarta next finds mention in the Mahabharata's Sabha Parva,
Other texts
Along with the Greeks, the following were mentioned as vratya
Kshatriya or
Mleccha:
Dravida kingdom,
Abhira people, Sabara,
Kirata,
Malavas,
Sivi kingdom,
Trigarta, and
Yaudheya. Historians provide multiple historical mentions during the period between when Pāṇini (5th Century B.C.) mentioned Trigarta and the 5th Century A.D. when
Samudragupta invaded Trigarta and various other kingdoms.
Medieval
Xuanzang
After Samudragupta, the next mention of Trigarta is from
Xuanzang who mentions Jallandhar being ruled by Udito. He visited Jalandhara in 635 A.D. and gave details that it was a country 1000 li (about 267 km) in breadth from north to south.
Chamba inscription and invasion by Ghazni
Then, in the 8th century A.D, the Trigarta rulers acknowledged supremacy of the
Karkota dynasty of
Kashmir. This is also mentioned in the
Rajtarangini. From the 9th century to the 11th century, there are various mentions, one of the important ones being the 10th century Chamba inscription which mentions the Trigarta raja being subdued by Sahilavarman and then becoming an ally. It was also during this time that Mahmud of Ghazni entered the Kangra fort (1009 A.D.) while the Kangra forces were away at war. The ruler of the time was Jagdish Chandra.
The Trigarta capital was moved from Jalandhara to Nagarkot (Kangra) in 1070 A.D. due to constant contact in Jalandhar with various ambitious invading forces who usually were en route to central India.
Ferishta mentioned another account of the 1st century A.D. when the king of Kanauj, Raja Ram Deo, went on conquest and overran the hills. He spared Kumaon Kingdom raja after getting his daughter in marriage, then he spared Nagarkot raja after the ruler offered his daughter in marriage.
Katoch dynasty
The
Katoch dynasty of
Kangra State claimed to be an offshoot of the Trigartas.
See also
Sources
-
Mahabharata of Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa, translated to English by Kisari Mohan Ganguli
External links
