Kamarupa

Kamarupa is also known by the name Pragjyotisha. It was the first kingdom in Assam whose existence can be dated between 350 and 1140 CE.

Kamarupa, Ancient Kingdom of AssamKamarupa was ruled by three dynasties from their capitals. It covered the entire Brahmaputra river valley, North Bengal and some parts of Bangladesh. This kingdom disappeared by 12th century. It was replaced by smaller political entities. This name is a present-day district in Assam.

In Mahabharata and Ramayana this area is known as Pragjyotisha. Kamarupa`s first inscription is from the Allahabad inscription of Samudragupta. According to the Kalika Purana this place had Karatoya River as its western boundary. The eastern border was the temple of the goddess Tamreshvari. The southern boundary was between the Dhaka and Mymensingh districts in Bangladesh. It appears that the kingdom was split by the 13th century into smaller kingdoms. From that came the Kamata kingdom in the west and the Ahom kingdom in the east.

Kamarupa began as a subordinate ally of the Gupta Empire. Kamarupa grew territorially to include the entire Brahmaputra valley and regions beyond it. The kingdom was ruled by Danava dynasty, Varman dynasty of Assam and Mleccha dynasty.

Pushyavarman had established the Varman dynasty. However his son Samudravarman was accepted as an overlord. The rulers who came after that continued their attempts to expand the kingdom. Narayanavarma and his son Bhutivarman offered the horse sacrifice. After expansion of Bhutivarman`s kingdom, it was attacked by Yasodharman of Malwa. Bhutivarman`s grandson, Sthitavarman enjoyed victories over the Gauda of Karnasuvarna and performed two horse sacrifices. Bhaskarvarman succeeded in expanding the kingdom.

Post Bhaskaravarman`s death the kingdom passed into the hands of Salasthambha who was a local governor of an aboriginal group called Mlechchha. This dynasty drew its lineage from the Naraka dynasty. The capital of this dynasty was Haruppeshvara.

Kamarupa was attacked and the western portion was invaded by the Pala Dynasty However Ramapala could not hold Kamarupa for long and thereby Timgyadeva ruled Kamarupa independently. In 1205 the Turkish Muhammad-i-Bakhtiyar passed through Kamarupa against Tibet that ended in utter disaster. Yuzbak attacked an unknown ruler of Kamarupa in 1257. However he could not hold on to the capital. Simultaneously western Kamarupa was being ruled by the chiefs of the Bodo tribe people, Koch tribe and Mech tribes.

Recently updated articles in States of India

History of Thissur District
History of Thissur District Thumbnail

History of Thissur District

Early History of Thissur District explains flourishing of the port cities. Now these port cities are transformed into archaeological sites.

Tippi Orchid Research Centre, Arunachal Pradesh
Tippi Orchid Research Centre, Arunachal Pradesh Thumbnail

Tippi Orchid Research Centre, Arunachal Pradesh

Tippi Orchid Research Centre in Arunachal Pradesh is renowned for its rich collection of exotic and endangered orchids. Surrounded by lush rainforest...

Tourism in Nashik District
Tourism in Nashik District Thumbnail

Tourism in Nashik District

Pilgrimage tourism in Nashik district involves visiting the various places of Hindu and Jain worship located here. Some of the holiest sites for Hind...

Mangadu, Kerala
Mangadu, Kerala Thumbnail

Mangadu, Kerala

Mangadu in Kerala’s Kollam district is a significant megalithic site known for its urn burials, cist burials, menhirs, and stone circles. Excavations...

Devaswom
Devaswom Thumbnail

Devaswom

History of Devaswom is not very ancient and can be dated back to late seventeenth century.