Sunny was rummaging over the assignment his class teacher had given. The topic : ‘’A Peep into Ancient Assam.’’ They had been asked to identify and elaborate on the significant features of ancient Assam. Looking visibly flustered at the enormity of the task that lay ahead he muttered aloud looking at Mr. Wufus, (a local dog he had rescued as a puppy long ago but was now ) his long term loyal companion. ‘’You know Wufus, this is huge. Ancient Assam means a long long time ago. I guess I have to search for materials in the library and google for additional information. But I am not getting the motivation to dive into a past, difficult to connect and comprehend.’’ Wufus sensed the discomfiture of his favorite human, gave a supportive glance and all of a sudden walked towards the corner of the room, where the Magic carpet lay stashed away. Through this magical carpet they had time-travelled together, embarking upon unforgettable adventures to distant fantastical places. But it was a long time since they had touched the magic carpet and besides none of these adventures had entailed a distance as far back in time as this assignment would take them.
‘’So let's go Wufus and discover what we are yet to know and unravel.’’
As they swirled into a heady flight into the past, to reach a critical period- 7th century CE, they would encounter people they had not imagined and witness events that would completely change their perspectives on ancient Assam. ‘’Wow we were not so isolated and not so unknown to the rest of the country as we have normally assumed it to be!’’ Sunny muttered aloud after their return home. With a renewed sense of motivation, Sunny corroborated his adventures with factual data from the library and articles culled from the internet to sprawl out an engaging assignment.
This is how the assignment went:
In Ancient Indian History, we read about spectacular civilizations that once existed, flourished and perished, as much as we learn about outstanding rulers who left an indelible imprint in the pages of our pasts. However the ancient history of North East India not only remains elusive, there is a visible lack of connect with the Indian mainland, almost as if it did not exist. Perhaps this is what explains the prevailing perceptions of people from the rest of the country towards this eastern most frontier, including our own beliefs and understanding of our identity that has been shaped by this apparent disconnect. It was only while working on this assignment that I realised how our misconceptions have been clouded by a lack of knowing (through factual details) what exactly happened during these formative years. This takes me to the 7th Century CE, which was actually an incredible period in our lives. So what exactly was happening in India at this time?
With the decline of the mighty Gupta empire in the 6th century CE, India began to fragment into powerful regional kingdoms, each vying for a coveted place in the political maelstrom. The epicentre of the power dynamics which would subsequently culminate in war, strategic alliances and cultural symbiosis was centred around 3 specific rulers. In the north we have the noted Harshavardhana, ruler of Kannauj (Uttar Pradesh) and Thaneswar (current Haryana); in the east there was Shashanka of Gauda (current West Bengal and parts of Bangladesh) while further east, the illustrious ruler of Kamarupa (Assam), Bhaskar Varman belonging to the Varman dynasty, held his position.
When Bhaskar Varman ascended the throne of Kamarupa around 600 CE, Mahasenagupta and Shashanka had already occupied a part of the Kamrup kingdom on the eastern side. This was disturbing to the new monarch and added to this problem was the fear of a potential extension towards the core of his kingdom. In Northern India, Harshavardhana had his own legitimate grievances against Shashanka. The latter had killed Rajyavardhana, the brother of Harsha and had also imprisoned his sister Rajyashri after killing her husband-King Grahavarman of Kannauj. This prompted Harshavardhana desire to seek vengeance, rescue his sister and take back Kanauj.
Assam’s prominent role in pan-Indian politics
In a brilliant diplomatic move, which many of us do not know about, Bhaskar Varman sent his ambassador to the court of Harshavardhana, seeking an alliance against a common enemy, ie. Shashanka. Harshavardhana was camping in eastern India at this time-probably southern Bihar. This trip is also notable for the elaborate and exotic treasures gifted to the emperor which was gathered from the rich resources of ancient Assam. Such as--majestic elephants, silk, umbrella made of gold, expensive jewels, fragrant perfumes derived from the luxurious abundance of flora within and many more precious items. This exchange of lavish gifts and the beginning of warm diplomatic relations between the two kings has been recorded in the book- Si-Yu-Ki by the famous Chinese scholar, Xuanzang who is also known as Hiuen Tsang, who was in India at that time and witness to the amazing friendship foster between two powerful and respectful rulers of ancient India. This alliance strengthened Bhaskar Varmans reputation and power in North India.
This visit also gives us a moment to reflect. For Bhaskar Varmans ambassador to reach his destination with a huge entourage and precious gifts intact, would not have been an easy task. We are talking about 7th Century CE, a period of time when there were no cell phones, internet, telephones, or modern means of transport and communication. They would have to cover a long distance amidst densely matted forests, hills, rivers, wild life roaming freely and abundantly and the possibilities of attack from the territories of rival kings such as Shashanka himself. How was this possible? Surely besides the presence of strong warrior guards the ancient kings must have had their own sophisticated form of networking to traverse across dangerous routes. Also as the story goes, it seems that the ambassador chose the riverine route to reach his destination. Xuanzang has mentioned in his travelogue that the extensive rivers in India were used for long distance travels. Moreover Pragjyotishpura- capital of ancient Assam (near modern day Guwahati) is located on the Brahmaputra River and this gives a navigable waterway path to begin with. So the entourage must have taken a huge boat down the Brahmaputra, then navigated into the Ganga river system, via tributaries or portage routes through Bengal.
The joint armies of the two powerful monarchs, one from the north and the other from the east attacked Shashanka from two opposite directions. Unable to withstand the pressure, Shashanka had no other alternative but to flee to Orissa. The victorious kings parcelled the occupied territories. With the fall of the Gour kingdom, the capital, ie Karnasuvarna (west Bengal) went to Bhaskar Varman. To commemorate this victory the famous Nidhanpur* copper plate inscription was issued which shows land grants being issued to Brahmans. This not only signifies the kings patronage of Brahmanical religion and his claim of divine lineage from Narayana (Vishnu), but also the territorial extent of the Kamarupa kingdom. The issue of land grants to Brahmanas was common at this period with kings across the country. Archaeological findings also include the Doobi grant (Kamrup district of Assam) which signifies land grants to Brahmanas, affirming Bhaskar Varmans role as a guardian of Hindu religion.
*Nidhanpur is located in Sylhet- current Bangladesh
A vibrant exchange of cultural, literary, religious ideas and practices
The collaboration between the two monarchs extended beyond the military realm. A vibrant exchange of culture, literature and religion brought the eminence of Kamarupa in the political mainstream. Infact the close bond developed between Harshavardhana and Bhaskar Varman is exemplified in many ways. The writings of Hiuen Tsang and Banabhatta (court poet of Harsha Vardhana) who wrote Harshacharita, give us interesting insights into this growing camaraderie.
One remarkable development was the huge religious assembly (Moksha Mahaparishad) organized by Emperor Harshavardhana at Prayag (modern Allahabad). This grand assembly was a unique confluence of kings, scholars, religious leaders, and monks from across the subcontinent, held every five years at the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati rivers. Bhaskar Varman was not only invited to this spectacular event, but given a high place of honour, setting him apart as a powerful ruler and a testimony to the bond between northern and eastern India.
Also present in this spectacular occasion was the famous Chinese scholar "Xuanzang/Hiuen Tsang". He had come to India in 630 century CE to study at the Nalanda University and collect sacred Buddhist texts. Harsha Vardhana had heard a lot about this great Buddhist pilgrim and invited him as an honoured guest to Kanauj which by then had become a major centre of culture, learning and religion. Hiuen Tsang was a prominent presence in the grand assembly and it was here that he met Bhaskar Varman who had also been invited. Hiuen Tsang later mentions in his travelogue how Bhaskar Varman had arrived with a large retinue and was warmly received by Harshavardhana. His impression on the king of Kamarupa was impressive.
“Tall, dignified, and intelligent, with refined manners and a love for learning.”
He mentions further----“The king is of the Brahman caste. He is about 20 years old, his disposition is noble and generous, and he has a high esteem for learning and learned men. He is deeply respectful of Buddhism, although his official religion is Brahmanism….His person is tall and majestic, his manners refined and dignified. He speaks few words, and is always calm and composed. He treats monks and scholars with great respect…’’
So what does this meeting signify? Actually it highlights the forgotten historical position of Assam during the ancient period. We learn that at this time Assam held a high position in the political, cultural and economic map of India. Certainly ancient Assam* was not an isolated and unknown force. It also shows that although both the kings were Hindus, they had a passionate interest in learning and respected all religions.
*According to some historians the medieval period begins during the 6th to 7th Century CE. This view is based on the Arab invasion of Sindh and Multan in 711. The second view postulates that the ancient period ended with the establishment of the Delhi Sultanate in norther India ie in 1206 CE. I have adopted this second view and therefore refer to this period in Assam as ancient period.
The last significant event- although highly controversial, is of the supposed visit of Hiuen Tsang to Kamarupa. When the latter went back to China he recorded his extensive visits to India and alternate places in his travelogue--"Dà Táng X?yù Jì", ie (the Great Tang Records on the Western Regions). In 1884, Samuel Beal translated and published the text under the title- Si-Yu-Ki. One notices fascinating accounts of Assam in this book----
“The kingdom of Kamarupa is about 10,000 li in circuit. The capital is surrounded by dense forests and mountains, and the people are simple and honest. They worship both Hindu gods and the Buddha. The climate is moist and warm, and the land is fertile. The king, Bhaskaravarman, is of noble character, deeply learned, and a patron of scholars and religion.”
Interestingly it is also mentioned that the quest for knowledge was given a respectful place in this kingdom and Sanskrit was used as a scholarly medium in the court. The king in particular is described and praised for his intelligence, generosity and wise governance.
The vivid description of Kamarupa almost as an eye witness account had led many scholars of the colonial period and early years post-independence to assume that Hiuen Tsang actually visited Assam on the invitation of Bhaskarvarman. However some contemporary scholars disagree with this view to conclude that the scholars account of Assam was actually based on his interaction with Bhaskarvarman at the court of Harshavardhana. Their argument is that in this book the detailed journey to Assam is not recorded unlike other places where Hieun Tsang has recorded about his journey in details.
That apart the very mention of Kamarupa in HuienTsangs travelogue and vivid descriptions of the land, geography, culture, people and the king, signifies the importance of the kingdom in the pan-Indian landscape of the time. It is also a manifestation of the cultural, intellectual and international out reach of the kingdom then. Likewise the resources mentioned in the text such as fertile land, timber, precious stones, bamboo, ivory etc not only indicates a vibrant, self-sustaining region but the possibilities of an extensive trading network or a transit point for trade between alternate regions of India and further east.
Conclusion
Going through the annals of ancient Assam, particularly the period under consideration has certainly been an enlightening experience. The role played by Bhaskar Varman in pan-Indian politics and his close alliance with Harsha Vardhana- a powerful king in northern India, dispels all illusions of our isolation in the past. It reminds us of how integrated we were not only in the political realm but also in the cultural and economic landscape of mainland India. Unfortunately these issues are unknown not only to people across the country but also to many of us in the region. While the distinctiveness of the region will always remain, as much as each region in the country has its own specific and distinct nature, what needs to be highlighted is how each region in the country shares a common bond of unity that ultimately and collectively transcends to a larger identity----Indian nationality.
AUTHOR: Sima Saigal