Draft:Vahika

Vahika also referred to as Bahika was an ancient region of Punjab centered between the Indus and the Sutlej rivers. It was inhabited by various Indo-aryan tribes and kingdoms such as the Madra and Uśīnara with its main capital located in Sagala, modern day Sialkot. The region has been attested to by numerous authors such as Pāṇini and Patanjali in the late Iron age and further by Greek writers. Vahika is not to be confused with the etymologically similar sounding Bahlika also known as Vahlika which referred to Bactria, located in modern day Northern Afghanistan and Tajikistan.

Geography
According to the Karna Parva, Vahika was referred to the area between the Indus and the Sutlej rivers and is referred to by Patanjali as Vahikagrama, located in modern day Punjab. They were further referred to as Jarttikas and also as Arattas. The core Janapadas of the region included the Madra, Kekaya and Uśīnara in which a further tribal republic noted as the Savasa were also located in the area. The Savasa were described as residing between the Jhelum and Chenab Rivers in the north with their capital in Taxila as noted in the Divyavadana whilst the Kekaya resided in the South. The nearby Madras resided between the Chenab and Ravi Rivers in the north whilst the Usinaras were located in the south and are stated to have been associated with the neighbouring Sivi Kingdom who’s capital was centred in Shorkot.

The Udichya region was another region mentioned in ancient texts and is noted by Pāṇini as comprising both the regions of Vahika and Gandhara.

History
The first mention of the Vahikas comes from the Gandharan grammarian Pāṇini in which he describes the region as a territory of Sanghas which denotes a republic from of government. He then further describes the ruling class of the Vahika republics with some dominated by Brahmins and others of ‘Rajanyas’ otherwise known as Kshatriyas. In some Sutras they are recounted as a cradle of martial tribes who's way of life consisted of the military arts. Numerous cities lying in the Vahika country are mentioned by Panini including: Kastira, Sagala, Saubhuta, Kaukudivaha, Svavidgarta, Srigalagarta and Vrikagarta.

Taxiles
In the 5th century BCE, the sovereign of Taxila, Omphis, formed an alliance with Alexander, motivated by a longstanding animosity towards Porus who governed the region encompassed by the Chenab and Jhelum River. Omphis, in a gesture of goodwill, presented Alexander the great with significant gifts, esteemed among the Indian populace, and subsequently accompanied him on the expedition crossing the Indus. His territory stretched from between the Indus and Jhelum Rivers.

Porus
Porus ruled over the tracts between the Hydaspes river and Chenab River and Strabo noted his territory to contain almost three hundred cities whilst also describing his land as fertile and extensive. He is most notable for opposing Alexander in the Battle of the Hydaspes which proved to be one of Alexander the Great's most challenging battles. After his defeat, when asked by Alexander how he wished to be treated, Porus replied "Treat me as a king would treat another king". Impressed, Alexander indeed treated him like a king, allowing him to retain his lands. Following the battle, Alexander founded two cities called Boukephala and Nikaia, the latter at the site of the battle and named after the Greek for Victory, in commemoration of his success, and the former on the opposite bank to honour his faithful steed Bucephalus, who died during or after the battle.

Cathaeans
Following Alexander's battle with Porus, the Greeks had recieved information of a tribe known as the Cathaeans preparing for war alongside neighbouring tribes and who were considering taking battle in Sagala, modern day Sialkot. Arrian states that the Cathaeans were skillfull in war and were known to Porus after having sucessfully defeated him previously. Arrian further states that the Cathaeans and other allied tribes had prepared themselves infront of the city upon a hill and after having been defeated encamped themselves in the city leading to a siege and later their eventual defeat.

Strabo describes the culture of the Cathaeans in which they were prized for having beautiful horses and dogs and for choosing the 'handsomest person' as king. The marriage customs were also noted as peculiar to the Cathaeans in that the bride and groom chose their spouse, recounted as the law of the land.

Phraotes
In the 1st century CE, Phraotes, a Greek-speaking king of the city of Taxila, was met by the philosopher Apollonius of Tyana dated approximately to 46 CE, according to the Life of Apollonius Tyana written by Philostratus. The king who fits this date is Sases who is also the nephew of the Apracharaja, Aspavarma, and whose coinage has been dated to between 40-78 CE. Apollionus describes the king as an Indian.

He describe Phraotes' residence, Taxila, as being the same size as Nineveh, being walled like a Greek city whilst also being shaped with Narrow roads, and further describe Phraotes kingdom as containing the old territory of Porus which spanned between the Jhelum and Chenab Rivers. Following an exchange with the king, Phraotes is reported to have subsidized both barbarians and neighboring states, with the objective of averting incursions into his kingdom. Phraotes also recounts that his father, being the son of a king, had become an orphan from a young age. In accordance with Indian customs, two of his relatives assumed responsibility for his upbringing until they were killed by rebellious nobles during a ritualistic ceremony along the Indus River. This event led to the usurpation of the throne, compelling Phraotes' father to seek refuge with the king situated beyond the Hydaspes River, in modern-day Punjab, a ruler esteemed greater than Phraotes' father. Moreover, Phraotes states that his father, received an education facilitated by the Brahmins upon request to the king and married the daughter of the Hydaspian king, whilst having one son that was Phraotes himself. Phraotes proceeds to narrate the opportune moment he seized to reclaim his ancestral kingdom, sparked by a rebellion of the citizens of Taxila against the usurpers. With fervent support from the populace, Phraotes led a triumphant entry into the residence of the usurpers, whilst the citizens brandished torches, swords, and bows in a display of unified resistance.

Tribes mentioned by Pliny
During this period in the 1st century CE, Pliny the Elder notes a list of tribes in the Punjab region spanning from the lower Indus to the mountain tribes near the Hindu Kush. "After passing this island, the other side of the Indus is occupied, as we know by clear and undoubted proofs, by the Athoae, the Bolingae, the Gallitalutae, the Dimuri, the Megari, the Ardabae, the Mesae, and after them, the Uri and the Silae; beyond which last there are desert tracts, extending a distance of two hundred and fifty miles. After passing these nations, we come to the Organagae, the Abortae, the Bassuertae, and, after these last, deserts similar to those previously 'mentioned. We then come to the peoples of the Sorofages, the Arbae, the Marogomatrae, the Umbrittae, of whom there are twelve nations, each with two cities, and the Asini, a people who dwell in three cities, their capital being Bucephala, which was founded around the tomb of the horse belonging to king Alexander, which bore that name. Above these peoples there are some mountain tribes, which lie at the foot of Caucasus, the Soseadae and the Sondrae, and, after passing the Indus and going down its stream, the Samarabriae, the Sambraceni, the Bisambritae, the Orsi, the Anixeni, and the Taxilae, with a famous city, which lies on a low but level plain, the general name of the district being Amenda: there are four nations here, the Peucolaitae, the Arsagalitae, the Geretae, and the Assoi."

- Pliny the elder

Shiladas and Gadaharas
Following the downfall of the Kushan Empire in the 3rd century CE, numerous dynasties regained power in the Punjab such as that of the Shiladas and Gadaharas who ruled in central Punjab based on numesmatic evidence. They appear to have ruled successively for nearly a century before being subdued by the Kidarite Huns. Of their coinage, numerous kings have been named, for instance, the Shilada coinage notes the kings Bhadra, Bacharna and Pasana whilst the Gadaharas name Peraya and Kirada. These dynasties origins are not known however the Puranas note that after the fall of the Satavahana dynasty 'eight Yavana, fourteen Tushara and thirteen Murunda (Saka) chiefs ruled' though the lack of credibiliy of the Yavana chiefs rule has been acknowledged by scholars such as R. C. Majumdar. These Tushara chiefs may also refer to the Little Kushans of the later Kushan empire whilst the Murunda may refer to the Western Satraps who are accredited with regaining power after the fall of the Satavahanas beginning with Rudrasena II.

Taank kingdom
The Taank Kingdom was a kingdom based in Punjab, between the 7th and 9th centuries ruled by the Takkas who are identified as ancient inhabitants of Punjab. The main source regarding the kingdom are the chronicles of Xuanzang as well as other Arab writers. The kingdom was located south of Kashmir and north of Sindh extending from the Indus river in the west to the Beas river in the east, centred in Sagala based on Xuanzang's description of the region.

The earliest Muslim author who mentions the kingdom is a merchant named Sulaiman. He visited the area before 851 AD. In his account, the kingdom is mentioned as Táfak. In 915 AD, the Arab historian Al-Masudi mentions it as at-Tákin, referring to the hills of the Punjab region. The name is read as Tákin by Sir Henry Elliott, and also as Táfan based on Masudi. The account of Sulaimān the merchant calls its king malik at-taqa and further notes that he was in good terms with the Arabs and the Rashtrakuta Empire of the Deccan. Ibn Khordadbeh mentions the king of the confederacy as next in eminence to the Balhara, and Kazwini mentions a fort named Taifand, the location of which agrees with the account of the hill of Sangala.