Talk:Maitraka dynasty

Establishment of Mlechcha Kingdoms in Northern-Western India
The mixed Scythian hordes which migrated  from Scythia to Bactria/Badakshan  and then to Drangiana & surrounding regions, later spread further into north and south-west India via the lower Indus valley. They eventually migrated into Sovira, Gujarat, Rajasthan and northern India, including kingdoms in the Indian mainland (See Invasion of India by Scythian Tribes).

Ramayana reference
There are important references to the warring Mleccha hordes of the Shakas, Yavanas, Kambojas and Pahlavas in the Bala Kanda of the Valmiki Ramayana also:
 * taih asit samvrita bhuumih Shakaih-Yavana mishritaih || 1.54-21 ||
 * taih taih Yavana-Kamboja barbarah ca akulii kritaah || 1-54-23 ||
 * tasya humkaarato jatah Kamboja ravi sannibhah |
 * udhasah tu atha sanjatah Pahlavah shastra panayah || 1-55-2 ||
 * yoni deshaat ca Yavanah Shakri deshat Shakah tathaa |
 * roma kupesu Mlecchah ca Haritah sa Kiratakah || 1-55-3 ||.

Leading Indologists like Dr H. C. Raychadhury glimpses in these verses the struggles between the Hindus and the invading hordes of Mlechcha barbarians from the northwest. The time frame for these struggles is the second century BCE onwards. Dr Raychadhury fixes the date of the present version of the Valmiki Ramayana around or after the second century CE (Political History of Ancient India, 1996, p 3-4).

This picture presented by the Ramayana probably refers to the political scenario that emerged when the mixed hordes descended from Sakasthan and advanced into the lower Indus valley via Bolan Pass and beyond into the Indian mainland. It refers to the hordes' struggle to seize political control of Sovira, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, Malwa, Maharashtra and further areas of eastern, central and southern India.

Mahabharata references
Mahabharata too furnishes a veiled hint about the invasion of the mixed hordes from the northwest. Vanaparava by Mahabharata contains verses in the form of prophecy deploring that "......the Mlechha (barbaric) kings of the Shakas, Yavanas, Kambojas, Bahlikas, etc shall rule the earth (i.e India) un-rightously in Kaliyuga..."


 * viparite tada loke purvarupa.n kshayasya tat || 34 ||
 * bahavo mechchha rajanah prithivyam manujadhipa |
 * mithyanushasinah papa mrishavadaparayanah || 35 ||
 * Andhrah Shakah Pulindashcha Yavanashcha naradhipah |
 * Kamboja Bahlikah Shudrastathabhira narottama || 36 ||
 * &mdash; (MBH 3.188.34-36).

According to Dr H. C. Ray Chaudhury, this is TOO CLEAR a statement to be ignored or explained away.

The above Mahabharata reference apparently alludes to the chaotic politics which followed the collapse of the Mauryan and Sunga dynasties in northern India and the area's subsequent occupation by foreign hordes of the Saka, Yavana, Kamboja, Pahlavas, Bahlika, Shudra and Rishika tribes from the northwest.

See also: Migration of Kambojas

Brahata Katha of Kshmendra and the Sakas/Kambojas/Yavanas/Hunas etc
The Brihat-Katha-Manjari (10/1/285-86) of the Kashmiri Pandit Kshmendra (11th c CE) relates that around 400 AD, the Gupta king Vikramaditya (Chandragupta II) had "unburdened the sacred earth of the barbarians" like Mlecchas, Kambojas, Yavanas, Tusharas, Parasikas, Hunas,  Sabaras etc along with Sakas., by annihilating these "sinners" completely.

Sanskrit: ata shrivikramadityo helya nirjitakhilah/ Mlechchana Kamboja.Yavanan Neechan Hunan Sabarbran// Tushara.Parsikaanshcha tayakatacharan vishrankhalan/ hatya bhrubhangamatreyanah bhuvo bharamavarayate// — (Brahata Katha, 10/1/285-86, Kshmendra)

Katha-Saritsagara of Somadeva and the Mlechcha Sanghas
The Katha-Saritsagara of Somadeva too refers to the subjugation of numerous kings and the destruction of the Sanghas (Republics) of the Mlechchas by king Vikramditiya (Chandragupta II). Those Mlechcha Sanghas who survived paid tributes to him or joined his militarily (Katha-Saritsagara, 18.1.76-78). This reference to the Sanghas of the Mlechchas by Somadeva, clearly and undoubtedly alludes to the well-known Sanghas of the Kambojas, Gandharas, Yaudheyas, Malavas,  Kulutas, Kunindas,  Sibis, Abhiras as well as of the Vahikas etc.

Bhattaraka’s Army and the Kambojas
Bhattaraka is stated to have been a military General and a Governor of Saurashtra under the Guptas. He is stated to have replaced Parnadatta who was earlier appointed by Sikanda Gupta as the viceroy of Saurashtra. He had established himself as the independent ruler of Gujarat approximately in the last quarter of 5th century

As there is ancient reference to the Mlechcha Sanghas having joined the armed forces of Vikramadityya (Chandragupta II) (See: Katha-Saritsagara of Somadeva 18.1.76-78) as seen above, there is, therefore, a very high probability that the Sanghas of the Kambojas, besides others had also joined the forces of Chandragupta II and Bhattaraka may have been the chieftain of the Kamboja division (which fact is amply attested from other evidences). Otherwise also, the historical accounts relating to Gupta kings make frequent mention to the people like the Sakas, Kambojas, Khasas, Yavanas, Parsikas, Bahlikas, Kiratas, Kalutas, Maghas, Chinas etc. (See: Ancient India, 2003, p 468, Dr V. D. Mahajan).

General Bhattaraka’ Army
General Bhattaraka’s armed division is said to consisted of the following armed classes: (See ref: Prof A. L. Bhasham, My Guruji and Problems and Perspectives of ancient Hist and Culture, by Sachindra Kumar Maity, p 199/200)
 * Maula —-- those who enjoyed land for their services
 * Bhrita —-- soldiers who received regular salary
 * Mitra --- the Feudatories and allies
 * Shrenis --- the Soldiers hired from Guilds or Corporatioins of Warriors.

The reference to the Shrenis or Corporation of Warriors here powerfully attests that this class of soldiery specifically belonged to the Kambojas/Saurashtras since Kautiliya’s Arthashastra specidfically styles the Kambojas/Saurashtras as Kshatriya Shrenis living not only by wielding weapons but also by agriculture and trade (Kautiliya’s Arathashastra 11.1.1-4).

On The Meaning of Maitraka
Name Maitraka is not a tribal or ethnic name. It is stated to be a nickname/or cognomen for the Sun worshipping people. Thus, the Maitrakas have been stated to be from the Zoroastrian/Iranian section of the foreign invaders who worshipped the sun/fire.

Some scholars say that like the Hunas and Gurjaras etc,  the Maitrakas (to which General Bhattaraka belonged ) were a Barbarian invaders  and had entered Gujarat in the wake of Huna invasion of India. Due to misreading of a passage relating to Bhattaraka, Dr Fleet had first advanced the theory that General Bhattaraka belonged to the Hunas and this view started to accepted among the scholars, but Dr Fleet’s reading was later corrected by Dr Hultzs and as a result, Dr Fleet,  later recanted his  own earliers views. Now, generally accepted view is that  General Bhattaraka  had fought against the Hunas on behalf of the Guptas. Thus, he was not a Huna as earlier supposed. After some time, General Bhattaraka had established himself as an Independent ruler of Saurashtra.

However, after the Hunas  had established themselves in India,  the Maitraka rulers from BHattaraka line, for some time,  had also paid tribute to the Hunas.

SECOND VIEW
Another view is that like the Gurjaras, the Maitrakas as alien or foreign invaders may have entered India in the wake of OR else in alliance with the Hunas (Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute; See also: Reprint Series - Page 76, by Duke University. Program in Comparative Studies on Southern Asia - 1963).

It is very important from history point of view to note that around 4th/5th c CE, prior to the Huna invasion of India, the Hunas and Kambojas are attested to have been living and interacting as neighbors around Oxus in the west and east Oxus valleys respectively. Both this people were located north of the Parsikas (Persians/Iranians). This fact is powerfully confirmed from Sanskrit Drama Raghuvamsha of Kalidasa (See: Raghu 4/67-70) which attests that  after the defeat of the Parasikas, Raghu meets the Hunas on  north of Parasikas, on western valley of Oxus and after defeating the Hunas, he immediately encounters the Kambojas on eastern valley of Oxus.

That the Hunas and Kambojas were indeed very neighbors is also attested from Mahabharata (MBH 6.9.65-66). Bhishama Parava of Mahabharata supposed to have been edited around 5th c AD, in one of its verses, mentions the Hunas with the Parasikas and other Mlechha tribes of the north-west including the Yavanas, Chinas, Kambojas, Darunas, Sukritvahas, Kulatthas etc (MBH 6.9.65-66) all the peopole of Uttarapatha. According to Dr V. A. Smith, the verse is reminiscient of the period when the Hunas first came into contact with the Sassanians dynasty of Persia (Early History of India, p 339, Dr V. A. Smith; See also Early Empire of Central Asia, W. M. McGovern). This ref again associates the Hunas of Bactria with Kambojas of east Oxus valley and the Parsikas of Iran.

Brhat Katha of Kshmendra again lends further credibility to this view (See: Brahata Katha 10.285-86).

It has also been  pointed  out by scholars that like the Gurjaras, the Maitrakas of Vallabhi  may have actually  have come to India in the wake of  Huna invasion  OR else in alliance with the Hunas (q.v.)  as their military aide, and later  established a principality in Saurashtra/Kathiawar. And if the above view is accepted, there is again a strong probability that these Maitrakas (from Mitra, Mihira, Sun-worshipper Iranians/Zoroastrians) may have been a family from the Sun/Fire worshipper Kamboja section from the eastern Oxus valley (Iranian section of Kambojas) who  were living as next door neighbors to the Hunas (Raghuvamsha 4.67-70); and who may have joined the Hunas during latter’s invasion of India as  a soldiers of fortune (cavalry)  for which the ancient Kambojas indeed were noted since remote antiquity.

Eitherway, one sees that there indeed is very high probability that the Maitraka family belonged to the Kamboja background.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The association of the Kambojas with Gurjaras-Pratiharas in post-Gupta times has been accepted by several scholars. Scholars believe that in the wake of Tukhara occupation of ancient Kamboja land, a section of Kambojas in alliance with Sakas had entered western India in the century prior to Christian era.

(But it must be remembered that not all the Kambojas had left their ancestral land in the wake of Tukharas occupation of Pamirs/Badakshan since in latter centuries, the Kambojas again became a predominant power in Pamir/Badakshan as is amply attested from Raghuvamsa of Kalidasa (5th c AD) or from Kalhana's Rajatrangini (8th c AD time period)]).

During Huna invasion of India, a large contigent of the Kamboja mercenary forces are also likely to have joined the Huna invaders since both the Hunas and Kambojas are attested to have been living as immediate neighbors in OXUS valleys during 4th c AD, as is attested by Kalidasa in his Raghuvamas. It is very likely that both the Gurjars and the Kambojas had participated in Hunas's invasion and had jointly entered India in massive numbers in 5th c AD. Many scholars believe that Kambojas had formed a large contigent of the Gurjaras-Pratiharas (see below: ON GURJARA-PRATIHARAS & KAMBOJA MILITARY ASSOCIATION).

ON GURJARA-PRATIHARAS & KAMBOJA MILITARY ASSOCIATION (Some Opinions from Scholar Community)
(1) According to Dr H. C. Ray, the ancestors of the Kamboja rulers of Bengal came from west with Gurjara Pratiharas. The Kambojas had joined the forces of Gurjara Pratiharas and there were separate regiments of the Kambojas in the Pratihara army which were entrusted with the defense of north-eastern borders of the Pratihara empire. The Kambojas did not leave the province after the collapse of Pratihara power. Rather, they took advantage of the weakness of the Pala kings and set up an independent kingdom which was not a difficult task for them (Indian Historical Quarterly, XV-4, Dec 1939, p 511).

(2) Dr Hem Chander Raychaudhury also states that the Kambojas came to Bengal with the armies of the Gurjara Pratiharas (The Dynastic History of Northern India, p 311, f.n. 1.)

(3) Dr R. C. Majumdar also agrees with the view that the Kambojas may have come to Bengal with Pratiharas when they conquered part of the province (History of Ancient Bengal, 1977, p 182-183.)

(4) See further references: It is not impossible that the Kambojas had come to Bengal with the Gurjaras-Pratiharas (Indian Historical Quarterly, 1963, p 625; Dynastic History of Magadha, 1977, p 208; Epigraphia Indiaca, XVIII, p 304ff; The Dynamics of Santal Traditions in Present Society, 2003, p 208 etc)

(5) It has been stated that the name Gurjara did not refer to a particular tribe or a people but was a collective appellation for various tribes of very different origins, which also included the Kambojas--- all entering India with the Epthalite invasion. As a conqueror generally does not care much about the various ethnic sub-groups of his subjects, we might expect that the Barbarian conqueror like the Epthalite would have labeled their invading auxiliaries with one common name. As names like Gurg, Gurj, Jurg, Gur, Garj are common in Afghanistan and Khorasan once forming the core of Ephthalite Empire, and as the Arab Geographers and Historians called the Gurjara-Pratihara Empire as Gurj or Jurz, it seems possible that "Gurj(ara)" had been this common Appellation. When that empire collapsed, this name was not yet in common use, as most Barbarian tribes had not yet forgotten their original identity. As the chaos in the north-west continued, and when tribes were decimated, merged or deported, their original names soon became meaningless or of secondary importance, and thus the Gurjara became common an appellative. But when these warriors became Hindus, they tried to get rid of a name stamping them as "unclean Barbarians or Mlechchas". ....The sheperds and cowherds group which nowadays found as Gurjaras or Gujars, are in fact, have descended from the Kambojas  which formed a large, if not the sole contingent of the Gurjara invaders (See: The Early Wooden Temples of Chamba, 1955, p 43, Hermann Goetz....See also footnote 26).

(6). Dr S. B. Chaudhury writes: The ancient Kambojas were a wide spread tribes who had occupied vast regions of Pamirs and Hindukush from where they were expelled by the Tukharas. Later, they had formed a large contingent of the Gurjaras invaders (See: Indian Historical Quarterly, XXVI, p 118). Pala king Devapala's claim to suzerainty over Kambojas may merely refer to such Kambojas who had immigrated into Punjab with the Epthalites, but had not yet lost their identity in the Gurjara movement (See: The Early Wooden Temples of Chamba, 1955, p 43, Hermann Goetz....See also footnote 26).

(5) Hong Kong Institute of Oriental Studies also writes that the Kambojas had occupied vast regions of Pamirs and Hindukush. But they were expelled from their habitats by the Tukharas. Later they formed a large contingent of the Gurjaras (See: Journal of Oriental studies - 1954, p 381, University of Hong Kong, Institute of Oriental Studies: See also the refs quoted by the authors)

(6) Dr George E Somers writes that that the Kambojas served in the army of Rashtrakuta of Deccan.

All this can only be possible if it is accepted that a large number of Kambojas had entered Indian mainland, especially in western/south-western India, either during Christian times or else in the wake of Huna invasion of India ((See: The Early Wooden Temples of Chamba, 1955, p 43, Hermann Goetz). There is plenty of evidence which supports Kamboja entry at both these occasions. So much so, the post-Christian Puranic texts like Agni Purana (IHQ, 1963, p 127), and Garuda Purana etc attest two conspicuous Kamboja settlements inside India proper...ONE in western India in/near Saurashtra/Gujarata and SECOND, deep into southern India (See: Garuda Purana, Trans by Manatha Dutt, 1908, p 148; Ancient Kamboja, People and Country, 1981, p 305). Indian Historical Quarterly (1963) also specificcaly states that a branch of the Kambojas, called Apara Kamboja (western Kamboja), is also usually noticed in the literature (See: IHQ, 1963, p 127).

For more refs, see the Link:

(For still more references attesting the Kamboja settlement in south-west India in post-Christian times, See: India as Seen in the Brhatsamhitā of Varāhamihira, 1969, Dr A. M. Shastri, Reader in Ancient Indian History & Culture, Nagpur University; Le Monde oriental, 1941, p 94; Dr. Modi Memorial Volume: Papers on Indo-Iranian and Other Subjects, 1930, p 356, Sir Jivanji Jamshedji Modi); The Social History of Kamarupa, 1983, p 132, Nagendranath Vasu; cf: Bharatavarsa, Dr Kirfel, p 29, 3; cf: The Social History of Kamarupa, 1983, p 191, Nagendranath Vasu, for Kamboja adjoining Karnata and Lata countries).

Thus, it is clear that a large section of Kambojas had penetrated south-western India, first in alliance with Sakas in second/first c BCE, and later in alliance with Hunas/Gurjaras during 4th/5th c AD. It is but natural that these Kambojas who were located in south-west India in Gujarat/Saurasjtra, after post-Christian times/ and 5th c AD, must have been in good intercourse, first with the Pahlavas/Sakas and later with the Hunas/Gurjaras-Pratiharas also. Hence the possibility of their forming the contigents of Gurjaras/Rashtrakuta or Hunas armies, as also earlier, those of the  of the Pahlavas, Sakas also. Hordes of the Kshahratas, along with the Yavanas, Sakas, Pahlavas had formed part of the army of great Saka Nahpana, the conquereor of Malva and north Deccan (130 AD). Here the Kshahratas, in all probability, refers to the Kamboja hordes. Some historians have also invested the Kshahrata Kshatrapas with Kamboja ethnicity (Ancient India, III, pp 94, 125, Dr T. L. Shah).

These refs will prove that Kambojas indeed entetred south-west India during Christian era first in alliance with the Sakas/Pahlavas etc, and again later during 4th/early 5th century AD as allies of the Hunas/Gurjaras.

Therefore, it is very likely that the Maitrakas whom Dr V. A. Smith and several other front-ranking scholars call as Iranians, may indeed have been a section of those Kambojas from Oxus (Iranian Kambojas, attested as the immediate neighbors of the Hunas on Oxus, during 4th/5th c AD) who may have entered western India either in alliance with the Hunas as invaders or else later in the wake of the Huna invasion.

Jyotirvidhbhrana Evidence
Jyotirvidhbhrana, a Sanskrit Treatise on Astrology, generally attributed to Kalidasa in its last Stenzas, (but probably it was authored by someone of Jaina persuasion around 7th century. In chapter 22, verse 14, the author writes: 'He (Sahasanka)  destroyed the pride of Dravidas, also the king of Lata, defeated the king of Gauda and conquered  Gurjardesa, king of Dhara (westerm Malwa) and king of Kambojas and conducted him with success' (Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bombay, 1862, p 27,  Asiatic Society of Bombay - Orient; Journal of the Oriental Institute, 1919, p 78, Oriental Institute (Vadodara, India) - Oriental studies).  In chapter 20, verse 46 of Jyotirvidhbhrana, the author states:   'The people of Kamboja, Gauda, Andhraka, Malava, Surajya and  Gurjaras, even to this day sing the glory of Sahasanka (alias Vikarmaditya alias Chandra Gupta II), showing  with the liberality of gifts of gold' (See: J.R.A S. of Bombay (Royal Asiatic Society  of Great Britain and Ireland, Bombay Branch, p 25/26). These references seem to imply that once Vikarmaditya had conquered Lata, Dhara (western Malwa), Saurashtra, Gujaradesa and had vanquished the Sakas, Kambojas, Gurjaras intruders in Gujarat/Saurashtra/Malawa, these aliens had become his subjects for sometime and started paying tributes to the great Gupta king Vikarmaditya (Chandra Gupta II) for his great benevolent rule—---hence this Jyotirvidbhrana tradition. From this reference, it also becomes understandable that after these foreign intruders were subjugated, many of these warring classes must have joined the armed forces of the Gupta rulers in large numbers and some of them must have gotten the placement in key positions like General Bhattarka, founder of Maitraka dynasty of Gujerat. This reference definitely locates the Kambojas in south-western India i.e. near Lata, Saurashtra and western Malwa somewhere.

Link to Gupta (disambiguation)
Under the heading Ethnicity of Maitrakas there is a link to Gupta ( Gupta ) in the sentence "Due to the faulty translation of the opening passage of the inscriptions of Vallabhi kings, it was erroneously held for a long time that Gupta Senapati Bhatarka had fought against the Maitrakas." I'm working on the disambiguation of links to Gupta and can't figure out the context of the use of the term here. If someone else could help out by changing the link or letting me know what the proper link should be, it would be greatly appreciated. Cheers  Rejectwater (talk) 15:05, 27 July 2008 (UTC)

Bhatarka was a General in the army of Gupta king, Skandagupta (455-467), and was a military governor of Saurashtra Peninsula. He is believed to be the founder of the Maitraka dynasty of Valabhi.

Satbir Singh (talk) 23:45, 29 September 2009 (UTC)

Maitrikas were Gurjars
The Real Rana (talk) 06:38, 28 November 2017 (UTC)
 * . The source is very old and modern studies does not support such claim. See Maitraka for their origin. The Gurjaras you are talking about are Gurjaras of Lata who are different and unrelated to the Maitrakas.--Nizil (talk) 16:57, 30 November 2017 (UTC)