Ancient Nepal 147 01

8/8/2019 Ancient Nepal 147 01

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ancient-nepal-147-01 1/8

The Vedic-Aryan Entry Into Contemporary Nep

[A Pre-Historical Analysis Based on the

Study Of Puranas]

- Shiva Raj Shrestha "Ma

[Very little is known about pre-historical Nepal,

ils people and Aryan entry into Nepal. A hazy picture

of Aryan invasion of Nepal and the contemporary

aborigines people of Nepal can be drawn with the

help of Sata-Patha Brahman records and various

Puranas. In these mythological records on e can also

find sufficient details about Yakshays, Kinnars andNaga-Kiratas and Indo-austroloids like Nishadhas.

By the middle of 20th century, many scholars had

realized that original versions of Puranas contain

historical oral traditionsof thousandsofyears. Famous

scholars and historians like Pargiter, Kirfel, K.P.

Jaiswal and Dr. Satya Ketu Vidyalankar etc. have

very firmly opined that on the basis of Puranas an

outline of Ved ic Aryan civilization and its clash w ith

Harappa Sindha civilization (Hari-Upa according to

Rig-Veda) can be drawn. Only the supernatural,

caste biased and exaggerated poetic descriptions

added mainly during Gupta Period have to be put-

aside. Some historians in Nepal are of the opinion

that Lichiv is (during first coun try A.D.) and later-on,

Kumauni B rahmans (after I , 100 A.D.) were the

Aryans to enter Nepal and settle down . But there

some very clear indications that the Pre-Vedic

Vedic Aryans had already entered Nepal m

earlier.]

The Back-Drop

Some 3, 500 to 4,000 years "Before Pres(B.P.) Hari-Hara Chhetra (of present day Gand

Basins, including M ukti Nath, Deaughat andT riv

of Western Nepal), was one of the most impor

centers of Vedic Aryans, wh o had already expan

Swarswat Vedic Civilization. Just before this ti

Raja Harishchandra was ruling northern India, f

his capital of Ayodhy a in those days. Raja Dasha

(Lord Ram a's father) was born in the famous Ra

dynasty after some 29 generat ions from K

Harishchandra according to Kurma, Bhabishya

other Puranas. (Dr. SatyaketuVidyalankarl and so

othe r scholars estimate the time of Lord Rama to

abou t 3,500 years BP. and assume the period of r

of a king to be of 20 years. With this assum ption,

I . Vedic Youga, 5th Edition, 1996, Sri S araswoli Sadan, Delhi, P. 20. Also see 148-151 for details.



2 Ancien t N

time of King Harishchandra, Guru Vashista (the 4000 BP) w ere still practicing slashing and burn

earlier one ) and Viswamitrzi (the first one ) can be technique s to conquer new territories in India

estimated to be around 4,080B.P. It see ms that the Nepal and fix the habitation of Aryan populat

Raj Gu ru Vashista (of Lord Rama's time ) was the The y were firmly established up to Kurukchetra

head of the Vashishta "Pitha" (cen ter of learning), region nea r Delhi) , Panchal (present day B a

probably born in thesam e family. Around the timeo f Muradabad in Uttar Pradesh) and Ayodhya (onLord Ra ma, Mithila was yet another important center South Banks of Saray u River) of India, but they

of Vedic Aryan civilization. It is als o worth noting not succ eede d to con que r the foot hills plains of

that "Janaka" was the title of the king s of Mithila and present day Northern Bihar and Western and Eas

Godd ess Sita's fath erw as Sir-Dhoj "Janak", who was Nepal Terai lands, as these areas were covered w

of course, con tempo rary to King Dasharata-11. The se extremely dense foothill jungles, which were spar

estimated date s are im portant as D eau gha t and populated by Indo-Austroid tribes like Nishadh

Janakpu r are related to these great nam es and also Santhals. Thi s grea tjun gle lying in the area north

with the entry of Ary ans into Nepal. [M r. San kalia northeast of present-day Avadha region of India (Ram ayana Myth orReality ?)2afteranalyz ingVe dic called "Naimishayaranda" and probably covered

and Puranic data, presented by parg itera nd Pusalkar whole of northern regions, north of River Ga

and opinions of Bhargava, R.C. Majum dar and other including basins of River Goam ati, Sarayu (Karn

scholars, places the time of birth of Lord Rama at and Gandaki. According to "Sath Path Brahma

about 1,500~.~.andfoundationofca~fialof~~odh~asupposed to have been written some 3,000

at around 2,000 .C. Mr. San kali aals o mention s that B.P. in Latter Vedic Age), a king named M at

archa eolog ical exc ava tion s at Ch iran d at the Videha, encouraged and accompanied by his p

confluenc e of Ganga and Gh ogra (Karnali Rive r) Gautam Rahu gana, Viswanarea (holy fire) and l

have yielded evidenc e of pastoral-cum-agricultural army, marched through the northern part of

civilization at this area around 2,000 B.C. or 4,000 jungle (slashing, burning and making roads for t

BP. Pargiter (in his fam ous book An cien t Indian hors es and cha riots). It is indicated in "Sath P

Historical Traditions)3 has tried to prove that the Brahman" that Kingdom of Koshala (present

Mah a-Bha rata War had taken place at around 1,100 Sitapur-Gonda Areaof Uttar Pnd es h) was inexiste

B.C. and on the basis of Puranic Vansav alis (King at that time. Riv er Sada Nira (G andak ) was

Nam e Lists) Places the time of Lord Ram a to be eastern border of Koshala. For the first time this w

around 1,600 .C. or 3,600 ear B.P. "Vedic Age" is the Aryan s succeed to cross River Gandak i

generally considered to cover the time period of establish kingdom s up to the eastern regions

2,500B.C. to 1,000B.C. or upto the time of Debapi Nepal. Even now, there is a hermitage of R ahug

the brother of Santanu (father of Bhishm a Pitamaha near Deaughat. (Rig Veda 1/90/7 escribes R

of Mah abharata fame.)] Gautam as son of Rahugana). Th e Kingdom of Vid

The Great March (Mithila) is believed to have been created by K

Th e Aryans of Early Vedic Age (of some 4500- Math av Videha. The Aryans could not have advan

2. Peo ple's Publishing House. Delh i. Reprint 1991, P. 60 .

3. As quoted by Majumdhar R.C. (ed) The Vedic A ge, 1965 , P. 274.

4 . Ibid (I ) P. 82 , 123 and 142 (based on Sath Path Brahmin 1/4/4/14 and 1/4/1/10-19)



e Vedic-Aryan ..... 3

without the support of Lord Shiv a-the

rded a s the incarnation of Lo rd Rudra, the Early-

d of Cosmic Energy).

No reliable time estimates of Mathav Videha

mu dM ukh erjees writes that it should beon ly after

ic time. By this time, the Aryans in North-West

ore toward s the yet un-conquered

jung le areas of the North-East. But, there is yet

ans ofsa ras wo ti River basins,

du e tosom e great geological changes,

Ved ic Aryans viz. River

tedvanishing. It's w aterwa s alreadyured" by River Cha mba l and than by

es of flooding , probably of Jamuna and of

me geological changes).

Thus, this Vedic Civil ization, which was

the fall of Harapp a-Mohen -Jo-Daroon, was in dange r of being extinct. T o avoid

than towards the basins ofR iver Sarayu (Karnal

Sada-Nira (Gandaki). It is logical to think tha

pioneers like King Mathab Videha and Gau

Rahugana had taken-up this job.

It seems that even slightly before the tim

King Math ab Videha, great Aryan sag es had stcoming to Central Himalayas for meditation a

please Lord Shiva of their time. But, only afte

time of King Math ab Videha, it see ms that the

north of present day Deaughat, had been declar

Hari-Har Kchetra (the joint place of Lord Vishn

Lord Sh iva). It seem s that, even before the tim

King Videha, many famous sages ofVedic times

their hermitages in the moun tainous regions of uGandaki Basins. According to Skandha Pur

Goddess Parvati had paid respect to famous

like Marichi, Pulaha, Narada and Angira etc

original one s or their incarnations o r successo

their hermitages in the high Himalayas of We

Nepal. It is highly probable that by this time, Deau

had also become the base for sages who want

meditate in the high Him alayas.According to Vayu Purana,* king Divo-

was ruling North W estern India, when the mar

ofL ord Shi vaw ith Parvati (notwith Sati, thedau

ofD aksh ya Prajapati-11) ookplace (on theauspi

day of Akshyaya Tritiya). According to M

Purna,9 king Divo-dasa was borned in Puru V

(dynasty), and was in 38th generation afterBaibas

Manu . This Man u himself was so me 66-generbefore Lord Rama. Therefore, Baibaswata M

time can be estimated at 2,820 B.C. o r 4,82 0

(assuming that an average of 2 0 years can be giv

Mr. Mukherjee estimates the starting time of (creation of older part o f) Rig-Veda at 2500 BC. (Hindu Savyata. Raj K

Publication, Delhi-Patna, 1996, P. 82.

. "Saraswoti KO Sataha Per Lane Ki Tayari" Kadamabani, India. June, 2000.

. Himbat Khanda, (Nepali). Edited by Yogi Nara Hari Nath, M rigasthali, Kathmandu. B .S. 2013, P. 95-9 7.

. Diamond Pocket Books. Edited by Dr. Vinay, Delhi, P. 126

. Edited by Sri Ram Sharma, Shanskritic Sansthan, Barelly, India, 1st Pan, 1989 , P. 241-243.



4 Ancient Ne

f on e king). King D ivo-dasa can be placed

e 760 years after the Baibaswata M anu (or so me

60 years B.P.).Therefore, Lord Shiva and Goddess

Videha had entered

hill jungles and reached up toprese nt

hiva. It is important to note that

and Lord Krishna were great devotees of

iva.)

ID (The Aryan c l an of) Uru s En te r Nepa l Be fore

Vedic A ryans?

But there is yet another completely (so far)

edic Aryan clan of Urus might have alsoentered

-Western N epal via Uru Parva t

in B ajhang D istrict of Nepal),

Urus" had lived there even before the time of

aha" is said to have invited River Sita (West Seti

Parvat Pulaha is said to be "Manasa

a" (spiritual son ) of Lord Brahma and as ancient

achi" (the earliest Aryan S age of West Asia).Dattatraya (w ho was descenden t of Pulaha)

Edited by Prof. Gopal Dutta Pandey. Sri Nityananda Sm a

1 . Kurma Purananka, Kalyan 7111, Geet a Press, Gorakhpur,

lbid (8) P. 49.

Ibid (I I) P. 73 .

Ibid ( I 1) P. 73 .

. Ibid ( I ) P. 126

Kum aun and Bajhang-Doti Area, as he describes

ancient trek route to Man sarovara via Urai Pa ss

Lipulekh Pass. According to Kurma Purana,ll

great clan of Urus (Uru Jana) were dissidents

Chachkus Manu, who himself was dissident

Emperor Uttan Pada probably of Central or W

Asia. (Puru is said to be on e of the brothers of U r

Raja Benaand Prithu were also borned in Uru Dyna

probably in theareaw estofP amir. Dak shyaPrajap

I1 (fa the rof sat i Devi) was alsoadiss ident of Empe

Prithu. The Grand M other of Daks hya Prajapati-I

described as the "daughter of the sea". Daksh

Prajapati-11, is said to be the son of ten Pracheta

Kings and their wife Marisha. (Was it a case

polyandry?) H e had performed infamous "Yagn

somewhere behind the "Himabana" (Hima1ayas)

Kurma Puranal3 mentions sages Kratu, Swati a

Angiras also to be the sons of Uru and his w

Ayagnye. Before the time of Dakshya Prajapati-

Sushil (the great grandson of Em peror Prithu) h

became hermit and had gone to Himalayas

medi t a t i on14 (probably f rom presen t d

Afganisthan.) T his Pura nic record is in line with Harnley's view15 thal. some Aryans of Iela Va

(Moon Dynasty) had entered India after cross

Himalayan passes, except that Puru Jana were

from "lela Vansha'.

Th e Aborigineous Naga-Kira tas , ( Indo-Aust r io

Ni shadhas -Santha l s and Yakshyas (of S ha k

Kha sa Sub-Race)

The Indo-Austroid sub-races broadly termas "Nishadhas' in Pur anas, controlled the Ne

Himalayan foothill jungles around R ig-Vedic tim

rak Samiti, Varanasi, 1989, P. 546-547.

1997, P. 73 .



he Vedic-Aryan ..... 5

uranic descriptions of these peop le

stroid people, i.e. broad nose, blackish complexion ,

harata)l6 the existenc e of human being intinent right from the Palaeolithic

tablished.The findingsofthe fossilized

amap ithecus mostly in the Siw alic Hills

uggest the evolution of

(Butwa l) area of Nepal w ere found to be 9.0-on years old and seco nd oldest in the

ld17. Th e oldest rem ains of the prehistoric man in

has been found in Punjab in

the banks of River Sindh and River Jhelam,

as recorded to be half million ye arold . Many

e weapons of Palaeolithic and Neolithic ag e have

ajasthan, Gu jrat, Bengal and Bihar, etc. Onbasisof these findings, Dr. M ajum dar~ *co nclu des

end of fourth ice age (just before 10,0 00

B.P.) the human existence wa s spread all over

sejun gles in the basin plains surrounded

and River Jamuna). But in case of the

ll jungles and dun es of Sarayu (Karnali), Sada

ndaki) and Koshi (Kausiki) and lower basins

very sparsely

spread population of Kiratas, Nishadhs and S ant

in the Neolithic age.

Th ere seem s to have been a small populati

"Homo Erectus" and latter on of "Homo-Sapi

(of 300,000 to4 0,0 00 years B.P.) in Churea H ill

lower valleys of Mahabharat R ange of KumaunNepal. They may be the ancestors of Raw

Kusu ndas and Chep angs and the like. S o far, onl

stone weapons found in Bardia is proved to b

"Pre-Chelian" type of som e 500.000 years B.P.

stone tools found in Budhanilkantha and Dh

Khola Area of Kathmandu Valley are categorize

of Govi (Mon ogolian) type and European (Mus

type of middle palaeolithic age (some 300,0040,000 years B.P.) In the neolithic age (10,00

6,0 00 years B.P) the population of the true ance

of modern men se em to hav e (very thinly) sprea

ov er Nepal. N eolithic (stone) tools have been f

in Dang Valley, Luvu (Lalitpur), Naval Pa

Kavrepa lanchow k, Pal pa, Sankhuw ashava, Mo

and Jhapa . T h e archaeological investigations in

Western Hills and foot hill plains are not carriedyet. But the probability of finding palaeolithic

neolithic tools there, is very high. In this context

findings o fc av e paintings of Dal Bandha village

Almoda District of Kumaun (adjoining Far Wes

Nepa l) are important. This ca ve painting is prov

be 25 to 3 0 thousand years old. In the opinio

Mr. Davralzo the proto-austroid people and N

Kiratas existed in Kumaun and Ga dhw al Hills ar

this time period.

. Moti Lal Banarisidas, Delhi. 1995. P. 3

J. , Dongo l, B. Hutchison, J.H., Kean W.F , Munthe, K.Q West, R.M.-1983 Ne w Fossil discoveries fromth e Mi

of Nepal include a Hominoid-Nature vol. 303. 26 May.

Ibid (1 6) P. 3

. Rock Paintings in Kumaun, Man and Environment, Vol. 2, P. 75-7 7 (Quoted by Rekha Thapaliya, Prachin Madhya Hima

Northern Book C entre, Delhi. 1991, P. 33 )0 S. P. Davral, Uttarakhanda Ka Itihas, 1973. P 113.



6 Ancient N

Fam ous historian Late Ba buram Acharya21 has

en that the settlemen ts of "Aagneya" people

he sea. Th ey used to live in small openin gs

foo th il l jung les . Fam ous au thor Rahul

tyana22 writes that the K iratas were living in

ed toc om e to lowerp art of thejungles

er m onths) even up-to the dow n-

River Ghagra and smaller tributary

s (of Rive r Gan ga) like Manga i. Here, they used

es with Nishadh as, mostly for

2,500 B.C. or so,

ore, coulddrive-aw ay the later ston eag e Kiratas

was possible because D amils or

bed a s "Panis" in Rig-Ve da) were

e "Panis" we re visiting them in their tradin g

a (present day city of Varanasi). Th e Nishad has

d to take young Kirati girls a s war prisoners and

us" cam e into existence in Nishada controlled

ll jungle settlements. Latter on, when A ryans

o match to Aryans with cavalry, chariots and

ys been an important factor in

es.) Th e frequent battles with Kiratas needed

ofc opp er weapons for Nishadhas. T his

o why many copper-bronzeaxes, swords,

s etc. of this age, were found in the de ltas of

River Gang a and R iver Jamuna, a s against, very

neolithic (s tone ) weapo ns found here23.

T h e "Kirata" is a term broadly used by V

Aryan s for the Mongo lic people living in the m

Himalayan valleys and lower foothills (Sival

Ch ure hills).These M ongolic people had hundre

kings and fortresses all over Himalayas. K

Kiratas of Western Him alayas (and probably ) N

Kiratas of Kumaun-Doti (Man as-Kha nda) and

Hara Kchetra (Ga ndaki Basin), also had to fight

Vedic Aryans. The famous war between K iratemp

Sambara and king Divo-das of Sindhu-Saras

Rigion is described even in Rigveda. Lord Ind

highly praised in the Rig-Veda for helping

Divo-dasa in this famous war. Sag e Bharadwaja

Divo-dasa's royal priest. He had ordered the K in

eliminate K iratas and keep fighting till the time

single K irata is in existe nce in the northern fron t

Sapta Sindhu (Jammu Kashmir and Himanch

present day). This is how the A ryans of Ea rly

Vedic times kepton movingtowards theeast,figh

both with K iratas as well as Nishadhas. It seem s

latter on, the Kinnar-Kiratas and Naga-Kiratas

becom e more friendly with A ryans as their com

enem ies were Nishadhas. (A fter the defeat of

Kirata Emperor Sambara, the Nishadhas were

main en em ies of Aryans.) Aryans must hav e rea

this and by accepting Kiratas' Supreme God

Shiva as their own, developed friendly ties

Kiratas. The Vedic Aryans could not have rea

upto M ithila without the support of Kiratas. Th

clear and simple.

The Yakshayas of Manas-Khanda And Hari

Kchetra

Padm a Purana (Shristhi Khanda) and Ska

. Purnima. Issue # 4. Kathmandu.

. Kanaila Ki Katha, Kitab Mahal, Delhi, 1990,P. 4-9.

. Majumdhar, Ibid (16)P. 3.



e Vedic-Aryan .....24 gives detail description possible that Yaks hyas had conquered this area

the prese nce of Yak shya s, G uih ay ak as a nd annexed this part of Nepal in their Kingdom. V

hyas in and around Ma nasarav oar- Mr. Kailash Purana26 which is supp osed to be oldest among

of Tibet. Th is area was called Sw arna Bhumi Puran as (original parts written during the time

of G old) as well as M anash Khanda. T he King Abhiseem Krishna wh o was only 5 generati

er part of Ma nash-K hand a com prised of present after King Youdhisthira) describes about the rul

Kumaun and Greater Doti bordering River Kamali the Yakshya c om ma nd er Mani Bhadra in Eas

t. Mt. Malika of present day Bajura District Tibet. Som e scholars believe that "Yakkha" Dew

said to be the "heap of wealth" of Kubera, where are the d escendents of Yakshyas of T ibet. Go

i Devi (Mallika) was situated.25 Dewan27 writes that the Yakshyas were driven

place, was the capital of King Kubera Nepal by Khams (Khampas or Kha m-M angar s?)

called "City of Gold" (Kanchan Puri according Chon gs of Tibet. The re may be som e archeolog

Western eviden ce (to show Central Asian cultural remain

eem s to be their cultural and religious center, Yakshyas and Khams or Huns ofTib et). They can

where many Khasa clans had spread all over found also in the cav es of Up per Mustang

e Khasas may be descendents of Ya- surrou nding areas of West and Far Western Nep

(Yakshyas) wh o probably were different According toAtkinson,28till the timeo fAsh

Sri Pali or Jalandhari Khashas wh o establish ed the Great, the "Khasas" were called Yakshyas. (

big Kingdom in Jum la-Du llu durin g 12th to 14th "Khasas" are called "Kassites" by Greek histori

ry A.D. From these descrip tions, it see ms that and are believed to be a branch of great Shak a s

shyas had entered Nepal slightly before Ved ic race, of W est and Central Asia, belong originall

I t is also important to note that accord ing to caucaso id race.) It seem s that in those day s Kaila

rana (the present day version is supp osed Ma na Sora vara was a great cultural, religious as w

been compiled and re-written in 12thcentu ry), as political center and thecontem porary aborigine

two sons of Yakshya King (Kubera) were living people of Upper Mu stang seem to have very cl

contacts with Yakshyas, Rakshyas and Kiratas

poeticsymbolicallyintheformof Manas Khanda, where Supreme God, Lord Sh

was presiding. ("Kubera" see ms to be the title of

er Mustang ) is also described as Yakshya Tirtha kings of Yakshyas). According to the original par

the Puranas. Th ese mythological descrip tions Vyayu Purana,29 the Kubera of Lord Shiva's time

the possibility of the presence of Yakshya "Baibaswata Manwantar", had already a very la

empire. His famous commander Mani Bhadra w

ruling from his capital situated at Chandra Pr

. Se e "Tirtha-trayaMahatmya Sangraha" Geeta Pustakalaya and Shaileswari Guthi Seva Samiti. Silgadi Doti. N epal. B S. 2

P. 1-54 for details.

lbid (24 ) P. 139.

lbid (8) P. 61.

Yalambar, Issue# 3. Kathmandu BS. 2050, P. 9-16 .

. Quoted by Mr. Badri Dutta Pandey (Kumaun Ka Itihas. Shayam Prakashan. Almoda. 1997, P. 534) .lbid (8) P. 61.



8 Ancient N

Mou ntain (in Eastern Tibe t?), which lied in the north-

eastern direction from Mt. Ka ilash. Th e last mention

about Yakshyas is mentioned in Garga Sanhita-'o

during the time of Lord Krishna. There fore, it can be

deducted that Northern M ustang wa s also under the

Yakshy a Em pire some 4,500-3.000 years ago and itmust have been more close to ancient Tib et than t o

ancient Nepal.

Thus, from thedescriptionsofsatpath Brahman

Grantha and various Puranas, it seem sthat the Aryans

from Vedic Swaraswat civilization hadente red Nepal

at around 4,000-4,100 years B.P. Already by this

time, there seems to be the strong presence of

Yakshyas in the Central Himalayas, who were in

very friendly terms with Naga Kiratas of Central

Himalayas. In the latter Vedic Age, more Aryans

seem to have visited Nepal. P radhumn a also visited

Kathm andu Valley and Lord Krishna had cut opened

the dam on the foot of Chandra Giri (Chovar Gorg e

or the gorge at K atuwal Daha?) and released water

from the Naga-Hrada lake with a view to built the

cities and villages in the present day Kathmandu

Valley according to Himabata Khanda of Skanda

Purana.31 Th is ~ u r a n i c tory , if suppor ted by

archeological evidences, will show as to how the last

of the Later Vedic A ryans had reached Central N epal.

Western and Eastern Nepal Terai and hills were

opened-up by Bhimsena according to mythological

narrations. (The Tharu s of Dang Va lley and Newars,

even now worship Bhimsen. According to Maha-

Bharata E pic and Vishnu Purana, Arjuna w as the first

Aryan commander, who had reached as far east as

Assam and conquered the ancient kingdom of Mani

Pura and married Naga Princess Ulupi. Th ese Puran ic

recordsamply sh ow that by the time ofM aha-B hara ta

War (some 3,000 years B.P.), the Aryans had

conquered most parts of the lower Himalayas an

latter Vedic civilization was penetrating in

important population centers of Nepal. How

exce pt in ith hi la, t h e ~ e d i c r y a n ivil iza ' t ion

not flourish and the rich and equitable indige

Naga-Kirati (Bo n) civilization could conundisturbed till the medieval times. O nly in Mi

this great Vedic Civilization could produce

philosophers like Yagnabalka, Maitree and G

and Philosopher-king like Janaka (of Upanis

fame, probably not Sir-Dhoj Janak, fathero fGo d

Sita). Now , it is for the archaeologist and histo

to research further and reconstruct the histo

Nepal of Vedic Age.

30. Geeta P ress, Gorakhpur, India, BS . 2054. P. 31 1-313.

Documents

Ancient Nepal 147 01