flit, , Mi^m k ', ^ DS L\-5I SL>lo Ctotuell Haiumttg Jibtarg BOUGHT WITH THE INCOME FROM THE SAGE ENDOWMENT FU^^D THE GIFT OF lienrg m. Sage 1891 A.iS"3?3^.. ^qlido-^. Cornell University Library DS 451.S66 The early history of India from 600 B.C 3 1924 024 065 645 Cornell University Library The original of tiiis book is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/cletails/cu31924024065645 ROCK-CUT ELEPHANT ABOVE THE ASOKA INSCRIPTION AT DHAULI, ORISSA THE EARLY HISTORY OF INDIA FROM 600 B.C. TO THE MUHAMMADAN CONQUEST INCLUDING THE INVASION OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT BY VINCENT A. SMITH M.A. (dUBI..); M.R.A.a., F.R.N. 3., LATE OF THE IKDIAN CIVIL SERVICE; AUTHOR OF 'ASOKA, THE BUDDHIST EMPEROR OF INDIA,' ETC. EDITOR OF SLEEMAN's ' RAMBLES AND RECOLLECTIONS ' OXFORD AT THE CLARENDON PRESS 1904 P\.lS^^cO HENRY FROWDE, M.A. PUBLISHER TO THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFOIID LONDON, EDINBURGH NEW YORK PREFACE The plan and limitations of this book have been explained so fully in the Introduction that little more need be said by way of preface. The room for difference of opinion on many of the subjects treated is so great that I cannot expect my views on controverted points to meet with universal acceptance ; and the complexity of my undertaking forbids me to hope that positive errors, justly open to censure, have been avoided altogether ; but 1 trust that critics will be prepared to concede the amount of indulgence which may be granted legi- timately to the work of a pioneer. The devotion of a disproportionately large space to the memorable invasion of Alexander the Great is due to the exceptional interest of the subject, which, so far as I know, has not been treated adequately in any modern book. The extreme brevity of the fourteenth and fifteenth chapters, dealing with the mediaeval kingdoms of the north and the Deccan, which may be open to adverse criticism, is attributable to the limited interest of merely local histories. In the final chapter an attempt has been made to give an intelligible outline of the history of the South, so far as it has been ascertained. The story of the Dravidian nations seems to me deserving of more attention than it generally receives. The presentation of cumbrous and unfamihar iii iv PREFACE Oriental names must always be a difficulty for a writer on Indian history. I have endeavoured to secure reasonable uniformity of spelling without pedantry. The system of transliteration followed in the notes and appendices is substantially that used in the Indian Antiquaj-y ; while in the text long vowels only are marked where necessary, and aU other diacritical signs are discarded. Vowels have values as in Italian ; except the short a, which is pronounced like u in but, when with stress, and like A in America, when without stress. The consonants are to be pronounced as in English ; and ch, consequently, is represented in French by tch, and in German by tsch ; similarly, j is equivalent to the French dj and the German dsch. The international symbol c for the English ch, as in church, which has been adopted by the Asiatic Societies, may have some advantages in purely technical publications ; but its use results in such monstra hoi'renda as Cac for Chach, and is unsuitable in a work intended primarily for Enghsh and Indian readers. I have much pleasure in acknowledging the receipt of help of various kinds from the foUovdng gentlemen : — M. Edouard Chavannes, Professeur au CoUdge de France; Mr. J. S. Cotton, editor of the Indian Imperial Gazetteer ; Mr. Wilham Crooke ; Professor Rhys Davids ; Dr. J. F. Fleet, CLE. ; Dr. Rudolf Hoernle, CLE. ; Mr. James Kennedy; M. Sylvain L^vi; Professor E. J. Rapson; and Mr. R. SeweU. CONTENTS CHAP. PAGE I. 1. Introduction ....... 1 2. The Sources of Indian History . . 7 Appendix A. The Age of the Puranas . 18 Appendix B. The Chinese Pilgrims . .19 II. The Dynasties before Alexander^ 600 to 326 b. c. . 22 Appendix C. Chronology of the Saisunaga and Nanda Dynasties, from 600 to 321 b.c. . 38 III. Alexander's Indian Campaign : the Advance, 327- 326 B.c 4^2 Appendix D. Aornos and Embolima . . 68 Appendix E. Alexander's Camp ; the Passage of the Hydaspes ; and the Site of the Battle with Poros . . . . .71 Appendix F. The Date of the Battle of the Hydaspes . . . . . . .78 IV. Alexander's Indian Campaign : the Retreat, 326- 324 B.c 81 Chronology of the Indian Campaign of Alex- ander the Great . . . . .106 V. Chandragupta Maurya and Bindusara, from 321 to 272 B.C. 108 Appendix G. The Extent op the Cession of Ariana BY Seleukos Nikator to Chandra- gupta' Maurya . . . . . .132 VI. AsoKA Maurya, from 272 to 231 b.c. . . . 13.5 Appendix H. The Inscriptions of Asoka ; Bibliographical Note . . . . .152 vi CONTENTS CHAP. PAGE VII. AsoKA Maurya (continued) ; and his Successors, to 184 B.C 155 Chronological Table of the Maurya Dynasty 173 Vlll. The Sunga, Kanva, and Andhra Dynasties, from 184 B.C. to 236 A.D. .... 175 Appendix I. The Invasion of Menander, and THE Date of Patanjali . . . 192 IX. The Indo-Gheek and Indo-Parthian Dynasties, FROM 250 B.C. to 50 A. D. . . . . 194 Appendix J. Alphabetical List of Bactrian AND Indo-Greek Kings and Queens . . 214 Appendix K. Synchronistic Table from 280 B.C. TO 50 A. D 2l6 X. The Kushan or Indo-Scythian Dynasty, from 45 TO 225 A.D. . . .... 217 Approximate Kushan Chronology . . . 242 XI. The Gupta Empire, and the Western Satraps ; Chandra-Gupta I to Kumaragupta I, from 320 to 455 a. D. .... . . 244 XII. The Gupta Empire (continued) ; and the White Huns, from 455 to 606 a.d. . . . . 264 Chronology of the Gupta Period . .281 XIII. The Reign of Harsha, from 606 to 648 a. d. . 282 Chronology of the Seventh Century . . 302 XIV. The Mediaeval Kingdoms of the North, from 648 TO 1200 A.D . 303 XV. The Kingdoms of the Deccan .... 323 XVI. The Kingdoms of the South . 333 INDEX ... 358 ERRATA Page 31, line 8, for the place of his birth read his ancestral home Page 225 note, /or 57 b.c. read 57 or 58 B.C. ILLUSTKATIONS Rock-cut Elephant above the Asoka Inscription at Dhauli, Orissa . . . Frontispiece PAGE Indian Coins . . . . . To face 1 PiPRAWA Inscribed Vase containing Relics of Buddha 14 The Birth-place of Buddha .... 148 Inscribed Buddhist Pedestal from Hashtnagar 2" 3 The Martanda Temple of the Sun, Kashmir . . 308 The Rock-cut Kailasa Temple at Eluha . 327 The Great Temple at Tanjore .... 34.5 The Ganesa Rath a at Mamallaipuram . . . 350 MAPS AND PLANS 1. The Battlefield of the Hydaspes . . To face 58 2. Plan of the Battle of the Hydaspes . . . 60 3. Position of the Autonomous Tribes conquered by Alexander ....... 88 4. The Empire of Asoka, 250 b. c. . . . . 142 5. The Conquests of Samudra Gupta, 340 a. d. ; and the Gupta Empire, 400 a.d. (Travels of Fa-hien) . 250 6. India in 640 a. d. ; the Empire of Harsha (Travels of Hiuen Tsang) ...... 287 CONTENTS OF PLATE OF INDIAN COINS IN THE BRITISH MUSEUM Sophytes. Euki-atides, Menaader. Hermaios. Kodphises I. Gondophares. Sivalakura of Andhra dynasty, Kadphises II. Kanishka. Siimudi-agupta. Sarandragupta. Chandra-gTipfca II, Vikraiiia- ditya. Kiittivarman Chandella. A Pandya king. Rajaraja Chola. A Pallava chief. Ohvern 17 A Chera king. Head of the king r., in close- fitting helmet, bound with wreath ; wing on cheek-piece. Bust of the king r., dia- demed, and wearing helmet (L-ausia), adorned with ear and horn of bull, and crest. BAZIAEaS inTHPoz MENANAPoY. Bust of the king r,, diademed. BASIAEnZ ZHTHPoZ EPMAIoY. Bust of the king r., diademed. XoPANCY ZAooY KoZoAA KAAA0EC. Head of the king r., diademed, and cln^ely resembling that of Augustus. Greek legend imperfect, BACIAEoN .... YNAo(J)EP . . . Bust of the kiog r., diademed. Raho Madlianpatasa Sicdhi. l-urasa. Strung bow, \vith airow fixed. BACIAEYC ooHMo KAA0ICHC. Bust of king emerging from clouds ; helmet and diadem ; Greek chlamys ; cl ub ? in r, hand. Standing king in Turki cos- tume, with spear and sword. Legend in modified Greek characters PAoNANoPAo KANHPKI KoPANo { P to be read sk). King seated, playing lyre. Legend, mahdriljddhirQja srl Saviudraguptah; on footstool, Horse, standing before altar and sacrificial post. Legend imperfect ; between horse's legs, »!. King shooting lion. Legend, iiiahdrdjddhirdja iri. Legend, h'lmat Klritivarm- Dia-deva, Two fishes under an um- brella, with other symbols. Standing king. Lion r. Seated figure, corrupted. ZaYToY Cock r, ; above, cadu- ceus. BAZIAEnZ METAAoY EYKPATIAoY. The Dioskouroi charging r., holding long lances and palms. Not figured. Not figured. Refa Xijt figured. Not figured. Not figured. Kharoshth) inscrip- tion, maharnjasdy &c, Siva and Indian bull. APAoXPo (P=s/()- Female deity with Gornucopiae. Not figured. Not figl^red. Goddess seated on lion. Legend, Hrl Sihha Vt. kramah. Four-armed goddess, seated. Legend uncei-tain. Seated figure. Legend, Rdjardja. Vase on stand. Bow and umbrella. Gardner, Ca(ai. of Greek and Scythic Kings of Bactria and. Iiidia, PJ. 1,3- ibid., PI. V, 7. ibid., PI. XI, 7. ibid., PI. XV, 4. ibid., PI. XXV, 5. ibid., PI. XXII, II. Cunningham, Cohm of Ancient India, p. 109. Gardner, op. cit,, P], XXV, 7. Gardner, op. cit., PI XXVI, 6. J. S. A. .?., 1889, PI. I, 5. ibid., 4. ibid., PI. II, 6. Cunningham, Coins of Mediaeval fndia, PI Vlir, 12. Blliot, Cairn of Sovth- ern India, Pi, III, 120. ibid., PI. IV, 165. ibid., PI. II, 4,. ibid., PI. Ill, 128. INDIAN COINS CHAPTER I I. INTRODUCTION The illustrious Elphinstone, writing in 1839, observed Elphin- that in Indian history ' no date of a public event can be fixed CoweU on before the invasion of Alexander ; and no connected relation the Hindu of the national transactions can be attempted until after the ^ Mahometan conquest.' Professor Cowell, when commenting upon this dictum, twenty-seven years later, begged his readers to bear it in mind diu-ing the whole of the Hindu period ; assigning as his reason for this caution the fact that 'it is only at those points where other nations came into contact with the Hindus, that we are able to settle any details accurately ^.' Although the first clause of Elphinetone's proposition, if strictly interpreted, still remains true — no date in Indian history prior to Alexander's invasion being determinable with absolute precision — modern research has much weakened the force of the observation, and has enabled scholars to fix a considerable number of dates in the pre-Alexandrine history of India with approximate accuracy, suificient for most purposes. But when the statement that a connected narrative of Results of events prior to the Muhammadan conquest cannot be pre- research, pared is examined in the light of present knowledge, the immense progress in the recovery of the lost history of India made during the last forty years becomes apparent. The researches of a multitude of scholars working in various fields have disclosed an unexpected wealth of materials for the reconstruction of ancient Indian history ; and the neces- sary preliminary studies of a technical kind have been carried so far that the moment seems to have arrived for taking stock of the accumulated stores of knowledge. It now appears ' Elphinstone, History of India, ed. Cowell, Sth ed., p. 11. 2 INTRODUCTION to be practicable to exhibit the results of antiquarian studies in the shape of a ' connected relation ' ; not less intelligible to the ordinary educated reader than Elphinstone's narrative of the transactions of the Muhammadan period. Political The first attempt to present such a narrative of the leading "s ory. gygfj^g jjj Indian political history for eighteen centuries is made in this book, which is designedly confined almost ex- clusively to the relation of political vicissitudes. A sound framework of dynastic annals must be provided before the story of Indian literature and art can be told aright. Although literary and artistic problems are touched on very lightly in this volume, the references made will suffice, perhaps, to convince the reader that the key is often to be found in the accurate chronological presentation of dynastic facts. East and European students, whose attention has been directed almost exclusively to the Graeco-Roman foundation of modern civilization, may be disposed to agree with the German philosopher in the belief that ' Chinese, Indian, and Egyptian antiquities are never more than curiosities^'; but, however well founded that opinion may have been in Goethe's day, it can no longer command assent. The researches of orientalists during the last hundred years have established many points of contact between the ancient East and the modem West ; and no Hellenist can now afford to profess complete ignorance of the Babylonian and Egyptian culture which forms the bed-rock of European institutions. Even China has been brought into touch with Europe ; while the languages, literature, art, and philosophy of the West have been proved to be connected by innumerable bonds with those of India. Although the names of even the greatest monarchs of ancient India are at present unfamiliar to the general reader, and awaken few echoes in the minds of any save specialists, it is not unreasonable to hope that an orderly presentation of the ascertained facts of ancient Indian history may be of interest to a larger circle than that • The Maxims and Reflections of Ooethe, No. 325, in Bailey Saunders's translation. ALEXANDER THE GREAT 3 of professed orientalists, and that, as the subject becomes more familiar to the reading public, it will be found no less worthy of attention than more familiar departments of historical study. A recent Indian author justly observes that ' India suffers to-day in the estimation of the world more through that world's ignorance of the achievements of the heroes of Indian history than through the absence or insignificance of such achievements ^.' The following pages may serve to prove that the men of old time in India did deeds worthy of remembrance, and deserving of rescue from the oblivion in which they have been buried for so many centuries. The section of this work which deals with the invasion Alexander of Alexander the Great may claim to make a special appeal ^"^ trreat. to the interest of readers trained in the ordinary course of classical studies ; and the subject has been treated ac- cordingly with much fullness of detail. The existing English accounts of Alexander's marvellous campaign, among which that of Thiriwall may claim, perhaps, the highest place, treat the story rather as an appendix to the history of Greece than as part of that of India, and fail to make full use of the results of the labours of modern geographers and archaeologists. In this volume the campaign is discussed as a memorable episode in the history of India, and an endeavour has been made to collect all the rays of light from recent investigation and to focus them upon the narra- tives of ancient authors. The author's aim is to present the story of ancient India, The so far as practicable, in the form of a connected narrative, ^^ °^ '' based upon the most authentic evidence available ; to relate facts, however established, with impartiality : and to discuss the problems of history in a judicial spirit. He has striven to realize, however imperfectly, the ideal expressed in the words of Goethe : — 'I'he historian's duty is to separate the true from the false, the certain from the uncertain, and the doubtful from ' C. N. K. Aiyar, Sri Sankaracharya, his Life and Times, p. iv. B a Ijadition. 4 INTRODUCTION that which cannot be accepted. . . . Every investigator must before all things look upon himself as one who is summoned to serve on a jury. He has only to consider how far the statement of the case is complete and clearly set forth by the evidence. Then he draws his conclusion and gives his vote, whether it be that his opinion coincides with that of the foreman or not '.' The application of these principles necessarily involves the wholesale rejection of mere legend as distinguished from tradition, and the omission of many picturesque anecdotes, mostly folk-lore, which have clustered round the names of the mighty men of old in India. Value of The historian of the remote past of any nation must be content to rely much upon tradition as embodied in litera- ture, and to acknowledge that the results of his researches, when based upon traditionary materials, are inferior in certainty to those obtainable for periods of which the facts are attested by contemporary evidence. In India, with very few exceptions, contemporary evidence of any kind is not available before the time of Alexander ; but critical examina- tion of records dated much later than the events referred to can extract from them testimony which may be regarded with a high degree of probability as traditionally transmitted from the sixth or, perhaps, the seventh century b. c. Necessity Even contemporary evidence, when it is available for later periods, cannot be accepted without criticism. The flattery of courtiers, the vanity of kings, and many other clouds which obscure the absolute truth, must be recognized and allowed for. Nor is it possible for the writer of a history, however great may be his respect for the objective fact, to eliminate altogether his own personality. Every kind of evidence, even the most direct, must reach the reader, when in narrative form, as a reflection from the mirror of the writer's mind, with the liability to unconscious distortion. In the following pages the author has endeavoured to exclude the subjective element so far as possible, to make no state- ' The Maxims and Bejlections of Goethe, Nos. 453, 543. tor criti- cism. UNITY OF INDIA 5 ment of fact without authority, and to give the authority, that is to say, the evidence, for every fact alleged. But no obligation to follow authority in the other sense of the word has been recognized, and the narrative often assumes a form which appears to be justified by the evidence, although opposed to the views stated in well-known books by authors of repute. Indian history has been too much the sport of credulity and hypothesis, inadequately checked by critical judgement of evidence or verification of fact ; and ' the opinion of the foreman,' to use Goethe's phrase, cannot be implicitly followed. Although this work purports to relate the Early History Unity of of India, the title must be understood with certain limita- I"