Uttarakhand Metahistoric Period

Uttarakhand Metahistoric Period

The ‘half-historic period’ is also called the mythological period. The extension of this period has been considered from the fourth century to the historical period, in the ‘half-historic period’, Garhwal and Kumaon have been called by other names, which will be known in detail in the article below and many articles have also been found in this period, which is in the article. Mentioned in the main article.

Uttarakhand Metahistoric Period

1.Garhwal Region

2.Kumaon Region

3.Main article

Due to the lack of archaeological evidence, the main sources of half the history of the state are various religious texts. That is why this period is also called Puranic period. Following are the important facts of this period.

The extension of this period is considered to be from the fourth century to the historical. The people of this era get evidence of familiarity with iron-copper metals, agriculture-animal husbandry and rural-urban civilization. Like copper-accumulation found from Bahadarabad, megalithic cremation remains found with various materials from Malari and Ramganga valley etc.

We get the first mention of Uttarakhand from the Rigveda, in which this region has been called the land of God and full of sages.

Apart from the Vedas, it is also mentioned in the Upanishads, Brahmanical texts, Puranas, Ramayana and Mahabharata etc. These texts have been called Purna Bhoomi, Rishi Bhoomi and Holy Kshetra.

The word Uttar-Kuru has been used for this region due to the abode of Uttar-Kurus in the Aitareva Brahmins.

Skanda Purana mentions 5 Himalayan divisions (Nepal, Manaskhand, Kedarkhand, Jalandhar and Kashmir), out of which two sections (Manaskhand and Kedarkhand) belong to the present Uttarakhand state.

In the above Purana, the vast area from Mayakshetra (Haridwar) to the Himalayas is called Kedarkhand (Garhwal region) and the area from Nanda Devi mountain to Kalagiri is called Manaskhand (present Kumaon region). Nanda Devi mountain is situated on the dividing line of these two sections.

In the Puranas, the combined region of Manaskhand and Kedarkhand has been addressed by the names of Uttar-Khand, Barhapur and Khasdesh etc.

In the Pali-language texts of Buddhist literature, the word Himwant has been used for the Uttarakhand region.

Garhwal Region –

Earlier this area was known as Badrikashram Kshetra, Tapobhoomi, Sarvabhoomi (in Mahabharata and Puranas) and Kedarkhand etc. But later, around 1515 AD, the name Garhwal started being used due to the division of 52 Gadas (hill forts) of this area by the Pawar ruler Ajaypal.

The construction of pits has been a very ancient feature of this region. It is mentioned in the Rigveda that 100 bastions of the Asura king Shambar of this region were destroyed by Devraj Indra and Sudas.

According to Riguveda, after the holocaust, the Saptarishis saved their lives in the Prana village of this region and from here again the creation started and the tradition of Maricha, Angira, Atri, Agatsya, Bhrigu, Vasishtha, Manu etc. The place called Alkapuri (the capital of Kubera) here is said to be the abode of Manu, the first ancestor of humans.

Garhwal was the abode of the Manas sons of Braha, Daksha, Marichi, Pulasya, Pulah, Ritu and Atri.

Historians like Hariram Dhasmana, Bhajan Singh and Dr. Shivnand Nautiyal are of the opinion that the ‘Saptasindhu’ country which is mentioned in Riguveda is Garhbhoomi (Garhwal). The Vedic texts were composed in the caves of Ganesh, Narada, Muchkund, Vyasa and Skandha, located near Badrinath in this region. The Saraswati river mentioned in Riguveda is also related to this.

In a belt (Himayan) of Tehri Garhwal, there is a Vashisht cave, Vashisht Kund and Vashishtashram on a mountain named Vison. It is believed that Vashisht Muni and his wife Arundhati resided here after Rama left for exile.

Sita ji was absorbed in the earth in the Sitonsun belt of Devprayag of Garhwal region. That is why a fair is held here (Mansar Mela) every year.

There is a temple of Lord Rama in Devprayag and it is believed that Lord Rama did penance here at the last moment.

The place where Laxman ji did penance in Tehri Garhwal district is called Tapovan.

The kingdom of Banasur during the Ramayana was also in this Garhwal region and its capital was Jyotishpur (Joshimath).

In the Van Parva of Mahabharata, there is a description of the places falling in the journey from Haridwar to Kedarnath (Bhringtung). Badrinath has also been discussed in this festival. In this festival, there is a mention of Pandavas coming to this area along with Lomash Rishi. It is believed that Pandavas along with Kunti and Draupadi went to heaven from here.

According to the Vanparva of Mahabharata, at that time this region was ruled by the Pulinda (Kunind) and Kirat castes. The capital of Pulinda Raja Subahu was Srinagar. He participated in the war on behalf of the Pandavas.

After Subahu there is mention of King Virat, whose capital was at Viratgarhi near Jaunsar. Abhimanyu was married to his daughter.

In ancient times, there were two famous Vidyapeeths in this area named Badrikashram and Karnashram. Of these, Karnashram is particularly famous for the love affair of Dushyanta and Shakuntala. Chakravarti Emperor Bharat was born in this ashram, after whom his country was named Bharat.

Mahakavi Kalidas composed the epic Abhigyan Shakuntalam in this Karnashram situated on the banks of Malinini river, presently this place is called Chaukaghat.

The word Kedarkhas Mandalay has been used at some places in religious texts. According to this word, Kedarkhand has been considered synonymous with Khas Pradesh. Legislations are of the opinion that the people of Khas caste were very strong in the Garhwal region in ancient times. During the Khasas, the spread of Buddhism was more in the Garhwal region. Some laws consider them as Aryans.

Kumaon Region –

According to mythological texts, Lord Vishnu’s Kurma or Kachchhapatar took place on the Kanteshwar mountain (present name Kandadeva or Kandev) with the back of Kachhapa, located near Champawat (east of the Champawat river). Later on, this region of Manaskhand came to be called Kurmanchal (Sanskrit word) after the name of this mountain. Later, here the word Kurmanchal became Kumu in Prakrit and Kumaon in Hindi.

Initially, only the areas around Champawat were called Kumaon, but later the entire area comprising the present Almora, Pithoragarh, Bageshwar, and Udham Singh Nagar came to be called Kumaon.

The maximum mention of Kumaon is found in the Manaskhand of Skanda Purana.

According to Brahma and Vayu Purana, castes like Kirat, Kinnar, Yaksha, Gandharva, Vidhadhar, Nag etc. resided.

In the Mahabharata also, there is a mention of the inhabitants of Kirat, Kinnar, Yaksha, Tangava, Kulind, and Khas etc. in the Kurmanchal region.

The existence of Jakhan Devi Temple (Almora) attests to the existence of Yakshas in this area in very ancient times.

In the Kumaon region, the presence of the temple of snake deity like Binag or Beninag, Dhaulnag, Kalinag, Pingalnag, Kharharinag, Basukinag etc. attests to the residence of the people of the Nag caste in ancient times.

The most famous of the above Nag temples is the Binag or Beninag of Pithoragarh.

The descendants of Kiratas with their independent linguistic existence (Munda language) still reside in places called Askot and Dodihat of Kumaon.

There is a mention of Khas in the later Kumaon castes, which were very strong. Buddhism was spread more during his time. Before the entry of Rajputs in Kumaon, the Khasas dominated.

Main article –

Historical inscriptions of many types (inscriptions, temple inscriptions, cave inscriptions, brick inscriptions, sculptural inscriptions, trident inscriptions, copperplate inscriptions, and currency inscriptions etc.) have been found from different places of the state, which are as follows.

Inscriptions have been found from places like Kalsi, Lakhamandal, Siroli, Mandal and Mana etc.

Ashoka made an inscription on the northern frontier of his kingdom in BC. 257 at Kalsi (at the confluence of Tons and Yamuna, north of Dehradun). This article is in Palibhash. Ashoka’s declaration in this inscription that he has made arrangements for the medical treatment of humans and animals everywhere in the state. In this, people have also been asked to give up violence and adopt non-violence.

In the Kalsi inscription, the word Pulinda has been used for its residents and Aparanta for this area.

An inscription of Princess Ishwar has been received from Lakhamandal located at Jaunsar-Babur in Dehradun. According to this inscription, there was the kingdom of the Yadavas in the Yamuna riverbed.

The inscriptions of Gopeshwar, Kalimath, Kedarnath and Nala are engraved on the walls of the temple.

Walls have been found inside the caves at Devprayag (Vamanaguha) and Kalpanath.

Inscriptions on bricks have been found from Nainital and Barwala (Dehradun).

Murtipetika inscriptions have been found from Devalgarh and Kolsari and Trishul inscriptions from Gopeshwar and Barahat. There are inscriptions of two kings (Nagapatinag and Ashokachal) in the Trishul inscription of the Rudrashiva temple of Gopeshwar. In the 6th – 7th century, Nagpati Nag had conquered this region and in the 12th century, King Ashoka Challa of Nepal had conquered this region.

The Kushan era coins of the first and second centuries are found from Munikireti and Sumadi.

The inscriptions of the third century have been found from the Mordhwaj Stupa.

Karthikpur kings’ copper plates have been found from places like Pandukeshwar, Kandara, Champawat and Baijnath etc. 4 from Padukeshwar, 1 from Kandara, and a copper inscription from Champawat.

In this region, in the ancient writings, apart from units named Pallika (Chhotegram), Gram, Patti and Pargana, Pratham (village ruler), Bhritya (servant), Pratihara (gate guard), Gopta (Rakshak), Kottpal (Garrakshak), Baladhyaksha (General). Mention of office bearers like Mahadandanayak (P. Senapati), Akshapatalik (Account Fair), Kulcharik (Tehsildar) etc. is found, who give information about organized administration.