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First Battle of Eran: Difference between revisions
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[[File:India 500 AD.jpg|{{center|Charles Joppen's construction in 1907 of possible Indian map in 500 AD}}|250px|thumb]] | [[File:India 500 AD.jpg|{{center|Charles Joppen's construction in 1907 of possible Indian map in 500 AD}}|250px|thumb]] | ||
Capitalizing on this opportunity, Toramana launched an invasion of northern and western India from the Punjab, possibly from a stronghold on the banks of the [[Chenab River|Candrabhaga River]]. Within a year, he assumed the title of [[Maharajadhiraja]], or Emperor, as evidenced by the inscription on the [[Eran boar inscription of Toramana|Boar of Eran]], which describes him as 'the glorious Toramana, of great fame and great lustre.'<ref name=":4" /> | Capitalizing on this opportunity, Toramana launched an invasion of northern and western India from the Punjab, possibly from a stronghold on the banks of the [[Chenab River|Candrabhaga River]]. Within a year, he assumed the title of [[Maharajadhiraja]], or Emperor, as evidenced by the inscription on the [[Eran boar inscription of Toramana|Boar of Eran]], which describes him as 'the glorious Toramana, of great fame and great lustre.'<ref name=":4" /> | ||
== Background == | |||
=== Toramana's prospect === | |||
[[File:Toramana gold coin circa 490-515.jpg|thumb|255px|{{center|A rare gold coin of [[Toramana]] with [[Lakshmi]] on the reverse ({{Circa|490}}–515), inspired from contemporary Gupta coins, such as those of [[Narasimhagupta Baladitya]]. The obverse legend reads "avanipati torama(no) vijitya vasudham divam jayati": "The lord of the earth, [[Toramana]], having conquered the earth, wins Heaven".<ref>[https://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=301345 CNG Coins]</ref><ref>[http://coinindia.com/Prakasaditya.pdf The Identity of Prakasaditya by Pankaj Tandon, ''Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society'', October 2015.]</ref>]]}} The [[Alchon Huns|Alkhans]] gradually expanded their influence in the northwest of the [[Indian subcontinent]] during the latter half of the 5th century. This culminated with [[Toramana]]'s rise to power as the leader of the Alkhan quadrumvirate, declaring himself "King of Kings" ([[Rajadhiraja]]) as evidenced by the. [[Khurai|Khura]] Stone Inscription. By the close of the century, the Alkhan had significantly integrated into Indian society and culture.<ref name=":5">{{Cite book |last=S. R. Goyal |url=https://archive.org/details/goyal-1967_202412 |title=A history of the Imperial Guptas. With a Foreword by R. C. Majumdar. |date=1967 |pages=338–339}}</ref> According to [[Hans T. Bakker|Bakker]], this integration may have fueled Toramana's ambitions for territorial expansion, guided not by the supposed ferocity often attributed to the [[Huns]], of which there is scant evidence, but by principles from the Indian Book of State, which emphasized the ideal ruler's duty to pursue conquest.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Bakker |first=Hans T. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uDxTzQEACAAJ |title=The Alkhan: A Hunnic People in South Asia |date=2020-03-12 |publisher=Barkhuis |isbn=978-94-93194-00-7 |pages=71–72 |language=en |quote=Arthaśāstra 6.2.13: rājā ātmadravyaprakrtisampanno nayasyādhisthānam vijigīsuh}}</ref> | |||
=== Toramana's campaign === | |||
{{multiple image | |||
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| image1 = Hephthalite Silver Bowl (side view).jpg | |||
| caption1 = {{center|The silver bowl in the [[British Museum]]}} | |||
| image2 = Alchon horseman on the Hephthalite Silver Bowl.jpg | |||
| caption2 = {{center|Alchon horseman.<ref name="MA">{{cite journal |last1=ALRAM |first1=MICHAEL |title=From the Sasanians to the Huns New Numismatic Evidence from the Hindu Kush |journal=The Numismatic Chronicle |date=2014 |volume=174 |pages=274–275 |jstor=44710198 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/44710198 |issn=0078-2696}}</ref>}} | |||
| footer = The so-called "[[Hephthalite bowl]]" from [[Gandhara]], features two [[Kidarites|Kidarite]] hunters wearing characteristic crowns, and as well as two Alchon hunters (one of them shown here, with [[skull deformation]]), suggesting a period of peaceful coexistence between the two entities.<ref name="MA"/> [[Swat District]], [[Pakistan]], 460–479 CE. [[British Museum]].<ref>Iaroslav Lebedynsky, "Les Nomades", p172.</ref><ref name="British Museum notice">{{Cite web|url=http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=247021&partId=1|title=British Museum notice|website=[[British Museum]]|accessdate=2 April 2023}}</ref> | |||
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[[Toramana]] emerged as a formidable and charismatic leader with exceptional military skills. His dominance over rival [[Huns|Hunnic]] factions, forcing them into subordinate roles, and his strategic establishment of Parvatikā on the [[Chenab River|Chenab]] (Candrabhaga) River in [[Punjab]] as his operational base underscore his tactical acumen.<ref name=":5" /> His rapid military campaigns resulted in the conquest of large areas of northern and western India within a few years, culminating in the construction of the [[Goparaja]] funereal monument in AD 510.<ref name=":4">{{Cite book |last=Bakker |first=Hans T. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uDxTzQEACAAJ |title=The Alkhan: A Hunnic People in South Asia |date=2020-03-12 |publisher=Barkhuis |isbn=978-94-93194-00-7 |pages=71–72 |language=en |quote=Alkhan invasion in Western India in first year of the reign of Mahārājādhirāja Toramāna First battle of Eran (Betwā Valley), in which [[Mātṛviṣṇu]] is probably killed. His younger brother Dhanyavisnu installs a Varāhamūrti in Eran (SB X.032).}}</ref> | |||