Bharatpedia

Hun invasion of India

Revision as of 12:27, 1 July 2025 by Mr.Sanemi (talk | contribs) (→‎Prelude)

Skandagupta's war with the invaders were a series of invasions by the invading hoardes of Hunas, Kidarites (Kushans) and Sassanians (Pahlavas). They were eventually defeated and repelled by the young King, Skandagupta.

Hun invasion of India
Part of Gupta–Hunnic Wars, Sasanian–Gupta conflicts and Gupta–Kushan conflicts
Bhitari pillar inscription of Skandagupta.jpg
Bhitari pillar inscription of Skandagupta
Date450s–460s[1] or 453–459[2]
Location
Northwestern frontiers and Northwest India
Result Gupta victory[lower-alpha 1][lower-alpha 2][lower-alpha 3]
Territorial
changes		 Gupta Empire imposed suzerainty over the Indus basin[lower-alpha 4]
Belligerents
Hepthalites
Kidarites (Kushans)
Sasanians		 Gupta Dynasty Flag.webp Gupta Empire
Commanders and leaders
3 unknown Hepthalite kings (POW) &  Executed (possibly)[7]
Nirmūka		 Gupta Dynasty Flag.webp Kumaragupta I
Gupta Dynasty Flag.webp Skandagupta
Strength
300,000 Hepthalite soldiers (possibly)[8] 200,000 men (possibly)[9]
Casualties and losses
Heavy losses for the Hepthalites[10] unknown

Prelude

See also: Sasanian–Kushan Wars and Hephthalite–Sasanian Wars

The Kushans defeated the Sasanian monarch Shapur II. Later, during the years of 388 to 450, the Sasanian-Kidarite Wars have come about.[11] After Yazdegerd II quelled a rebellion. He marched against the Hepthalites, which resulted to his defeat. From their base at Herat in Afghanistan, the Hunas (Hepthalites) had already invaded Persia and started moving southwards to the northwestern frontiers as they intrude upon the Gupta Empire's territory.[12][13]

Skandagupta's wars against the invaders

During Skandagupta's period, the Indo-Hephthalites (known as the White Huns or Hunas) invaded India from the northwest, advancing as far as the Indus River.[3]

 
Madra inscription on the Kahaum pillar

Battle of the Indus river (458 A.D.)

See also: Battle of the Indus River (458)

During the Hun invasion, a battle along the Indus river took place which resulted in Skandagupta checking the advances of the Hunas, along with heavy losses for the Hunas.[14][15][lower-alpha 5]

Bhitari pillar of Skandagupta
 
 
The Bhitari pillar of Skandagupta

The Bhitari pillar inscription states that Skandagupta defeated the Hunas:[3]

(Skandagupta), "by whose two arms the earth was shaken, when he, the creator (of a disturbance like that) of a terrible whirlpool, joined in close conflict with the Hûnas; . . . . . . among enemies . . . . . . arrows . . . . . . . . . . . . proclaimed . . . . . . . . . . . . just as if it were the roaring of (the river) Ganga, making itself noticed in (their) ears."

— Bhitari pillar inscription of Skandagupta Line 15

Victory against the invaders

The date of the Huna invasion is not certain. The Bhitari inscription mentions it after describing the conflict with the Pushyamitras (or the Yudhyamitras), which suggests that it happened later during Skandagupta's reign. However, a possible reference to this conflict in the Junagadh inscription suggests that it may have happened at the beginning of the Skandagupta's reign or during the reign of his father Kumaragupta. The Junagadh inscription, dated to the year 138 of the Gupta era (c. 457–458 CE) mentions Skandagupta's success against the invaders:[17]

...whose [Skandagupta's] fame, moreover, even [his] enemies, in the countries of the mlechchhas... having their pride broken down to the very root, announce with the words "verily the victory has been achieved by him."

— Junagadh inscription[3]

The victory against the invaders happened in or before the year 136 of the Gupta era (c. 455-456 CE), when Skandagupta ascended the throne and when he appointed Parnadatta as the governor of the Saurashtra region, in which Junagadh is located. Since Skandagupta is not known to have fought against any other foreigners, these invaders were probably the Hunas. If this identification is correct, it is possible that as a prince, Skandagupta was sent to check the Huna invasion at the frontier, and Kumaragupta died in the capital while this conflict was happening; Skandagupta returned to the capital and overcame rebels or rival claimants to ascend the throne.[17]

A sentence in the Sanskrit text Chandra-Vyakarana (c. 7th century) states Ajayad-Gupto Hunan, literally, "The Gupta conquered the Hunas". This may be a reference to Skandagupta's victory over the Hunas, although an alternative reading by scholar K. P. Jayaswal has "Jato" instead of "Gupto".[18] A story in the Kathasaritsagara (11th century) states that the legendary king Vikramaditya ascended the throne after his father Mahendraditya abdicated it, and inflicted a crushing defeat on the invaders. Since Mahendraditya was a title of Kumaragupta, and Vikramaditya that of Skandagupta, this may be a reference to Skandagupta's victory over the Hunas.[19] Mahendraditya was the title of Kumaragupta, in fact it seems that he sent his army under Skandagupta to check the progress of the invaders (which included the hoardes of the Hunas/Hepthalites, Persians/Sasanians and Kidarites/Kushanas) who invaded the northwestern frontiers and territory of the Gupta Empire, eventually, the wars and invasion were repelled by Skandagupta.[lower-alpha 6][21][22][23][lower-alpha 7][25]

  1. ↑ Schmidt, Karl J. (2015-05-20). An Atlas and Survey of South Asian History. Routledge. p. 25. ISBN 978-1-317-47681-8.
  2. ↑ Bakker, Hans T. (2020-03-31). The Alkhan: A Hunnic People in South Asia. Barkhuis. p. 31. ISBN 978-94-93194-06-9.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 R. C. Majumdar 1981, p. 73.
  4. ↑ R N Dandekar (1941), p. [1]100.
  5. ↑ Karl J. Schmidt (2015), p. [2]24.
  6. ↑ S. R. Goyal, p. [3]277.
  7. ↑ "The young son of Mahendrasena led his father's army of two hundred thousand men against the enemy whose soldiers numbered three hundred thousand. The prince however, broke the enemy army and won the battle. On his return his father crown him saying "henceforth rule the kingdom," and himself retired to religious life. For twelve years after this, the new king fought these foreign enemies, and ultimately captured and executed the three kings.' It has been suggested that this story gives an account of the fight between Skanda-Gupta and the Hūṇas (IHIJ. 36)." The History and Culture of the Indian People: The classical age. G. Allen & Unwin. 1951. p. 27.
  8. ↑ "The young son of Mahendrasena led his father's army of two hundred thousand men against the enemy whose soldiers numbered three hundred thousand. The prince however, broke the enemy army and won the battle. On his return his father crown him saying "henceforth rule the kingdom," and himself retired to religious life. For twelve years after this, the new king fought these foreign enemies, and ultimately captured and executed the three kings.' It has been suggested that this story gives an account of the fight between Skanda-Gupta and the Hūṇas (IHIJ. 36)." The History and Culture of the Indian People: The classical age. G. Allen & Unwin. 1951. p. 27.
  9. ↑ "The young son of Mahendrasena led his father's army of two hundred thousand men against the enemy whose soldiers numbered three hundred thousand. The prince however, broke the enemy army and won the battle. On his return his father crown him saying "henceforth rule the kingdom," and himself retired to religious life. For twelve years after this, the new king fought these foreign enemies, and ultimately captured and executed the three kings.' It has been suggested that this story gives an account of the fight between Skanda-Gupta and the Hūṇas (IHIJ. 36)." The History and Culture of the Indian People: The classical age. G. Allen & Unwin. 1951. p. 27.
  10. ↑ " A decisive battle along the river inflicted heavy losses and checked the advance of the "White Huns." " Jaques, Tony (2007). Dictionary of Battles and Sieges: A Guide to 8500 Battles from Antiquity Through the Twenty-first Century. Miegunyiah Press. p. 471. ISBN 978-0-522-85336-0.
  11. ↑ Bakker, Hans T. (2020-03-12). The Alkhan: A Hunnic People in South Asia. Barkhuis. p. 31. ISBN 978-94-93194-00-7.
  12. ↑ Schmidt, Karl J. (2015-05-20). An Atlas and Survey of South Asian History. Routledge. p. 24. ISBN 978-1-317-47681-8.
  13. ↑ Prakash, Buddha (1962). Studies in Indian History and Civilization. Shiva Lal Agarwala. pp. 316–317.
  14. ↑ Fisher, William Bayne; Yarshater, Ehsan (1968). The Cambridge History of Iran. Cambridge University Press. p. 214. ISBN 978-0-521-20092-9.
  15. ↑ Jaques, Tony (2007). Dictionary of Battles and Sieges: A Guide to 8500 Battles from Antiquity Through the Twenty-first Century. Miegunyiah Press. p. 471. ISBN 978-0-522-85336-0.
  16. ↑ S. R. Goyal, p. [4]280–281.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 R. C. Majumdar 1981, pp. 73–74.
  18. ↑ R. C. Majumdar 1981, p. 74.
  19. ↑ R. C. Majumdar 1981, p. 75.
  20. ↑ R N Dandekar (1941), p. [5]99.
  21. ↑ R N Dandekar 1941, pp. 99–100.
  22. ↑ Schmidt, Karl J. (2015-05-20). An Atlas and Survey of South Asian History. Routledge. p. 25. ISBN 978-1-317-47681-8.
  23. ↑ "Soon after this triumph the Hepthalites moved southwards and crossing the Indus and swooped down upon the Gupta empire in 455 A.D. But Skandagupta beat them back, as we gather from the Bhitari inscription." Prakash, Buddha (1962). Studies in Indian History and Civilization. Shiva Lal Agarwala. p. 317.
  24. ↑ Buddha Prakash, p. [6]375–377.
  25. ↑ Line 12 of the Bhitari pillar inscription of Skandagupta : "Who, when (his) father had attained the skies, conquered (his) enemies by the strength of (his) arm, and established again the ruined fortunes of (his) lineage; and then, crying "the victory has been achieved" betook himself to (his) mother, whose eyes were full of tears from joy, just as Krishna, when he had slain (his) enemies, betook himself to (his mother) Dêvakî"


Cite error: <ref> tags exist for a group named "lower-alpha", but no corresponding <references group="lower-alpha"/> tag was found

Retrieved from "https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hun_invasion_of_India&oldid=462832"