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Battle of the Ten Kings

TheBattle of the Ten Kings(Sanskrit:दाशराज्ञ युद्ध,IAST:Dāśarājñá yuddhá) was first alluded to in the7th Mandalaof theRigveda(RV) and took place between akingof theBharatasnamedKing Sudasversus a confederation of tribes. It resulted in a decisive victory for the Bharatas and subsequent formation of theKuru polity.The Battle of the Ten Kings, mentioned in theRigvedamay have "formed the 'nucleus' of story" of theKurukshetra Warin theMahabharata.[5]

Battle of the Ten Kings
Datec.14th century BCE
Location
Near Parusni river (modernRavi),Punjab
Result Trtsu-Bharatavictory
Territorial
changes		 Bharatassettle inKurukshetra
Emergence ofKuru kingdom
Belligerents
Bharata
Trtsu

First Phase:

Second Phase:

Commanders and leaders
Sudas Paijavana
Vashishta

First Phase:

Second Phase:

Battle

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Book 3of the Rig Veda states that theBharata tribecrossedBeas riverandSutlej river,moving towards the (future)Kurukshetraarea where they came across a nascent (and temporary) inter-tribal alliance[6]of bothIndo-Aryansandnon-Indo-Aryans.This alliance was confronted in a battle, which is described in the 18th hymn (verses 5-21) of Book 7. The exact motivations are unclear;Michael Witzelargues that it might have been a product of intra-tribal resentment or intrigues of an oustedfamily priest,[a]while Ranbir Chakravarti argues that the battle was probably fought for controlling the rivers, which were a lifeline for irrigation.[6][7][8][2]The hymns also makes mention of the concurring tribes seeking to steal cows from the Bharatas.[2]

Hanns-Peter Schmidt,whom Witzel deems to have produced the most "detailed, and ingenious reinterpretation" of the hymns, locates a unique poetic moment across the RV corpus, in their extraordinarily abundant usage of sarcastic allusions, similes and puns to mock the tribal alliance.[6][8][9]Some of those allusions seem to be heavily context-specific and (still) remain unrecognized; there exist considerable disputes about interpretations of particular words, in light of the employed figures of speech and other poetic devices.[8][2]

First phase

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The first phase of the battle took place on the banks of theRavi river(then Parusni) nearManusa village,west ofKurukshetra.[6][10]The Bharata king and their priest are respectively mentioned as Sudas Paijavana and Vasistha, in the Rig Veda; however the names change inSamavedaandYajurveda Samhitas.[6]The principal antagonist is doubtful,[b]and names of the participating tribes are difficult to retrieve, in light of the phonological deformations of their names.[6][8][2]Plausible belligerents of the tribal union include (in order)Purus(erstwhile master-tribe of Bharatas),Yadu(probably commanded by Turvasa), Yaksu (relatively unimportant or a pun for Yadu),Matsyas,Druhyus,Pakthas,Bhalanas,Alinas,Vishanins,Sivas,Vaikarna,andAnu.[6][8]

Though seemingly an unequal battle, going by the numbers (this aspect is highlighted multiple times in the hymns), Sudas decisively won against the tribal alliance by strategic breaching of a dyke on the river thereby drowning most (?) of the opponents.[6][9]This sudden change in fortunes is attributed to the benevolence and strategizing ofIndra,the patron-god of Bharatas, whose blessings were secured by Vasistha's poetics.[6][2]

Second phase

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Thereafter, the battleground (probably) shifted to the banks of riverYamuna,wherein the local chieftain Bhida was defeated along with three other tribes — Ajas, Śighras, and the Yakṣus.[6][2]

Aftermath

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The Battle of the Ten Kings led Bharatas to occupy the entire Puru territory of WesternPunjab(then Panchanada) centered aroundSarasvati Riverand complete their east-ward migration.[6]Sudas celebrated his victory with theAshvamedharitual to commemorate the establishment of a realm, free of enemies from the north, east, and west. He still had enemies in theKhāṇḍava Forestto the south, which was inhabited by the despised (unknown if Indo-Aryan or non-Indo-Aryan)Kikatas.[6]

A political realignment between Purus and Bharatas probably followed soon enough and might have included other factions of the tribal union as well; this is exhibited from how the core collection of RV prominently features clan-hymns of both the sides.[12][6]

The territory would eventually become the first South-Asian "state" under the Kuru tribe in post-RV span. It became the heart-land of Brahminical culture and purity, which eventually would influence and transform Indian culture,merging with local traditionsand developing into theHistorical Vedic religion.[6][12]The Purus went on to survive as a marginal power in Punjab; Witzel and some other scholars believePorus(c. early 300 BC) to be a king from the same tribe.[6][12]

Historicity

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Numerous translators since the 1800s includingK. F. Geldnerhave considered the battle as a historical event, based on the narration-characteristics of the verses.[8]Witzel dates the battle between approximately 1450 and 1300 BCE; he deems the concerned hymns to be late interpolations.[13]Stephanie W. Jamisonwarns against using it as a major source to reconstruct history since the description of the battle is "anything but clear."[2][10]

Both Witzel and Jamison find the very next hymn (7.19, verse 3) to show a striking shift of allegiance with Indra helping Sudas as well the Purus, who won land.[6][2]

Stephanie W. Jamisonnotes it to be the most famous historical conflict in RV—in that, it secured the dominance of Bharatas over Vedic tribes—as does Witzel.[2][9]

Possible prototype for the Kurukshetra War

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Main article:Kurukshetra War
See also:Historicity of the Mahabharata § The Battle of the Ten Kings

Witzel notes this battle to be the probable archetype/prototype of theKurukshetra War,narrated in theMahabharata.[14]John Brockington takes a similar approach.[15]S. S. N. Murthy goes to the extent of proposing the battle as the very "nucleus" of theKurukshetra War;Walter Rubenadopts a similar stance.[5][16]However, Witzel maintains the nucleus text of the Mahabharata to be in description of some event in the Late Vedic spans; it was since reshaped (and expanded) over centuries of transmission and recreation to (probably) reflect the Battle of the Ten Kings.[6]Alf Hiltebeitelrejects Witzel's and Brockington's arguments as "baffling fancy" and notes a complete lack of means to connect the battle with the "fratricidal struggle" of the Mahabharata.[17][15]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^Book 3 was composed byVishwamitra,the family priest of the Bharatas and makes no mention of the battle. Book 7 was composed byVasistha,who replaced Vishwamitra. However, Jamison rejects that there exists any evidence of Vasistha-Vishwamitra feud in RV.[2]
  2. ^Karl Friedrich Geldnerdeemed it to be Bheda, incorrectly. Witzel proposes Trasadasyu. Palihawadana proposes Purukutsa, Trasadasyu's father.[11]

References

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  1. ^Witzel, Michael (2020)."4. Early Indian history: Linguistic and textual parametres".The Indo-Aryans of Ancient South Asia.pp. 85–125.doi:10.1515/9783110816433-009.ISBN978-3-11-081643-3.Archivedfrom the original on 12 August 2021.Retrieved12 April2021.
  2. ^abcdefghijklBrereton, Joel P.; Jamison, Stephanie W., eds. (2014).The Rigveda: The Earliest Religious Poetry of India.Vol. I. Oxford University Press. pp. 880, 902–905, 923–925, 1015–1016.ISBN9780199370184.
  3. ^Witzel, Michael (1997)."The Development of the Vedic Canon and its Schools: The Social and Political Milieu"(PDF).Harvard Oriental Series, Opera Minora.2:264.
  4. ^Witzel, Michael (2020)."4. Early Indian history: Linguistic and textual parametres".The Indo-Aryans of Ancient South Asia.pp. 85–125.doi:10.1515/9783110816433-009.ISBN978-3-11-081643-3.Archivedfrom the original on 12 August 2021.Retrieved12 April2021.
  5. ^abMurthy, S. S. N. (8 September 2016)."The Questionable Historicity of the Mahabharata".Electronic Journal of Vedic Studies.10(5): 1–15.doi:10.11588/ejvs.2003.5.782.ISSN1084-7561.Archived fromthe originalon 26 January 2019.Retrieved26 January2019.
  6. ^abcdefghijklmnopqWitzel, Michael (1995)."4. Early Indian history: Linguistic and textual parametres".In Erdosy, George (ed.).The Indo-Aryans of Ancient South Asia: Language, Material Culture and Ethnicity.Indian Philology and South Asian Studies. De Gruyter. pp. 85–125.doi:10.1515/9783110816433-009.ISBN978-3-11-081643-3.S2CID238465491.Archivedfrom the original on 12 August 2021.Retrieved12 April2021.
  7. ^Sinha, Kanad (2015)."PROFESSOR V.K. THAKUR MEMORIAL PRIZED PAPER: WHEN THE BHŪPATI SOUGHT THE GOPATI'S WEALTH: LOCATING THE" MAHĀBHĀRATA ECONOMY ".Proceedings of the Indian History Congress.76:67–68.ISSN2249-1937.JSTOR44156566.Archivedfrom the original on 12 April 2021.Retrieved12 April2021.
  8. ^abcdefSchmidt, Hans-Peter (March 1980). "Notes on Rgveda 7.18.5–10".Indica.17:41–47.ISSN0019-686X.
  9. ^abcStuhrmann, Rainer (11 October 2016)."Die Zehnkönigsschlacht am Ravifluß".Electronic Journal of Vedic Studies(in German).23(1): 1–61.doi:10.11588/ejvs.2016.1.933.ISSN1084-7561.Archived fromthe originalon 22 December 2021.Retrieved15 April2021.
  10. ^abBrereton, Joel P.; Jamison, Stephanie W., eds. (2020).The Rigveda: A Guide.Oxford University Press. p. 34.ISBN9780190633363.
  11. ^Palihawadana, Mahinda (2017). Mumm, Peter-Arnold; West, Tina (eds.). "The Indra Cult as Ideology A Clue to Power Struggle in an Ancient Society".Electronic Journal of Vedic Studies.24(2): 51.
  12. ^abcWitzel, Michael (1997)."The development of the Vedic canon and its schools: the social and political milieu".crossasia-repository.ub.uni-heidelberg.de:263, 267, 320.doi:10.11588/xarep.00000110.Archived fromthe originalon 12 August 2021.Retrieved15 April2021.
  13. ^Witzel, Michael (2000)."The Languages of Harappa: Early Linguistic Data and the Indus civilization":37.doi:10.11588/xarep.00000120.Archived fromthe originalon 11 January 2022.Retrieved12 April2021.{{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal=(help)
  14. ^Witzel, Michael (1997)."Early Sanskritization Origins and Development of the Kuru State".In Kölver, Bernhard (ed.).Recht, Staat und Verwaltung im klassischen Indien / The State, the Law, and Administration in Classical India.Schriften des Historischen Kollegs. Oldenbourg Wissenschaftsverlag.doi:10.1524/9783486594355.ISBN978-3-486-59435-5.Archivedfrom the original on 12 April 2021.Retrieved12 April2021.
  15. ^abHiltebeitel, Alf (30 October 2001). "Introduction".Rethinking the Mahabharata: A Reader's Guide to the Education of the Dharma King.University of Chicago Press. p. 2.ISBN978-0-226-34054-8.
  16. ^Ruben, Walter (1977)."KṚṢṆA, PARIS, AND SEVEN SIMILAR HEROES".Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute.58/59: 299.ISSN0378-1143.JSTOR41691699.Archivedfrom the original on 12 April 2021.Retrieved12 April2021.
  17. ^Hiltebeitel, Alf (1 June 2000). "John Brockington, The Sanskrit Epics".Indo-Iranian Journal.43(2): 162.doi:10.1163/000000000124993958.ISSN1572-8536.S2CID189772160.
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