The Audumbaras: Ancient Janapads In Himachal

||The Audumbaras:Ancient Janapads In Himachal Pardesh||The Audumbaras:Ancient Janapads In HP||

The tribal republic of H.P. were Sangha Janapadas, they were also called “Ayudhajivi sanghas” meaning those who lived by the profession of arms. 

• According to Mahabharata Audumbaras were the descendants of the sage “Vishwamitra” who was founder of “Kaushika group”. 
• Their coins have been mostly found in the Pathankot, Jawalamukhi and Hoshiarpur. 
•  A Buddhist scholar Chandragomin in 5th century AD refers to the Audumbaras in his book “Vriti” as a section of ‘Shalvas’. 
• Panini, a great Sanskrit scholar has mentioned about Audumbaras, along with the people of Jallandhara is his Ganpatha. 
• The Audumbaras were advantageously situated on the great route of commerce which ran from Takshila to the Gangetic valley, and it was route from Magadha to Kashmir. 
• Pathankot was the junction of commercial route from Kangra, Nurpur and Chamba. 
• Number of coins of the tribe has been found in Pathankot which shows that Pathankot was junction of commercial route. 
• Their coins inscribed in Brahmi and Kharoshthi. 
• Their coins have an additional word “Mahadeva along with Raja of the tribe.” Coins also show figure of bull (Nandi) the vehicle of Shiva and Trishul.
•  Coins were made up of copper and silver. 
• Use of Trident figure, a symbol of Shiva on their coins indicates their Shaivite faith. 
• The tribe Audumbaras had republican system with an elected king. 
• Sheep rearing was one of the occupations of people.

Read More: –   Himachal Pradesh General Knowledge

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