Daradas

Encyclopedia : D : DA : DAR : Daradas

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Castes of India
Daradas
Classification	Caste/Kshatriya
Subdivisions
Significant populations in	Kashmir and Sindh
Languages	Hindi, Kashmiri and Sindhi
Religions	Hinduism

Daradas were a people who lived north and north-east to the Kashmir valley. This kingdom is identified to be the Gilgit region in Kashmir along the river Sindhu or Indus. They are often spoken along with the Kambojas. The Pandava hero Arjuna had visited this country of Daradas during his northern military campaign to collect triubute for Yudhisthira's Rajasuya sacrifice.

Location of Daradas

• The Vayu Purana, Brahmanda Purana and Vamana Purana mention the Daradas with the Kambojas, Chinas, Tusharas and the Bahlikas etc. The Bhuvankosha of the Puranas locates the Daradas, Kambojas, Barbaras, Bahlikas, Lampakas etc in the Uttarapatha division of ancient India. e.g:

ete desha udichyastu

Kambojah Daradashchaiva Barbarashcha Angalaukikah ||

Chinashchaiva Tusharashcha Pahlavadhayata narah | Kirfel’s text of the Uttarapatha Countries of Bhuvanakosha, based on the Puranas.

• Puranas also refer to river Sindhu as watering the lands of Daradas, Gandharas and the Aurasas (Ursas).

• Brhatsamhita groups the Daradas with the Abhisaras and the Tanganas.

• Mahabharata also mentions the Daradas as neighbors to the Kambojas and Bahlikas Mahabharata II.27.20-23.

• Mahabharata locates the country of Daradas in the Himavata-Pradesa.

• Ptolemy refers to the Daradas as living below the sources of the Indus River.

• Herodotus refers to the Daradas as Dadicae and gropus them with the Gandharas and the Aparytae (Afridis?). Herodotus and Strabo also connect the Daradas with the gold producing area located in the west of Tibet. There is an evidence that the Daradas, in ancient times, had their colonies located in Baltistan and Leh also.

All the above references locate the Daradas in Uttarapatha as neighbors to Kambojas of Kashmir-Kafirstan.

Degraded Kshatriyas

Mahabharata reference

Mahabharata also notifies that the Daradas, Sakas, Kambojas, Yavanas etc were originally Kshatriyas but were slowly sank to the status of vrishalah or degraded Kshatriyas due to the wrath of the Brahmanas.

Manusmriti reference

According to Manusmriti Manusmriti, X.43-44 also, the Daradas like the Sakas, Kambojas, Yavanas, Pahlavas, Paradas etc became Mlechchas since they had ignored the Brahmanas and did not perform sacred Brahmanical codes.

Fight with Arjuna

Sabha Parva of Mahabharata attests that Arjuna had led a digvijaya expedition against the Kashmiras, Ursas, Abhisaras, Sinhapuras, Suhmas, Daradas, Kambojas, Bahlikas, Lohas, Rishikas and Parama Kambojas etc. Mahabharata II.27.18-25..

Fight with Krishna

Drona Parva of Mahabvharata attests that Krishna had vanquished the Daradas along with Anga, Vanga, Magadha, Kasi, Kosala, Vatsa, Garga, Karusha, Pundra, Avanti, Daserka, Kashmira, Ursa, Madugalas, Kambojas, Pisachas, Cholas, Malavas, Sakas, Yavanas etc MBH 7.13.15-18..

Daradas in Yudhishtra's Rajasuya ceremony

The Daradas along with numerous other tribes from northwest had including the Bahlikas, Kiratas, Pahlavas, Paradas, Kambojas, Shakas, Yavanas, Trigartas, Kshudrakas, Malavas, Angas, Vangas etc had joined Yudhishtra at his Rajasuya ceremony and brought him numerous giftsMahabharata 2.51-2.53; 3.51.

Daradas in Kurukshetra war

Daradas had also participated in the Kurukshetra war fought between the Kauravas and Pandavas. They are variously listed with Sauviras, Bahlikas, Shakas, Yavanas, Pahlavas, Paradas, Kekayas, Kambojas, Madras, Mlechcvhas, northern and westerner tribes etc Mahabharata 6.51, 6.118, 7.20, 7.90, 7.116, 7.118, 8.73 etc

Horses of Daradas

Brahmanda Purana refers to the horses from Darada country Brahmanda Purana, III, Upodghata -pada 16-17

Daradas in Brahatsamhita of Varahamihira

The Daradas are mentioned with the Shakas, Yavanas, Paradas and the Kambojas in 6th c AD Brhatsamhita of Varahamihira Brhatasamhita verse 13.09. They are also mentioned with the with the Abhisaras in the same text as living on the borders of Kashmir Brhatsamhita verse 14.29..

Rajatrangini references to Daradas

According to ancient text Rajatarangini of Kalhana, a Sanskrit text from the north, king Lalitaditya Muktapida of Kashmir undertakes to reduce his neighbing countries. He launches war expedition onto the region of north from Kashmir and first he fights with the Kambojas Rajatrangini: 4.164- 4.165 and deprives them of their horses. Immediately after the Kambojas, he meets the Tukharas. Tukharas do not give him fight, but run away even abandoning their horses in the field Rajatrangini 4.166.. Then Lalitaditiya meets the Bhauttas in Baltistan in western Tibet north of Kashmir Rajatrangini 4.168, then the Dardas in Karakorum/Himalaya Rajatrangini 4.169, 4.171, the Valukambudhi Rajatrangini 4.172 and then he encounters Strirajya Rajatrangini 4.173-174, the Uttarakurus Rajatrangini 4.175 and the Pragjyotisha respectively.

Kalhana names several Darada rulers: Acalamangala, during the reign of Ananta of Kashmir, A.D. 1028 to A.D. 1063 Rajatrangini VII, 167, Vidhyadhara Shahi during the reign of Harsa, 1089-1101 A.D. Rajatrangini VII, 913, Jagaddala during the reign of Uccala, A.D. 1101 to A.D. 1111 Rajatrangini VIII, 209, Manidhara during the reign of Sussala, A.D. 1112 to A.D. 1120 Rajatrangini VIII, 614), and Yasodhara during the reign of Jayasimha, A.D. 1128 to A.D. 1149 Rajatrangini VIII, 2454.

Epigraphic References to Daradas

Three inscriptions on rocks along the Indus and Gilgit Rivers in the southern reaches of the Karakoram provide the earliest epigraphic references to Darada kings. The first inscription is found on rocks where the present-day road between Gilgit and Skardu crosses the Gilgit River, over a bridge known as the Alam bridge, now called the Farhad bridge. The inscription is in poor Kharoshthi, and Fussman has read "daradaraya", meaning "King of the Daradas" Fussman 1978:1-6.. The second inscription is found at Chilas Terrace, near to Chilas village along the Indus River, south of the junction of the Gilgit River and the Indus River. It is in Brahmi script. Hinuber has published a transliteration srir daranmaharajavaisrava, which he interprets as daran-maharaja "great king of the Daradas" (1989:57-8). A third inscription is immediately below the Thalpan bridge over the Indus River on the Thalpan side of the bridge. It is also in Brahmi script. Hinuber publishes a transliteration of daratsu maharaja sri vaisravanasena ssatrudamanah, which he translates as "The glorious Vaisravanasena, the subduer of enemies, great King in the land of the Daradas" (1989:59). Hinuber has interpretted these Brahmi inscriptions as referring to the same king Vaiaravanasena, and dates them to the 4th or 5th centuries A.D. He remarks that this king "is the second oldest king of the Daradas known by name, preceded only by the daradaraya mentioned at Alam bridge in a Kharoshthi inscription" (1989:59). These inscriptions appear to be the only known self-reference to a Darada people.

References

See also

Darada Kingdom
Kambojas
Parama Kambojas

 

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