Bhaskarvarman (bʱaːskərə'vərmən) 600–650 was the king of Kamarupa and the last king from the Varman dynasty. After being captured by the king of Gauda during the reign of his father, he re-established the rule of the Varmans. Bhaskarvarman formed political alliances with Harshavardhana of Thaneswar to counter the alliance between the Gauda and East Malwa. He was visited by Xuanzang and Wang Xuance, the envoys of the Tang dynasty, who left accounts of the ancient king and kingdom.
Bhaskarvarman came to power after his brother Supratisthitavarman died. He was the first king of Kamarupa to claim descent from the mythical figures Narakasura, Bhagadatta, and Vajradatta, according to historical records. After his death, Salasthambha, who established the Mlechchha dynasty, acquired power in Kamarupa Kingdom.
Bhaskarvarman issued the Dubi and Nidhanpur copper plate land grants, and a clay seal found in Nalanda.
Background
After Susthitavarman was defeated by Mahasenagupta, his son Supratisthitavarman came to power. Supratisthitavarman built Kamarupa's elephant army but died prematurely without an heir. Thus, his younger brother, Bhaskaravarman, inherited the throne in Kamarupa. Even after Bhaskaravarman succeeded to the throne c. 600 CE, he was known only as kumara (prince).
Rivals
Mahasenagupta, in an alliance with Shashanka, defeated Susthitavarman and took control over north and central Bengal. After the death of Mahasenagupta, Shashanka became the ruler of this area. Central and northern Bengal under Shashanka, and a region of mid-India under Prabhakaravardhana, the father of Harshavardhana. Formed Bhaskaravarman's main rivals.
Alliance with Harsha
When Shashanka murdered Rajyavardhana who had succeeded Prabhakaravardhana as the king at Thaneswar, Bhaskaravarman sent an envoy, Hangsavega, to Thaneswar to form an alliance. This incident was recorded by both Bana and Xuanzang.
The Harsha Charita of Bana gives a detailed account of Hangsavega's meeting with Harsha. Plying him with gifts and praise, the diplomat was able to effect an offensive and defensive alliance between the two kings.
Chinese accounts
Xuanzang's account
The Chinese traveller, Xuanzang, visited Bhaskaravarman in his court at his invitation and noted that the King patronised Buddhism though a non-Buddhist. According to the text of the Si-yu-ki, the circumference of the capital of Kamarupa was thirty li. It further claims Bhaskarvarman to be a Brahmana, contradicting the text She-Kia-Fang-Che which claims Bhaskarvarman to be a Kshatriya whose ancestors came from China.
Wang Xuance's account
After 648 CE, the Chinese emperor Tang Taizong of the Tang dynasty sent a return emissary Wang Xuance to Harshavardhana's court. Harsha had died in the meantime and his successor drove out the mission. Wang returned with an army, imprisoned the successor king and took him back to China. In the military mission, Bhaskaravarman helped Wang with supplies of cattle, horses and accoutrements. Bhaskaravarman is recorded as Ch-Kieu-mo (Sri-Kumara) and his kingdom as Kia-mu-lu (Kamarupa). During the audience, Bhaskaravarman is said to have given Wang a map and asked for an image of Laozi. However, no evidence suggests these claims and this is probably a hyperbole.
Kamarupa of Bhaskaravarman
Xuanzang, in his travelogue, noted that he crossed the river Karatoya before entering Kamarupa. The eastern boundary was a line of hills close to the Chinese frontier. He also said that Kamarupa was nearly 1,700 miles in circumference. The climate was genial. He mentioned that the people were of short height and yellow complexion, and Bhaskar Varman was Hindu and not Buddhist. The people's speech differed little from that of mid-India. They were of violent disposition but were persevering students. They worshipped the Devas and didn't believe in Buddhism. The Deva-temples were some hundreds in number, and the various systems had some myriads of professed adherents. The few Buddhists in the country performed their acts of devotion in secret. The pilgrim heard from the locals that to the east of the country was a series of hills which reached as far as the confines of China. The inhabitants of these hills were akin to the "Man of the Lao". In the southeast of the country, elephants were plentiful.
Description
Xuanzang notes that Kamarupa was low and moist and that the crops were regular. Coconuts and jackfruits grew abundantly and were appreciated by the people. The description provided is around present-day Guwahati.
According to the account given in the Si-yu-ki, the circumference of Kamarupa was about 1,700 miles (2,700 km). As Edward Albert Gait has pointed out, this circumference must have included the whole of the Assam valley, Surma valley, parts of North Bengal, and parts of Mymensingh.
Religion
Bhaskaravarman was a worshiper of Shiva, though he had great reverence for learned Buddhist priests and professors of his time, and was distinctly inclined towards Buddhism. The general populace worshipped the Devas in many temples, and adherents of Buddhism practiced devotion secretly.
Culture
According to Xuanzang, the people of Kamarupa were honest, albeit with a violent disposition, but were persevering students. The people were short in height and of yellow complexion. Their speech differed from that of mid-India. The Nidhanpur grant issued from Karnasuvarna contained local literary forms and offices not found in subsequent Kamarupa inscriptions.
Art and industry
The gifts from Bhaskaravarman to Harshavardhana contained mostly products of the land—royal umbrella of exquisite workmanship studded with valuable gems, puthis written on Sachi-bark, dyed cane-mats, Agar-essence, musk in silk-bags, liquid molasses in earthen-pots, utensils, paintings, a pair of Brahmini ducks in a cage made of cane and overlaid with gold, and a considerable quantity of silk-fabrics indicating industry was rudimentary.
Nidhanpur inscription
In his Nidhanpur copper-plate inscription, Bhaskaravarman is said to have revealed the light of the Arya religion by dispelling the accumulated darkness of Kali age, by making a judicious application of his revenues; who has equalled the prowess of the whole ring of his feudatories by the strength of his own arm, who has derived many a way of enjoyment for his hereditary subjects whose loyal devotion to him was augmented by his steadiness, modesty and affability, who is adorned with a wonderful ornament of splendid fame made of the flowery words of praise variously composed by hundreds of kings vanquished by him in battle; whose virtuous activities, like those of Sivi, were applied in making gifts for the benefit of others; whose powers, as of a second preceptor of the Gods (Brihaspati), was recognised by others on account of his skill in devising and applying the means of politics that appear in suitable moments; whose own conduct was adorned by learning, valour, patience, prowess and good actions".
Nalanda seal
Bhaskaravarman's close connection with Harsha and Xuanzang led to his association with the famous Buddhist university of Magadha, for his seal has been discovered at the site of Nalanda in the company of two fragmentary seals of Harsha. The seals were found by Dr. Spooner during the excavation of the ruins of Nalanda in the year 1917–18. The text of the seal is as follows:
K.N. Dikshit, in his "Epigraphical notes of the Nalanda finds", thinks that the seal probably accompanied Bhaskaravarman's letter to Śīlabhadra inviting Xuanzang. As, however, it was found in the company of the two Harsha seals, the probability is that both Harsha and Bhaskaravarman, on their march from Rajmahal to Kanauj, visited Nalanda together with the Chinese pilgrim and, to commemorate their visit, left their respective seals at the university.
Death
It is not known how or when Bhaskaravarman died, but it is estimated that his reign ended about 650.
Legacy
Kumar Bhaskar Varma Sanskrit and Ancient Studies University of Nalbari, Assam has been named after him.
See also
- Pala Dynasty
Notes
References
