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RULERS OF THE UPPER INDUS VALLEY CIVILISATION
Prof.
 
Gopal
 
Krishna
 
Dash
 
Abstract
 
Though
 
a
 
lot
 
of 
 
effort
 
has
 
been
 
done
 
to
 
decipher
 
and
 
interpret
 
the
 
archeological
 
findings
 
of 
 
the
 
Indus
 
valley
 
civilization,
 
no
 
effort
 
has
 
been
 
done
 
to
 
determine
 
who
 
the
 
rulers
 
of 
 
the
 
great
 
civilization
 
were.
 
It
 
is
 
because
 
of 
 
the
 
erroneous
 
assumption
 
about
 
the
 
mythical
 
Aryan
 
invasion
 
and
 
wrong
 
dating
 
of 
 
the
 
battle
 
of 
 
Kurukshetra
 
of 
 
Mahabharata
 
According
 
to
 
Puranas
 
the
 
battle
 
took
 
place
 
36
 
years
 
before
 
the
 
start
 
of 
 
the
 
Kaliyug.
 
According
 
to
 
the
 
Ponchang
 
or
 
Ponjika
 
still
 
in
 
use
 
in
 
all
 
parts
 
of 
 
India,
 
the
 
financial
 
year
 
2008
 
 –
 
2009
 
AD
 
is
 
the
 
year
 
5110
 
in
 
Kaliyuga.
 
Thus
 
the
 
battle
 
took
 
place
 
in
 
the
 
year
 
3138
 
BC
 
It
 
means
 
that
 
during
 
the
 
upper
 
Indus
 
valley
 
period,
 
the
 
descendants
 
of 
 
King
 
Parikshit
 
ruled
 
over
 
the
 
area.
 
This
 
paper
 
tries
 
to
 
correlate
 
the
 
period
 
with
 
the
 
ruling
 
dynasties
 
of 
 
the
 
period
 
after
 
the
 
battle
 
of 
 
Kurukshetra.
 
A
 
critical
 
examination
 
of 
 
the
 
decline
 
of 
 
the
 
Indus
 
valley
 
civilization
 
with
 
the
 
drying
 
of 
 
river
 
Saraswati,
 
shows
 
how
 
the
 
influence
 
of 
 
the
 
rulers
 
declined
 
and
 
came
 
to
 
an
 
end
 
with
 
the
 
conquest
 
from
 
the
 
east
 
(Magadh
 
rulers).
 
Introduction
 
Though
 
archaeological
 
excavations
 
have
 
discovered
 
numerous
 
Harappan
 
settlements
 
right
 
from
 
Gujarat
 
in
 
India,
 
up
 
to
 
and
 
beyond
 
the
 
northern
 
border
 
of 
 
Afghanistan
 
and
 
a
 
lot
 
of 
 
research
 
has
 
been
 
done
 
to
 
interpret
 
these
 
archeological
 
findings,
 
no
 
serious
 
effort
 
has
 
been
 
done
 
to
 
determine
 
the
 
names
 
of 
 
the
 
rulers
 
of 
 
this
 
civilization.
 
It
 
has
 
been
 
wrongly
 
assumed
 
that
 
the
 
Indus
 
valley
 
civilization
 
belonged
 
to
 
a
 
period
 
long
 
before
 
the
 
periods
 
of 
 
Ramayana
 
and
 
Mahabharata.
 
This
 
erroneous
 
interpretation
 
is
 
due
 
to
 
the
 
incomplete
 
and
 
incorrect
 
understanding
 
of 
 
the
 
ancient
 
Sanskrith
 
literature
 
and
 
ignorance
 
of 
 
the
 
traditions
 
followed
 
by
 
the
 
authors
 
of 
 
the
 
epics.
 
However
 
a
 
critical
 
examination
 
of 
 
the
 
ancient
 
Sanskrith
 
literature
 
clearly
 
shows
 
that
 
the
 
ruling
 
dynasties
 
described
 
in
 
the
 
great
 
epic
 
Mahabharatha
 
were
 
the
 
rulers
 
of 
 
this
 
great
 
civilization.
 
It
 
has
 
been
 
stated
 
in
 
the
 
great
 
epic
 
and
 
the
 
other
 
Puranic
 
accounts
 
that
 
King
 
Yudhisthir
 
abdicated
 
in
 
favour
 
of 
 
King
 
Parikshit,
 
36
 
years
 
after
 
the
 
battle
 
of 
 
Kurukshetra.
 
Kaliyug
 
started
 
from
 
the
 
date
 
of 
 
coronation
 
of 
 
King
 
Parikshit.
 
The
 
tradition
 
of 
 
counting
 
the
 
dates
 
(day,
 
month
 
and
 
year)
 
according
 
to
 
Kaliyug
 
has
 
continued
 
unbroken
 
till
 
today
 
in
 
almost
 
all
 
parts
 
of 
 
India
 
and
 
the
 
financial
 
year
 
2008
 
 –
 
2009
 
AD
 
is
 
same
 
as
 
the
 
year
 
5110
 
in
 
Kaliyug.
 
Thus
 
the
 
battle
 
of 
 
Kurukshetra
 
took
 
place
 
in
 
the
 
year
 
3138
 
BC.
 
Astronomical
 
verification
 
using
 
Planetarium
 
soft
 
ware
 
shows
 
the
 
date
 
to
 
be
 
around
 
(not
 
exact)
 
3070
 
BC.
 
The
 
difference
 
can
 
be
 
attributed
 
to
 
the
 
subsequent
 
corrections
 
of 
 
the
 
Indian
 
calendar
 
by
 
Borahmihir,
 
Aryabhatta
 
etc.
 
and
 
corrections
 
of 
 
the
 
Julian
 
and
 
Gregorian
 
calendars.
 
For
 
simplicity
 
in
 
this
 
paper
 
the
 
date
 
is
 
taken
 
as
 
3138
 
BC.
 
The
 
upper
 
Indus
 
valley
 
civilization
 
extends
 
over
 
the
 
period
 
from
 
about
 
3000
 
BC
 
to
 
about
 
1800
 
BC.
 
This
 
is
 
the
 
period
 
following
 
the
 
battle
 
of 
 
Kurukshetra
 
during
 
which
 
the
 
descendants
 
of 
 
King
 
Parikshit
 
were
 
the
 
emperors
 
of 
 
the
 
entire
 
region,
 
where
 
Harappan
 
remnants
 
are
 
found.
 
The
 
Lunar
 
dynasties
 
According
 
to
 
the
 
ancient
 
Sanskrit
 
literature,
 
there
 
were
 
two
 
main
 
ruling
 
dynasties,
 
the
 
solar
 
dynasty
 
with
 
its
 
capital
 
at
 
Ayodhya
 
and
 
the
 
lunar
 
dynasty
 
with
 
its
 
capital
 
at
 
Hastinapur.
 
The
 
Indus
 
valley
 
was
 
the
 
abode
 
of 
 
the
 
various
 
dynasties
 
of 
 
the
 
lunar
 
clan.
 
King
 
Yayati,
 
sixth
 
in
 
descent
 
from
 
 
Vaivaswatha
 
Manu,
 
is
 
stated
 
to
 
be
 
the
 
ancestor
 
of 
 
the
 
five
 
most
 
important
 
of 
 
these
 
lunar
 
dynasties.
 
King
 
Yayati
 
had
 
two
 
wives,
 
Devayani
 
and
 
Sharmishtha,
 
both
 
of 
 
Asura
 
origin.
 
They
 
had
 
given
 
birth
 
to
 
five
 
princes
 
Yadu,
 
Turvasu,
 
Druhyu,
 
Anudruhyu
 
and
 
Puru.
 
The
 
first
 
two
 
were
 
the
 
sons
 
of 
 
Devayani
 
and
 
the
 
other
 
three
 
were
 
the
 
sons
 
of 
 
Sharmishtha.
 
The
 
five
 
main
 
lunar
 
dynasties,
 
known
 
as
 
Panchajanyas,
 
originated
 
from
 
these
 
five
 
princes.
 
Some
 
preliminary
 
observations
 
on
 
them
 
are
 
as
 
follows.
 
“The
 
lunar 
 
dynasties
 
had 
 
retained 
 
much
 
of 
 
the
 
traditions
 
of 
 
the
 
 Asuras
 
inherited 
 
 from
 
Devayani 
 
and 
 
Sharmishtha.
 
One
 
of 
 
their 
 
important 
 
gods
 
was
 
Lord 
 
Shiva,
 
known
 
as
 
 Asura
 
Mahadeva.
 
The
 
name
 
 Asura
 
Mahadeva
 
is
 
believed 
 
to
 
have
 
changed 
 
into
 
 Ahura
 
Mazda
 
in
 
Iran.
 
During
 
the
 
invasions
 
 from
 
the
 
east 
 
by 
 
king
 
Mandhata
 
and 
 
king
 
Sagara
 
of 
 
 Ayodhya
 
many 
 
of 
 
the
 
 people
 
of 
 
the
 
lunar 
 
clan
 
had 
 
 fled 
 
towards
 
the
 
west 
 
and 
 
had 
 
settled 
 
in
 
the
 
areas
 
around 
 
Iran,
 
Mesopotamia,
 
etc.
 
The
 
name
 
Sumerian
 
is
 
believed 
 
to
 
have
 
originated 
 
 from
 
the
 
word 
 
Soma
‐
arya,
 
i.e.
 
the
 
civilized 
 
 people
 
of 
 
the
 
lunar 
 
clan.
 
The
 
original 
 
tradition
 
of 
 
worship
 
of 
 
the
 
Mother 
 
Goddess
 
(Basanti 
 
Durga
 
Puja
 
during
 
the
 
spring),
 
not 
 
the
 
worship
 
instituted 
 
by 
 
Lord 
 
Rama
 
(Sharadiya
 
Durga
 
Puja
 
in
 
 Ashwin),
 
is
 
also
 
believed 
 
to
 
have
 
been
 
inherited 
 
 from
 
the
 
 Asuras.” 
 
However
 
more
 
detailed
 
and
 
critical
 
study
 
of 
 
the
 
ancient
 
Sanskrit
 
literature
 
is
 
necessary
 
to
 
confirm,
 
discard
 
or
 
elaborate
 
these
 
comments.
 
Dionysus
 
and
 
Heracles
 
Dionysus
 
is
 
one
 
of 
 
the
 
important
 
characters
 
of 
 
Greek
 
mythology.
 
The
 
classical
 
Greek
 
and
 
Roman
 
writers
 
believed
 
that
 
before
 
Alexander
 
he
 
was
 
the
 
only
 
conqueror
 
to
 
invade
 
India.
 
There
 
is
 
no
 
mention
 
of 
 
Dionysus
 
in
 
any
 
ancient
 
Indian
 
literature.
 
The
 
mount
 
Meru
 
and
 
city
 
Nysa
 
at
 
its
 
foot,
 
where
 
Dionysus
 
lived,
 
are
 
around
 
the
 
mountain
 
peak
 
Kohi
‐
Mor
 
in
 
the
 
Hindukush
 
range
 
in
 
Afghanistan.
 
Thus
 
it
 
is
 
clear
 
that
 
the
 
classical
 
European
 
writers
 
referring
 
to
 
India
 
meant
 
thereby
 
only
 
the
 
area
 
which
 
now
 
falls
 
in
 
Afghanistan
 
and
 
Iran.
 
However,
 
correct
 
identification
 
of 
 
Dionysus,
 
with
 
the
 
corresponding
 
character
 
if 
 
Iranian
 
or
 
Afghan
 
mythology
 
could
 
facilitate
 
the
 
reconstruction
 
of 
 
the
 
prehistoric
 
chronology.
 
Arrian
 
gives
 
the
 
following
 
dates
 
about
 
Dionysus.
 
“From
 
the
 
time
 
of 
 
Dionysus
 
to
 
Sandrocottus
 
the
 
Indians
 
counted
 
153
 
kings
 
and
 
a
 
period
 
of 
 
6042
 
years,
 
but
 
among
 
these
 
a
 
republic
 
was
 
thrice
 
established
 
and
 
another
 
to
 
300
 
years,
 
and
 
another
 
to
 
120
 
years.
 
The
 
Indians
 
also
 
tell
 
us
 
that
 
Dionysus
 
was
 
earlier
 
than
 
Heracles
 
by
 
fifteen
 
generations,
 
and
 
that
 
except
 
him
 
no
 
one
 
made
 
a
 
hostile
 
invasion
 
of 
 
India,
 
not
 
even
 
Cyrus,
 
the
 
son
 
of 
 
Cambys.”
 
The
 
time
 
of 
 
coronation
 
of 
 
Sandrocottus
 
according
 
to
 
the
 
Greek
 
accounts
 
was
 
327
 
years
 
BC.
 
Thus
 
the
 
time
 
of 
 
Dionysus
 
was
 
6369
 
years
 
BC
 
and
 
the
 
time
 
of 
 
Heracles
 
between
 
5800
 
years
 
B.C.
 
and
 
5700
 
years
 
BC.
 
These
 
dates
 
belong
 
to
 
the
 
middle
 
Indus
 
valley
 
period
 
and
 
are
 
beyond
 
the
 
scope
 
of 
 
this
 
paper.
 
The
 
Descendants
 
of 
 
King
 
Pandu
 
The
 
Indus
 
valley
 
civilization
 
steadily
 
declined
 
during
 
the
 
millennium
 
of 
 
uninterrupted
 
peace
 
following
 
the
 
holocaust
 
of 
 
Mahabharata
 
war.
 
The
 
important
 
causes
 
of 
 
the
 
decline
 
were
 
 
Diversion
 
of 
 
river
 
Satadru
 
(present
 
Satlej)
 
which
 
was
 
a
 
tributary
 
of 
 
river
 
Saraswathi,
 
towards
 
river
 
Indus,
 
of 
 
which
 
it
 
became
 
a
 
tributary.
 
 
Diversion
 
of 
 
river
 
Yamuna
 
which
 
was
 
a
 
tributary
 
of 
 
river
 
Saraswathi,
 
towards
 
river
 
Ganga,
 
of 
 
which
 
it
 
became
 
a
 
tributary.
 
 
Progressive
 
drying
 
of 
 
river
 
Saraswathi
 
which
 
resulted
 
in
 
the
 
abandonment
 
of 
 
the
 
Harappan
 
settlements
 
along
 
its
 
banks
 
 
The
 
most
 
important
 
ruling
 
dynasty
 
of 
 
the
 
area
 
during
 
the
 
time
 
was
 
the
 
dynasty
 
of 
 
King
 
Yudhisthira.
 
Subsequent
 
to
 
the
 
war
 
the
 
capital
 
was
 
shifted
 
from
 
Hastinapur
 
to
 
Koshambi.
 
Immediately
 
after
 
the
 
war
 
the
 
kings
 
of 
 
this
 
dynasty
 
were
 
the
 
suzerain
 
(if 
 
not
 
sovereign)
 
rulers
 
of 
 
the
 
whole
 
of 
 
India
 
including
 
present
 
day
 
Afghanistan
 
and
 
much
 
of 
 
Iran.
 
But
 
in
 
course
 
of 
 
time
 
their
 
influence
 
progressively
 
declined
 
till
 
the
 
time
 
of 
 
the
 
end
 
of 
 
the
 
dynasty,
 
when
 
their
 
influence
 
was
 
limited
 
only
 
to
 
the
 
small
 
area
 
around
 
their
 
capital
 
Koshambi.
 
 
 
The
 
last
 
kings
 
of 
 
the
 
dynasty
 
after
 
the
 
Mahabharata
 
war
 
were
 
as
 
follows:
 
1.
 
Yudhisthira
 
2.
 
Parikshita
 
3.
 
Janmejaya
 
4.
 
Shatanika
 
5.
 
Aswamedha
 
Datta
 
6.
 
Adhisimha
 
Krishna
 
7.
 
Nickaknu
 
8.
 
Ushna
 
9.
 
Chitraradha
 
10.
 
Suchiradha
 
01.
 
Vrishnimanta
 
02.
 
Sushena
 
03.
 
Suneedha
 
04.
 
Nrupegakshu
 
05.
 
Sukhibala
 
06.
 
Pariplava
 
07.
 
Sunaya
 
08.
 
Medhavi
 
09.
 
Ripunjaya
 
10.
 
Urva
 
11.
 
Thigma
 
12.
 
Brihadradha
 
13.
 
Kasudana
 
14.
 
Shataneeka
 
II
 
15.
 
Udayana
 
16.
 
Kihinara
 
17.
 
Dandapani
 
18.
 
Niramitra
 
19.
 
Kshemaka
 
King
 
Kshemaka
 
lost
 
his
 
life
 
in
 
war
 
with
 
Mahapadmananda.
 
According
 
to
 
Bhagavath
 
Puran,
 
Vayu
 
Puran
 
and
 
Matsya
 
Puran,
 
King
 
Mahapadmananda
 
was
 
crowned
 
1504
 
years
 
after
 
the
 
birth
 
of 
 
Parikshit.
 
Observation
 
It
 
is
 
important
 
to
 
note
 
that
 
the
 
different
 
Puranas
 
are
 
unanimous
 
that
 
the
 
coronation
 
of 
 
King
 
Mahapadmananda
 
after
 
about
 
1500
 
years
 
from
 
the
 
birth
 
of 
 
King
 
Parikshit,
 
i.e.
 
the
 
time
 
of 
 
the
 
battle
 
of 
 
Kurukshetra.
 
Thus
 
the
 
year
 
of 
 
his
 
coronation
 
was
 
1634
 
BC.
 
Thus
 
the
 
final
 
destruction
 
of 
 
the
 
Harappan
 
civilization
 
was
 
due
 
to
 
the
 
attack
 
by
 
Mahapadmananda.
 
With
 
the
 
conquest
 
of 
 
Mahapadmananda,
 
Magadh,
 
with
 
its
 
capital
 
at
 
Girivraja
 
became
 
the
 
most
 
important
 
area
 
for
 
the
 
later
 
Purankars
 
who
 
have
 
described
 
the
 
ruling
 
dynasties
 
of 
 
Magadh,
 
right
 
from
 
the
 
time
 
of 
 
the
 
ancestors
 
of 
 
King
 
Jarasandha,
 
the
 
arch
 
enemy
 
of 
 
Lord
 
Krishna.
 
However
 
descriptions
 
of 
 
the
 
ruling
 
dynasties
 
of 
 
Indus
 
valley
 
(with
 
their
 
capital
 
at
 
Hastinapur
 
later
 
shifted
 
to
 
Koshambi)
 
are
 
still
 
available.
 
The
 
names
 
and
 
regnal
 
periods
 
of 
 
the
 
contemporary
 
kings
 
of 
 
Kashmir
 
(from
 
Kalhan’s
 
Raj
 
Tarangini),
 
Nepal
 
and
 
some
 
other
 
areas
 
are
 
also
 
available
 
in
 
the
 
ancient
 
Sanskrit
 
literature.
 
Conclusion
 
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