Indravarma
Indravarman or Indravarma (Itravasu on his coinage) was an Indo-Scythian king of the Apracas, who ruled in the area of Bajaur in modern northwestern Pakistan. He was the son of Vispavarma.[1] Indravarma had a son, Aspavarma, commander and later king, known from an inscription discovered at Taxila.[2] Aspavarma also mentiond his father Indravarma on some of his coins.
Bajaur casket
Indravarman is mainly known from his dedicatory inscription on the Bajaur casket, an ancient reliquary from the area of Bajaur in ancient Gandhara, in the present-day Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. It is dated to around 5-6 CE.[3]
The inscription which is written in Kharoshthi, translates into English as:
In the sixty third year of the late great king Aya (Azes), on the sixteenth day of the month of Kartia (Kartika), at this auspicious (?) time, Prince Indravarma (Indravarman), son of the king of Apraca, establishes these bodily relics of Lord Sakyamuni; …. He produces brahma-merit together with his mother, Rukhunaka, daughter of Aji…. And these bodily relics having been brought in possession from the Muraka cave stupa, were established in a secure (?), safe, deep (?), depository…— Text of the Bajaur casket, Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The casket proves the involvement of the Scythian kings of the Apraca, in particular King Indravarman, in Buddhism.
Indravarma is also known from a seal inscription, which was discovered in Bajaur.[2] He may have had a sister named Vasavadatta, who is known from the dedication of a water pot.[2]
Silver reliquary
Indravarma is also known for another Buddhist inscription on a silver reliquary in which he mentions him as his father Vispavarma, who was not yet a king. The inscription which is written in Kharoshthi, translates into English as:
Prince Indravarma, son of Commander Vispavarma, together with his wife establishes these bodily relics in his own stupa. Commander Vispavarma and Sisirena, the wife of the Commander, are (hereby) honored. Indravasu, king of Apraca, and his wife Vasumitra, who is the mother of a living son, are (hereby) honored
The date of the Silver reliquary is thought to be anterior to the Bajaur casket, as Indravarma describes his father as "Commander", rather than the later "King" title. It was probably dedicated in the end of the 1st century BCE.[4]
See also
Notes
- 1 2 The World's Writing Systems, Peter T. Daniels, William Bright, Oxford University Press, 1996, p.382
- 1 2 3 On the Cusp of an Era: Art in the Pre-Kuṣāṇa World, Doris Srinivasan, Brill, 2007, p.269-270
- 1 2 Metropolitan Museum of Art notice
- ↑ "An Inscribed Silver Buddhist Reliquary of the Time of King Kharaosta and Prince Indravarman", Richard Salomon, Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 116, No. 3 (July–September 1996), pp. 441
References
- Richard Salomon (January–March 1982). "The "Avaca" Inscription and the Origin of the Vikrama Era". Journal of the American Oriental Society. Journal of the American Oriental Society. 102 (1): 59–68. JSTOR 601111. doi:10.2307/601111.
Indo-Scythian kings, territories and chronology | ||||||||||||
Territories/ dates | Western India | Western Pakistan Balochistan | Paropamisadae Arachosia | Bajaur | Gandhara | Western Punjab | Eastern Punjab | Mathura | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
INDO-GREEK KINGDOM | ||||||||||||
90–85 BCE | Nicias | Menander II | Artemidoros | |||||||||
90–70 BCE | Hermaeus | Archebius | ||||||||||
85-60 BCE | INDO-SCYTHIAN KINGDOM Maues |
|||||||||||
75–70 BCE | Vonones Spalahores |
Telephos | Apollodotus II | |||||||||
65–55 BCE | Spalirises Spalagadames |
Hippostratos | Dionysios | |||||||||
55–35 BCE | Azes I | Zoilos II | ||||||||||
55–35 BCE | Azilises Azes II |
Apollophanes | Indo-Scythian dynasty of the NORTHERN SATRAPS Hagamasha | |||||||||
25 BCE – 10 CE | Indo-Scythian dynasty of the APRACHARAJAS Vijayamitra (ruled 12 BCE - 15 CE)[1] |
Liaka Kusulaka Patika Kusulaka Zeionises |
Kharahostes (ruled 10 BCE– 10 CE)[2] Mujatria |
Strato II and Strato III | Hagana | |||||||
10-20CE | INDO-PARTHIAN KINGDOM Gondophares |
Indravasu | INDO-PARTHIAN KINGDOM Gondophares |
Rajuvula | ||||||||
20-30 CE | Ubouzanes Pakores |
Vispavarma (ruled c.0-20 CE)[3] |
Sarpedones | Bhadayasa | Sodasa | |||||||
30-40 CE | KUSHAN EMPIRE Kujula Kadphises |
Indravarma | Abdagases | ... | ... | |||||||
40-45 CE | Aspavarma | Gadana | ... | ... | ||||||||
45-50 CE | Sasan | Sases | ... | ... | ||||||||
50-75 CE | ... | ... | ||||||||||
75-100 CE | Indo-Scythian dynasty of the WESTERN SATRAPS Chastana |
Vima Takto | ... | ... | ||||||||
100-120 CE | Abhiraka | Vima Kadphises | ... | ... | ||||||||
120 CE | Bhumaka Nahapana |
PARATARAJAS Yolamira |
Kanishka I | Great Satrap Kharapallana and Satrap Vanaspara for Kanishka I | ||||||||
130-230 CE |
Jayadaman |
Bagamira |
Vāsishka (c. 140 – c. 160) | |||||||||
230-280 CE |
Samghadaman |
Miratakhma |
INDO-SASANIANS |
Kanishka II (c. 230 – 240) | ||||||||
280-300 | Bhratadarman | Datayola II |
Hormizd II, "Kushanshah" (c. 295 – 300) |
Vasudeva II (c. 275 – 310) | ||||||||
300-320 CE |
Visvasena |
Peroz II, "Kushanshah" (c. 300 – 325) |
Vasudeva III | |||||||||
320-388 CE |
Yasodaman II |
Shapur II Sassanid king and "Kushanshah" (c. 325) |
||||||||||
388-396 CE | Rudrasimha III | Chandragupta II |
- ↑ From the dated inscription on the Rukhana reliquary
- ↑ An Inscribed Silver Buddhist Reliquary of the Time of King Kharaosta and Prince Indravarman, Richard Salomon, Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 116, No. 3 (Jul. - Sep., 1996), pp. 442
- ↑ A Kharosthī Reliquary Inscription of the Time of the Apraca Prince Visnuvarma, by Richard Salomon, South Asian Studies 11 1995, Pages 27-32, Published online: 09 Aug 2010