- Huna Kingdom
Hunas were a Chinese tribe close to
Himalayas that, because of limited interaction with Indian kingdoms, were mentioned in the epicMahabharata . They belonged to theXingjiang province ofChina , east of Jammu-Kashmir . However, they werenomad ic people who changed their settlements from time to time.References in Mahabharata
Huna mentioned as a kingdom of Ancient India (Bharata Varsha)
Among the tribes of the north are the Mlecchas, and the Kruras, the Yavanas, the Chinas, the
Kambojas , the Darunas, and many Mleccha tribes; the Sukritvahas, the Kulatthas, the Hunas, and the Parasikas; the Ramanas, and the Dasamalikas. (6,9)."According to Dr V. A. Smith, this verse of Mahabharata is reminiscient of the period (4th/5th century AD) when the Hunas first came into contact with the
Sassanian s dynasty ofPersia " (See: Early History of India, p 339, Dr V. A. Smith; See also Early Empire of Central Asia, W. M. McGovern).The origin myth of Huna tribe
Mahabharata links the origin of Dravidas with sageVasishta . Viswamitra, a king in theIkshwaku clan, attacked the cow of Vasishta. Then many armies emerged for the protection of that cow and they attacked the armies of Viswamitra. Cow symbolizes land, in ancient Indian scriptures. Thus this war was fought with the tribes allied withVasishta for their own land. Other tribes that were mentioned along with the Dravidas in this incident were Sakas, Yavanas, Savaras, Kanchis, Savaras, Paundras and Kiratas, Yavanas and Sinhalas, and the barbarous tribes of Khasas, Chivukas, Pulindas, Chinas and Hunas with Keralas, and numerous other Mlechchhas. (1,177)"From the list it seems that it is a compiled list of
tribe s formerly unknown to the Vedic Kingdoms""The above story of Mahabharata differs somewhat from the Shavala cow story of
Valmiki Ramayana . According to Valmiki Ramayana which is older than the Mahabharata, the list of the tribes connected withVasishtha -Vishwamitra war over the possession of Shavala/Kamdhenu cow includes the Kambojas,Pahlavas ,Yavanas ,Shakas , Mlecchas, Haritas,Kiratas etc [Ramayana, Bala Kanda, 55.1-4] ". Ramayana list being older is often taken more authentic of the two lists.Role in Kurukshetra War
Yudhishthira , followed by the Patachcharas, the Hunas, the Pauravakas and the Nishadas, the Pisachas, with the Kundavishas, and the Mandakas, the Ladakas (Ladakh in Jammu-Kashmir ), the Tanganas, and the Uddras, the Saravas, the Tumbhumas, the Vatsas, and the Nakulas. stood in the two wings of the battle-array named "Krauncharuma", formed by thePandava generalissimo,Dhristadyumna , on the second day of theKurukshetra War . (6,50)See also
Kingdoms of Ancient India Hunas References
*
Mahabharata ofKrishna Dwaipayana Vyasa , translated to English by Kisari Mohan Ganguli
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.