Toramana

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Toramanas coin

Toramana (died around 515) was an important ruler of the Alchon who played an important role in the history of India in the first half of the 6th century .

Indian sources report attacks by the Hunas ("Huns") on the northwestern Gupta Empire in the early 6th century. The general name Hunas refers to groups of the so-called Iranian Huns , who in the late 4th and 5th centuries advanced in several waves of attacks to Bactria , Sogdia and Gandhara . The identification of the Hunas with the Iranian Huns (which should not be confused with the "Western Huns " that advanced into Eastern Europe around 375 and to which they were probably not related) has been undisputed in historical research for a long time. More complicated is the question of which of these groups invaded northern India around 500? In recent research, the Alchon group is equated with these attackers. The problem is that the Indian sources do not differentiate much and report only generalized about Hunas . Another group of Iranian Huns (the Hephthalites ) is often associated with the Hunas in research. The numismatic findings, on the other hand, clearly indicate that the Hunas are to be understood as the Alchon.

Very little is known about Toramana itself. He had coins minted and is quite well documented by Indian inscriptions, although details are hardly known. It is clear that the Hunas (Alchon) under Toramana advanced from the Punjab to the northwest of the Gupta Empire in the early 6th century and were apparently able to record several successes. In 510 Toramana defeated an army of the Gupta ruler Bhanugupta (who presumably ruled Malwa ) under the leadership of General Goparaja, who died in battle. Then Toramana briefly advanced as far as Magadha . The Alchon sphere of influence in India expanded under Toramana to Gwalior and Malwa. Toramana's inscriptions were placed in Eran and Kura in Punjab and illustrate his military successes: Punjab, Kashmir , Rajasthan and at least parts of Uttar Pradesh were under his rule.

Toramana died around 515 in Benares after returning from a campaign. He was followed by his son Mihirakula , who is described extremely negatively in Indian sources.

literature

  • Matthias Pfisterer: Huns in India. The coins of the Kidarites and Alkhan from the Bern Historical Museum and the Jean-Pierre Righetti Collection. Publishing house of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna 2014.
  • Upendra Thakur: The Hunas in India. Varanasi 1967.
  • Klaus Vondrovec: Numismatic Evidence of the Alchon Huns reconsidered. In: Contributions to the prehistory and early history of Central Europe 50, 2008, pp. 25–56.

Web links

Remarks

  1. ↑ See for an overview Martin Schottky: Huns . In: Encyclopædia Iranica . Vol. 12, 2004, pp. 575-577.
  2. ↑ Michael Alram: The history of Eastern Iran from the Greek kings in Bactria and India to the Iranian Huns (250 BC-700 AD). In: Wilfried Seipel (Hrsg.): Weihrauch und Silk. Ancient cultures on the Silk Road. Vienna 1996, pp. 119–140, here p. 138.
  3. ↑ Cf. Matthias Pfisterer: Huns in India. Vienna 2014, p. 29ff. (who refers to the Alkhon as Alkhan ); Klaus Vondrovec: Numismatic Evidence of the Alchon Huns reconsidered. In: Contributions to the prehistory and early history of Central Europe 50, 2008, pp. 25–56, here pp. 30f.
  4. ^ Upendra Thakur: The Hunas in India. Varanasi 1967, p. 94ff.
  5. ^ Matthias Pfisterer: Huns in India. Vienna 2014, pp. 145ff.
  6. ↑ See Boris A. Litvinsky: The Hephthalite Empire. In: Boris A. Litvinsky (Ed.): The crossroads of civilizations. AD 250 to 750. Paris 1996, p. 135ff., Here p. 141f.
  7. ^ Hermann Kulke , Dietmar Rothermund : History of India. From the Indus culture to today. Updated new edition. Munich 2006, p. 121.
  8. ↑ See Radhakumud Mookerji: The Gupta Empire. Delhi 1989, p. 120.
  9. ↑ In some cases, however, the identification with this Toramana was questioned, cf. Upendra Thakur: The Hunas in India. Varanasi 1967, pp. 97ff.
  10. ^ Hermann Kulke, Dietmar Rothermund: History of India. From the Indus culture to today. Updated new edition. Munich 2006, p. 121.
  11. ^ Hermann Kulke, Dietmar Rothermund: History of India. From the Indus culture to today. Updated new edition. Munich 2006, p. 121; Upendra Thakur: The Hunas in India. Varanasi 1967, p. 94.
  12. ↑ Radhakumud Mookerji: The Gupta Empire. Delhi 1989, p. 120.
personal data
SURNAME Toramana
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Ruler of the Alchon
DATE OF BIRTH 5th century
DATE OF DEATH at 515