________________
MAITRAKA-GURJARA PERIOD
147
As the Saka Rudradāman in the 2nd Century A.D., and the Kuşāņa Kaniska and his descendants Huvişka and Vasudeva were Hinduised, so the Gurjaras appear in the 7th Century, as Aryans, Brāhmaṇas, Kşatriyas or Vaisyas, and promoters of the Varņāśrama dharma. Just as Buddhism claimed a number of converts among the Sakas and Indo-Greeks, and now Christianity claims among Kolis and other aboriginal tribes, so Jainism could claim a large share of these foreigners. Some of these became reconverts to Hinduism like the Porvāds, who were Jainas 700 years ago, and became Vaişņavas later on.
In the earliest epigraphical records of the Gurjaras of Broach, viz., Dadda is described as belonging to the Gurjara-nypati-vamśa, which, as Cālukva-vansa or Raghuvamśa, refers not to the country, but to the family or the people; i.e., it stands for the Gurjara family and not the country. Expressions like Gurjaratrā or Gurjara-bhūmi or mandala would thus only mean 'land or mandala belonging to or occupied by the Gurjara people':-(H. D. Sankalia, On the Origin of Gurjaras', JGRS, 1946, Nos. 2-3).
The foreign origin theory of the Gurjaras has, however, been considered afresh by Dr. Baij Nath Puri (The History of the Gurjara-Pratiharas, 1959, pp. 6-7) who points out that the Gurjaras formed a group or tribe representing people of different castes (who were ) living in Rajputana, from where they migrated and established themselves at different places. In fact, they were very probably tribal people who remained in obscurity for long, and were formerly known as the Arbudas. Moreover, references to Gurjara Brāhmaṇas are found in the 6th Century A.D., which would have been impossible if they had been foreigners.--(Ibid, Preface, vii).
Reference to the maritime activities of the people of Valabhi are given in the Buddhist work Manju-Sri-Mülakalpa.-( Jayaswal, Patna, 1934, p. 25). It says that the people of Valabhi reached Surā by crossing the sea, which probably refers to their trade ventures to, and regular commerce with, Assyria. This information of the Buddhist work is further corroborated by Dandin who, in his Daśakumāra-Carita, says that there lived in the city of Valabhi a ship's captain (Nāvikapati), who seems to have been as rich as the god of wealth himself.-(K. Virji, Ancient History of Saurastra, p. 221 ).
The Arbudas are mentioned in the Purāņas. (Bhāgavata, Vol. XII, I. 36; Vişnu, Book II, Chap. III; Brahma, Chap. XIX, p. 17). The Rāmāyaṇa locates the tribe in the West. (Kiskindha Kanda, Canto, XLII). They must have been the people dwelling on and around the Arbuda Mount, which is generally identified with Mt. Abu. The Gurjaras appear to be one of such peoples who later on migrated to other places, known after them.
The Jainad inscription ( Bhandarkar's List; No. 2084; Cf. Ibid, p. 399, note 10) from Haiderabad State refers to the wives of the Gurjara warriors shedding
C. 550
C. 550
Jain Education Interational
For Personal & Private Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
