The Pushyamitras were a tribe who lived in

Central India Central India refers to a geographical region of India that generally includes the states of Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. The Central Zonal Council, established by the Government of India, includes these states as well as Uttar Prades ...

during the 5th century CE. Living on the banks of the river

Narmada The Narmada River, previously also known as ''Narbada'' or anglicised as ''Nerbudda'', is the 5th longest river in India and overall the longest west-flowing river in the country. It is also the largest flowing river in the state of Madhya Prade ...

, they are believed to have posed a serious threat to the

Gupta Empire The Gupta Empire was an Indian empire during the classical period of the Indian subcontinent which existed from the mid 3rd century to mid 6th century CE. At its zenith, the dynasty ruled over an empire that spanned much of the northern Indian ...

during the late period of

Kumaragupta I Kumaragupta I was Gupta Empire, Gupta emperor from 415 until his death in 455. A son of the Gupta king Chandragupta II and Queen Dhruvadevi, he seems to have maintained control of his inherited territory, which extended from Gujarat in the wes ...

's reign.

Origin

K. P. Jayaswal believed that the Pushyamitras were in western Malava and were known, in the

Gupta period The Gupta Empire was an Indian empire during the classical period of the Indian subcontinent which existed from the mid 3rd century to mid 6th century CE. At its zenith, the dynasty ruled over an empire that spanned much of the northern Indian ...

, as Avantyas who were under or in the confederacy of the Abhiras.

History

The

Puranas Puranas (Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature
(1995 Editio ...

record thirteen kings of the Pushyamitra dynasty and have been placed in the 3rd century of the

Common Era Common Era (CE) and Before the Common Era (BCE) are year notations for the Gregorian calendar (and its predecessor, the Julian calendar), the world's most widely used calendar era. Common Era and Before the Common Era are alternatives to the ...

Existence

The Pushyamitras are only known from the inscription of

Skandagupta Skandagupta (Gupta script: ''Ska-nda-gu-pta'', r. –467) was a Gupta Empire, Gupta Emperor of India. His Bhitari pillar inscription of Skandagupta, Bhitari pillar inscription suggests that he restored the Gupta power by defeating his enemies, ...

in which he emphasizes his role in defeating the Pushyamitras, of which the reading is sometimes disputed (it could be "Yudhy-amitrdths-cha" rather than "Pushyamitrams-cha"), as well as a single mention in the

Puranas Puranas (Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature
(1995 Editio ...

. Therefore their existence is sometimes doubted. The people Skandagupta fought could more probably have been a confederation including the Vakatakas.Cultural Contours of India by Vijai Shankar Śrivastav
p.103
/ref> The dynasty of the Vakatakas ended around that time in a war, when, according to the '' Dashakumaracharita'', attacking the area of Vanavasi to the south, they were in turn attacked from the rear resulting in the death of the last Vakataka king.

War against the Guptas

Inscription covering the events between 455 and 467 CE emphasize the role of

, Kumaragupta's successor, in defeating the Pushyamitras. The Pushyamitras were subjugated by

after a long and strenuous fight, as they "had developed great power and many resources in terms of military & wealth".The inscription says that at one point the situation became so serious that

had to pass a whole night on the bare ground (the field). The critical situation was eventually tided over by him & emerged victorious.This victory took place towards the close of Kumaragupta's reign. So Kumaragupta was probably too old to lead the army himself. So his son

bore the brunt of the struggle, who was chosen by him to deal with the danger of the Pushyamitras. This victory was so memorable & important, we are told in the Bhitari inscription that people sang the songs of his glory in every nook and corner of the empire. Goyal thinks that the Pandumvamshi king Bharatabala was the king leading the Pushyamitra rebellion.

References

{{reflist Gupta Empire 5th century Tribes of India

Origin

History

Existence

War against the Guptas

See also

References