Suhma kingdom was an ancient kingdom during the Late
Vedic period
The Vedic period, or the Vedic age (), is the period in the late Bronze Age and early Iron Age of the history of India when the Vedic literature, including the Vedas (–900 BCE), was composed in the northern Indian subcontinent, between the e ...
on the eastern part of the
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent is a physiographic region of Asia below the Himalayas which projects into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west. It is now divided between Bangladesh, India, and Pakista ...
, which originated in the region of
Bengal
Bengal ( ) is a Historical geography, historical geographical, ethnolinguistic and cultural term referring to a region in the Eastern South Asia, eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. The region of Benga ...
. The kingdom included present day districts of undivided
Midnapore and parts of
Hoogly and
Howrah
Howrah (; ; alternatively spelled as Haora) is a city in the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal. Howrah is located on the western bank of the Hooghly River, opposite to its twin city of Kolkata. Administratively ...
of
West Bengal
West Bengal (; Bengali language, Bengali: , , abbr. WB) is a States and union territories of India, state in the East India, eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabi ...
.
This kingdom was mentioned in the epic
Mahabharata
The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; , , ) is one of the two major Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epics of ancient India revered as Smriti texts in Hinduism, the other being the ''Ramayana, Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the events and aftermath of the Kuru ...
along with its neighbouring kingdom ''Prasuhma''.
References in Mahabharata
The founders of
Angas,
Vangas,
Kalingas,
Pundras and Suhmas shared a common ancestry. They were all adopted sons of a king named Vali, born by a sage named Gautama Dirghatamas, who lived in
Magadha close to the city of Girivraja.
Military expeditions to Suhma
Pandu
Pandu () was the king of Kuru kingdom, with capital at Hastinapur in the epic '' Mahabharata''. He was the foster-father of the five Pandavas, who are the central characters of the epic.
Pandu was born pale, to Vichitravirya's second wife ...
(the father of
Pandavas) after defeating the
Magadhas and the
Videhas of
Mithila
Mithila may refer to:
Places
* Mithilā, a synonym for the ancient Videha state
** Mithilā (ancient city), the ancient capital city of Videha
* Mithila (region), a cultural region (historical and contemporary), now divided between India and Nepa ...
, led his army against
Kashi, Suhma, and
Pundra, as well as by the strength and prowess of his arms spread the fame of the
Kurus.
Arjuna
Arjuna (, , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, �ɾd͡ʒun̪ə is one of the central characters of the ancient Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. He is the third of the five Pandava brothers, and is widely regarded as the most important and renowned among them. ...
, that bull amongst the son of
Pandu
Pandu () was the king of Kuru kingdom, with capital at Hastinapur in the epic '' Mahabharata''. He was the foster-father of the five Pandavas, who are the central characters of the epic.
Pandu was born pale, to Vichitravirya's second wife ...
, at the head of all his troops, fiercely attacked the regions called Suhma and Sumala during his military campaign to collect tribute to
Yudhishthira
Yudhishthira (Sanskrit: युधिष्ठिर, ud̪ʱiʂʈʰiɾᵊ IAST: ''Yudhiṣṭhira''), also known as Dharmaputra, is the eldest among the five Pandavas, and is also one of the central characters of the ancient Indian epic ''Ma ...
's
Rajasuya.
Bhima
Bhima (, ), also known as Bhimasena (, ), is a hero and one of the most prominent characters in the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. As the second of the five Pandava brothers, Bhima was born to Kunti—the wife of King Pandu—fathered by Vayu, the ...
vanquished in battle the Suhmas and the Prasuhmas. The
Pandava
The Pandavas (Sanskrit: पाण्डव, aɳɖɐʋᵊ IAST: Pāṇḍava) is a group name referring to the five legendary brothers, Yudhishtira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, and Sahadeva, who are central figures of the Hindu epic ''Mahabhara ...
Bhima
Bhima (, ), also known as Bhimasena (, ), is a hero and one of the most prominent characters in the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. As the second of the five Pandava brothers, Bhima was born to Kunti—the wife of King Pandu—fathered by Vayu, the ...
subjugated in battle those strong and brave heroes of fierce prowess. The heroic and mighty Vasudeva, the king of
Pundra and king Mahaujah who reigned in Kausika-Kachchha, and then attacked the king of
Vanga. Having vanquished Samudrasena and king Chandrasena and Tamralipta, and also the king of the Kaivartas and the ruler of the Suhmas, as also the kings that dwelt on the sea-shore, that bull among the Bharatas then conquered all
Mleccha tribes. Karna also subjugated the
Pundras and Suhmas.
The fourth
canto of the epic poem
Raghuvamsa, written by
Kalidasa mentions that King
Raghu of
Ikshavaku Dynasty during his conquest in the East, he had defeated the Suhmas.In order to save their lives, they begged for his mercy. The then king (whose name is not mentioned in the
Raghuvamsa) was ousted from his throne by King Raghu, but was later rethroned by him, when the king pleaded him and offered him with innumerable riches.
See also
*
Kingdoms of Ancient India
*
History of Bengal
The history of Bengal is intertwined with the history of the broader Indian subcontinent and the surrounding regions of South Asia and Southeast Asia. It includes modern-day Bangladesh and the States and union territories of India, Indian stat ...
Notes
*
Mahabharata
The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; , , ) is one of the two major Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epics of ancient India revered as Smriti texts in Hinduism, the other being the ''Ramayana, Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the events and aftermath of the Kuru ...
of
Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa, translated to English by Kisari Mohan Ganguli
References
External links
{{Tribes and kingdoms of the Mahabharata
Kingdoms in the Mahabharata
Ancient Bengal