History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v1.c22.s1.35

v1.c22.s1.35

Here is a possible explanation of the riddle in the Purāṇas already noticed as to who the Monas were whose mlechha rule is said to follow that of the Śakas and Tukharas. It seems that these Monas of the Purāṇas were the very ancestors of the Kulindas who were a Tibetan people and who ruled for some time even in the plains of the Panjab and Cis-Sutlej provinces after the Kushans. They are said properly to be the ancestors of the modern Kunets because they were then unmixed mlechhas and the modern Kunets appear to be mixed Aryan and non-Aryan people or they may have been Khaśas proper who also are now mixed. But the Kunets themselves use that name (Mona) for the ancient possessors of these hills. These Cis-Himalayan Monas may also, Cunningham thinks, be connected with the Mundas of Eastern India; and strangely enough their name also appears in the Kaliyuga future kings of mlechha race. The following line from the Viṣṇu Purāṇa has been quoted already. ततश्चाष्टौ यवनाश्चतुर्दश तुरुष्कारा मुण्डाश्च त्रयोदश एकादश मौना एते वै पृथिवीपतयः पृथिवीं दशवर्षशतानि नवत्याधिकानि भोक्ष्यन्ति।। (वि. अंश ४ अध्या. २४. ५३). The period 1090 years is absurd but probably it represents the total of the reigns even if they were contemporaneous. However, the Mundas and the Monas mentioned here may well be identified according to Cunningham with these Eastern Indian and Cis-Himalayan peoples who may have become predominant after the Turushkas or Tukharas i. e. the Kushans were overthrown.