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Tribes in Ancient India c13: Chapter IX. The Śālvas

Tribes in Ancient India c13

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Chapter IX. The Śālvas

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The Śālvas were an important people of Ancient India, and are referred to in Pāṇini's Aṣṭādhyāyī, in the Epics, and in the Purāṇas. But they do not seem to have been able to maintain their integrity until the beginning of the historical period, for they are scarcely referred to in inscriptions or in later Sanskrit or Pāli literature.

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Perhaps the earliest mention of the Śālvas as a tribe is found in the Gopatha Brāhmaṇa (I, 2, 9), where they appear in connection with the Matsyas. The Matsyas were inhabitants of the region identical with the kingdom of King Virāṭa of the Mahābhārata, and the Matsya capital has been identified with Virāṭ in the Jaipur State; and the Śālvas probably occupied the territory now occupied by the native state of Alwar.¹ According to the Mahābhārata,² the Śālva country was situated near Kurukṣetra and was the kingdom of the father of Satyavān, husband of Sāvitrī.³ The capital of the Śālvas seems to have been Śālvapura,⁴ which is also called Saubhaganagara. King Śālva's kingdom or territory was also known as Mārttikāvata or Mṛttikāvatī.⁵ Śālva is said to have attacked Dvārāvatī, but to have been killed by Kṛṣṇa.⁶

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¹ Cunningham, An. R.A.S.I., XX, p. 120; Matsyapurāṇa, Chap. 113.

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² Virāṭaparvan, Chap. I.

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³ Vanaparvan, Chap. 282.

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⁴ Mbh., Vanaparvan, Chap. 14.

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⁵ Pargiter, A.I.H.T., p. 279. ‘Mārttikāvata must be distinguished from Mṛttikāvatī. Mārttikāvata existed before, e.g. according to the story of Rāma Jāmadagnya’ (Mbh., III, 116, 11076; VII, 70, 2436)—Ibid., f.n. 7.

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⁶ Vanaparvan, Chap. 14.

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In the great Kurukṣetra war the Śālvas along with the Matsyas, Kekayas, Ambaṣṭhas, Trigarttas, and others, lent their support to the army of Duryodhana against the Pāṇḍavas, and, along with the Ambaṣṭhas and Trigarttas, formed a unit of the army led by Bhīṣma.⁷ In the Udyogaparvan (54, 18) they are associated with the Pañcālas, Kekayas, and Śūrasenas; and (56, 18) with the Mālavas. In the Bhīṣmaparvan,⁸ the Śālvas, Matsyas, Ambaṣṭhas, Trigarttas, Kekayas, Sauviras, and six other tribal states are said to have arrayed themselves by the side of Bhīṣma. The mighty Śālva king is said to have been laid low on the battle-field by Bhīmasena (*Karṇaparvan*, Chap. 5, 42).¹ The Śālvas are several times referred to in the *Mahābhārata*² as Dānavas and Daityas, i.e. demons,—probably because of their fabled enmity to Viṣṇu who is termed ‘Śalvāri’, foe of Śālva.

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⁷ Bhīṣmaparvan, Chap. 20, 10, 12, 15.

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⁸ Chap. 18, 13-4.

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¹ According to *Mbh.*, XII, 234, 8607 and XIII, 137, 6267, Dyutimant was a certain king of the Śālvas who gave his kingdom to Ṛcīka.

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² III, 14, 633-4; 17, 695, 710; 885-6.

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The *Vāyu* and *Matsyapurāṇas* locate the Śālvas amongst the central peoples (i.e. Madhyadeśa); but the *Viṣṇupurāṇa*³ places them in the extreme west, along with the Sauvīras, Saindhavas, Hūṇas, Śākalas, Madras, etc.; and the *Brahmapurāṇa* (Chap. 19, 16–18) also locates them in the Aparānta or western country. In the Bengali recension of the *Rāmāyaṇa* (Kiṣk. Kāṇḍa, XLIII, 23) also they are classed among the western nations.

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³ II, Chap. III, śloka 16–8.

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Commenting on *Śālvāvayava* in the śloka ‘*Śālvāvayava pratyagrathakalakūtāśmakādiñ*’ (4, 1, 173), the *Kāśika* on Pāṇini’s *Aṣṭādhyāyī* names Udumbara, Tilakhala, Madrakāra, Yugandhara, Bhuliṅga, and Saradatta as the six *avayavas* or parts of the Śālvajanapada. Bhuliṅga here is probably the same as ‘Bolingai’ of Ptolemy.⁴ In the śloka ‘*na prācya Bhargādi Yaudheyādibhyaḥ*’ (4, 1, 178), the *Kāśika* includes the Karūṣas, Kaśmīras, and Śālvas. The *Kāśika* on another sūtra (4, 2, 76) refers to a city of the Śālvas named Vaidhumāgni, built by Vidhumāgni; and elsewhere the *Kāśika* includes the Śālvas among the Kacchādi-gaṇa, along with the Kaśmīras (4, 2, 133; 4, 1, 169).

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⁴ McCrindle’s *Ptolemy*, p. 163.

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