Geographical and Economic Studies in the Mahabharata: Upayana Parva c6.1

c6.1

After the conquest of the four quarters by the Pāṇḍava brothers the proper atmosphere for the *Rājasūya* sacrifice was created. The rulers from all the quarters of India including Duryodhana were invited to attend the *Rājasūya*. One could easily conjure up the vision of such a function by witnessing the installation ceremony of a Hindu ruling chief of some standing. There are Yajñas to which the Brāhmaṇas throng, then there are processions in which all the wealth of the state is paraded, then there are *darbars* in which the Sardārs and Jagīrdārs make presents to their overlord. This ceremony in the ancient times must have been presented with the pomp and show many times multiplied. As reported by Duryodhana, the tribute payers simply thronged at the gates of Yudhiṣṭhira, and such was the court etiquette that even the people of standing could gain admission with difficulty. A touch of barbaric splendour was added by the presence of semi-barbaric tribes of the Himālayas, the Hindūkush and beyond. There were also the Santals, the Kirātas, and the Śbaras from the eastern and central India. Vying with them were the long established states of the Panjāb and other parts of India who had brought horses, elephants, shawls, precious stones, gold, silver, furniture etc., as gifts. As is natural Duryodhana the scion of an ancient but impoverished family was fired with jealousy at such display of wealth. The report of the Rājasūya assembly which he made to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, his father, is of great import from the point of view of the historical geography of India. In the following pages an attempt will be made to determine the locations of various states with a full description of the presents which they brought :— Vāṭadhāna (M.B., II, 45, 24). Literally the word vaṭā means made or consisting of the Banyan or Indian fig tree or its wood. In the Mahābhārata Ādiparva (I, 61, 58) the name has been derived from an eponymous king Vāṭadhāna who was of the same Krodhavaśa group as the eponymous kings of Vāhlīkas, Madras and Sauvīras, etc. (I, 61). In the Udyogaparva (V, 5, 24) it is mentioned that they had assembled on the side of the Kauravas. In the Sabhāparva (II, 29, 7) their country is mentioned to be Madhyamikā which has been indentified with Nagari near Chittor in southern Rajputānā, though their presence should not conclude that they were the original inhabitants of the place. At another place (M.B., II, 45, 24) the Vāṭadhāna Brāhmaṇas (Brāhmaṇa Vāṭadhānāḥ) said to be engaged in the profession of rearing cattle (gomantaḥ) had assembled collectively in hundreds (śata-sanghśaḥ) with innumerable gifts at the palace of Yudhiṣṭhira. The word śatasaṅgha is probably significant pointing to the existence of more than one Vāṭadhāna republican community. It may be pointed out here that Alexander in his campaign (Arrian VI, 7) on the Rāvī personally lead his army against a city of the Brāhmaṇas, which has been identified by Cunningham with the old ruined town and fort of Atari which is situated twenty miles to the west-south-west of Tulumba, and on high-road to Multan, from which it is thirty miles distant.⁶⁶ Diodorus (XVII, 53) again speaks of the country of the Brāhmaṇas and a city called Harmatelia in connection with Alexander's campaign in Sind. The city has been identified by Cunningham as Brahmanābād which was situated on the old channel of the Indus forty seven miles to the north-east of Haidarābād, the Pātalā of the ancients. The original form of Harmatelia has been restored by Cunningham as Brahma-sthala.⁶⁷