Chimaji Appa
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1st Gupta-Hunnic War:
Belligerents: Gupta Empire, Hephtalite Confederation (Kidarites and Hephtalites)
Commanders and Leaders: Skandagupta, Unkown Huna leader
Result: GUPTA VICTORY- HUNA INVASION REPULSED.
Details:
In about the second half of the 5th century, the Gupta Empire came into conflict with the newly established Hephtalites in the Oxus and the Transoxiana (Central Asia). The Bhitari inscription testifies to the gravity of this invasion, however, Skandagupta rose to the occasion and crushed the Hephtalite/Kidarite Invasions (we can assume that there were at least 4 to 5 as the Huns most definitely came into contact with the Guptas more than once). The reasons for this success are simple, Skandagupta placed heavy emphasis on Cavalry archery, and this, along with the war elephants and heavy cavalry cataphracts (which formed the core of the Gupta army) made the Guptas a formidable force. The Hephtalites were defeated so decisively that they pestered the Sassanians, but would not bother the Guptas until about 490, when the next Gupta-Hunnic war would occur. R.C. Majumdar called Skandagupta as the "Saviour of India".
2nd Gupta-Hunnic War:
Belligerents: Gupta Empire (Along with it's feudatories Malavas, Parvirajakas, etc), Alkhon Hunas (part of the Hephtalite confederation)
Commanders and Leaders:
Gupta Empire (and it's fuedatories): Budhagupta then later Narashimagupta Baladitya, Bhangupta (Governor of Malwa) Prakashadharman of the Malavas
Alkhon Hunas: Toramana
Result: Huna Victory, Alkhons under Tormana penetrate south all the way up to Malwa, and east as far as Kausambi.
Details:
When Skandagupta died, Purugupta and Kumaragupta II succeeded him. These two emperors had unsually short reigns for about 6 and 3 years respectively, so there must have been some sort of civil war or conflict within the empire that forced the Gupta to weaken their attention on the frontiers. Furthermore, the Roman Empire had fell in about 476 AD, and the Gupta heavily traded with the Romans. This seems to coincide in the fact that the coins of the monarchs following Skandagupta seem to be of lower quality and quantity. Seeing this, the next wave of Hunas, the Alkhons, then began their campaign into India. The Alkhons, led by Toramana, broke through the weakened Gupta frontiers and began conquering the western territories of the Gupta all the way up to Eran in Madhya Pradesh, where the First Battle of Eran was fought in 510 . This battle resulted in a decisive victory of the Alkhons, and Bhanugupta, the Malwa governor, was vanquished. However, he attempted to advance further south, but was finally defeated King Prakashadharma of the Aulikaras, which were a clan of the Malavas. Toramana then decided to campaign eastwards to end the Guptas, while several of his disheartened soldiers retreated to the Panjab. Tormana is said to have died in Varanasi while campaigning against Narashimagupta Baladitya.
3rd Gupta-Hunnic War:
Belligerents:
-Gupta Empire
-Aulikaras of Malwa/Rajputana
-Parvirajakas
-Other ex-feudatories
-Alkhon Hephtalites (Hunas)
Commanders and leaders:
- Yashodharman
-Narashimagupta Baladitya
-Maharaja Hastin
-Mihirakula
Result: Coalition led by Yashodharman Victory, Hunas retire back to Central Asia
Details:
Following the Second Gupta-Hunnic War, Tormana was finally stopped by the Aulikaras under Prakashadharman, and he continued his campaign eastwards when he died in Varanasi. Mihirakula, his son and successor, continued his campaign eastwards against the Guptas, where he was finally checked by Narashimagupta and repulsed. Xuanzang credits Narashimagupta with capturing Mihirakula through guerilla warfare. This is obviously a fantasy, but Narashimagupta does seem to have checked the Hephtalites in about 520. In Central India, the Aulikaras had risen up against the Alkhons and challenged Mihirakula in the 520s, where they decisively defeated the Hunas in the Battle of Sodani. This army had also included other ex-feudatories of the Guptas, like the Parvirajakas. Maharaja Hastin, King of the Parvirajakas, is credit with many military victories and most probably took part in the alliance led by Yashodharman. The army of the Gupta, Aulikaras, and other allies, which was led by the great king Yashodharman, regained their confidence and began their campaign to reconquer most of the territories once held by the great Guptas. By about 534-540, the Alkhons were pushed back into Central Asia, where they soon lost power and collapsed..
AFTERMATH: Following their defeat at the hands of the Indian alliance, the Huna presence in India was successfully crushed, although they did survive in Afghanistan as the Turk Shahis. The Hoon clan of Rajputs may also have been the leftover remnants of the Hunas, as many of the Huna survivors retired into the Panjab/Potohari Plateau.
SOURCES:
Jain, Kailash Chand (1972). Malwa Through the Ages
R. C. Majumdar (1962). The History and Culture of the Indian People: The classical age
Ashvini Agrawal (1989). Rise and Fall of the Imperial Guptas
Roy, Kaushik (2015). Warfare in Pre-British India, 1500 BCE to 1740 CE
RC Majumdar: Ancient India
Moirangthem Pramod : The Parivrajaka Maharaja
https://uttaranachalhistory.blogspot.com/ -You can check out my blog right here, I write very detailed posts on the decisive battles as well as the commanders which have helped shaped Indian history.
Belligerents: Gupta Empire, Hephtalite Confederation (Kidarites and Hephtalites)
Commanders and Leaders: Skandagupta, Unkown Huna leader
Result: GUPTA VICTORY- HUNA INVASION REPULSED.
Details:
In about the second half of the 5th century, the Gupta Empire came into conflict with the newly established Hephtalites in the Oxus and the Transoxiana (Central Asia). The Bhitari inscription testifies to the gravity of this invasion, however, Skandagupta rose to the occasion and crushed the Hephtalite/Kidarite Invasions (we can assume that there were at least 4 to 5 as the Huns most definitely came into contact with the Guptas more than once). The reasons for this success are simple, Skandagupta placed heavy emphasis on Cavalry archery, and this, along with the war elephants and heavy cavalry cataphracts (which formed the core of the Gupta army) made the Guptas a formidable force. The Hephtalites were defeated so decisively that they pestered the Sassanians, but would not bother the Guptas until about 490, when the next Gupta-Hunnic war would occur. R.C. Majumdar called Skandagupta as the "Saviour of India".
2nd Gupta-Hunnic War:
Belligerents: Gupta Empire (Along with it's feudatories Malavas, Parvirajakas, etc), Alkhon Hunas (part of the Hephtalite confederation)
Commanders and Leaders:
Gupta Empire (and it's fuedatories): Budhagupta then later Narashimagupta Baladitya, Bhangupta (Governor of Malwa) Prakashadharman of the Malavas
Alkhon Hunas: Toramana
Result: Huna Victory, Alkhons under Tormana penetrate south all the way up to Malwa, and east as far as Kausambi.
Details:
When Skandagupta died, Purugupta and Kumaragupta II succeeded him. These two emperors had unsually short reigns for about 6 and 3 years respectively, so there must have been some sort of civil war or conflict within the empire that forced the Gupta to weaken their attention on the frontiers. Furthermore, the Roman Empire had fell in about 476 AD, and the Gupta heavily traded with the Romans. This seems to coincide in the fact that the coins of the monarchs following Skandagupta seem to be of lower quality and quantity. Seeing this, the next wave of Hunas, the Alkhons, then began their campaign into India. The Alkhons, led by Toramana, broke through the weakened Gupta frontiers and began conquering the western territories of the Gupta all the way up to Eran in Madhya Pradesh, where the First Battle of Eran was fought in 510 . This battle resulted in a decisive victory of the Alkhons, and Bhanugupta, the Malwa governor, was vanquished. However, he attempted to advance further south, but was finally defeated King Prakashadharma of the Aulikaras, which were a clan of the Malavas. Toramana then decided to campaign eastwards to end the Guptas, while several of his disheartened soldiers retreated to the Panjab. Tormana is said to have died in Varanasi while campaigning against Narashimagupta Baladitya.
3rd Gupta-Hunnic War:
Belligerents:
-Gupta Empire
-Aulikaras of Malwa/Rajputana
-Parvirajakas
-Other ex-feudatories
-Alkhon Hephtalites (Hunas)
Commanders and leaders:
- Yashodharman
-Narashimagupta Baladitya
-Maharaja Hastin
-Mihirakula
Result: Coalition led by Yashodharman Victory, Hunas retire back to Central Asia
Details:
Following the Second Gupta-Hunnic War, Tormana was finally stopped by the Aulikaras under Prakashadharman, and he continued his campaign eastwards when he died in Varanasi. Mihirakula, his son and successor, continued his campaign eastwards against the Guptas, where he was finally checked by Narashimagupta and repulsed. Xuanzang credits Narashimagupta with capturing Mihirakula through guerilla warfare. This is obviously a fantasy, but Narashimagupta does seem to have checked the Hephtalites in about 520. In Central India, the Aulikaras had risen up against the Alkhons and challenged Mihirakula in the 520s, where they decisively defeated the Hunas in the Battle of Sodani. This army had also included other ex-feudatories of the Guptas, like the Parvirajakas. Maharaja Hastin, King of the Parvirajakas, is credit with many military victories and most probably took part in the alliance led by Yashodharman. The army of the Gupta, Aulikaras, and other allies, which was led by the great king Yashodharman, regained their confidence and began their campaign to reconquer most of the territories once held by the great Guptas. By about 534-540, the Alkhons were pushed back into Central Asia, where they soon lost power and collapsed..
AFTERMATH: Following their defeat at the hands of the Indian alliance, the Huna presence in India was successfully crushed, although they did survive in Afghanistan as the Turk Shahis. The Hoon clan of Rajputs may also have been the leftover remnants of the Hunas, as many of the Huna survivors retired into the Panjab/Potohari Plateau.
SOURCES:
Jain, Kailash Chand (1972). Malwa Through the Ages
R. C. Majumdar (1962). The History and Culture of the Indian People: The classical age
Ashvini Agrawal (1989). Rise and Fall of the Imperial Guptas
Roy, Kaushik (2015). Warfare in Pre-British India, 1500 BCE to 1740 CE
RC Majumdar: Ancient India
Moirangthem Pramod : The Parivrajaka Maharaja
https://uttaranachalhistory.blogspot.com/ -You can check out my blog right here, I write very detailed posts on the decisive battles as well as the commanders which have helped shaped Indian history.