The history of Suryavanshi Chamba Rajvansh begins with the accomplished Yogi Maru Varman who married a king’s daughter and begot by her three sons. The elder was Himadri to whom he bestowed his own kingdom of Kalpa on the bank of river Saryu, and he left with other two sons and with a small army towards Western Himalaya. Wherein the area was largely occupied by the Ranas and Thakurs. He settled the other son Anang Pal in the lower range of Western Himalaya below Kashmir. Thereafter with the third son Jayastambh he traveled towards Mount Kailash and founded the Brahmpur Kingdom near Mount Kailash approximately in the year A.D.548 as per chronological order of Suryavanshi Rajvansh of Brahampur Kingdom and thereafter named as Champakpur Kingdom and Chamba State and at present known as Chamba district based on sculptures, inscriptions, Rocks and stone Slab inscriptions, Copper plate inscriptions and other material available. The chronological order of Rajas is as under:
1. MARU VARMAN 548-567 A.D.
2. JAISTAMBH VARMAN 567-586 A.D.
3. JALSTAMBH VARMAN 586-605 A.D.
4. MAHASTAMBH VARMAN 605-624 A.D.
5. ADITYA VARMAN 624-643 A.D.
6. BAL VARMAN 643-662 A.D.
7. DIVAKAR VARMAN 662-681 A.D.
8. MERU VARMAN 681-700A.D.
9. MANDAR VARMAN 700-719 A.D.
10. KANTAR VARMAN 719-738 A.D.
11. PRAGALBH VARMAN 738-757 A.D.
12. AJAY VARMAN 757-776 A.D.
13. SUWARAN VARMAN 776-795 A.D.
14. LAKSHMI VARMAN 795-814 A.D.
15. MUSHAN VARMAN 814-833 A.D.
16. HANS VARMAN 833-852 A.D.
17. SAR VARMAN 852-871 A.D.
18. SEN VARMAN 871-890 A.D.
19. SAJJAN VARMAN 890-909 A.D.
20. MRITYUNJAYA VARMAN 909-928 A.D.
21. SAHIL VARMAN 928-947 A.D.
22. YUGAKAR VARMAN 947-966 A.D.
23. VIDAGDHA VARMAN 966-985 A.D.
24. DODKA VARMAN 985-1004 A.D.
25. VICHITRA VARMAN 1004-1023 A.D.
26. DHAIRYA VARMAN 1023-1042 A.D.
27. SALAVAHAN VARMAN 1042-1061 A.D.
28. SOMA VARMAN 1061-1080 A.D.
29. ASATA VARMAN 1080-1105 A.D.
30. JASATA VARMAN 1105-1118 A.D.
31. DHALA VARMAN 1118-1120 A.D.
32. UDAY VARMAN 1120-1130 A.D.
33. AJITA VARMAN 1130-1135 A.D.
34. DAITYARI VARMAN 1135-1140 A.D.
35. PRITHVI VARMAN 1140-1143 A.D.
36. LALITA VARMAN 1143-1175 A.D.
37. VIJAYA VARMAN 1175-1192 A.D.
38. RAJ VARMAN 1192-1209 A.D.
39. SARA VARMAN 1209-1226 A.D.
40. KIRTI VARMAN 1226-1243 A.D.
41. AJITO VARMAN 1243-1260 A.D.
42. MADAN VARMAN 1260-1277 A.D.
43. NARAKUNJAR VARMAN 1277-1294 A.D.
44. ASHA VARMAN 1294-1311 A.D.
45. JIMUT VARMAN 1311-1330 A.D.
46. VAIRASI VARMAN 1330-1370 A.D.
47. MANIKYA VARMAN 1370-1397 A.D.
48. BHOT VARMAN 1397-1442 A.D.
49. SANGRAM VARMAN 1442-1475 A.D.
50. ANAND VARMAN 1475-1512 A.D.
51. GANESH VARMAN 1512-1559 A.D.
52. PARTAP SINGH VARMAN 1559-1586 A.D.
53. VIR VAHNU VARMAN 1586-1589 A.D.
54. BAL BAHADUR VARMAN 1589-1641 A.D.
55. PRITHVI SINGH VARMAN 1641-1664 A.D.
56. CHHATAR SINGH VARMAN 1664-1690 A.D.
57. UDAY SINGH VARMAN 1690-1720 A.D.
58. UGAR SINGH VARMAN 1720-1735 A.D.
59. DALEL SINGH VARMAN 1735-1748 A.D.
60. UMED SINGH VARMAN 1748-1764 A.D.
61. RAJ SINGH VARMAN 1764-1794 A.D.
62. JEET SINGH VARMAN 1794-1808 A.D.
63. CHARHAT SINGH VARMAN 1808-1844 A.D.
64. SIRI SINGH VARMAN 1844-1870 A.D.
65. GOPAL SINGH VARMAN 25-10-1870- 6-10-1873 A.D.
66. SHAM SINGH VARMAN 7-10-1873 –11-5-1904 A.D.
67. BHURI SINGH VARMAN 12-5-1904-1919 A.D.
68. RAM SINGH VARMAN 1919-1935 A.D.
69. LAXMAN SINGH VARMAN1935-8th March, 1948 when Chamba State was merged with India.
All the historians and authors of the books on Chamba including gazetteer have assessed the period of reign from Raja Vidagdha Varman 966-985 A.D. backward to Raja Maru Varman based on average basis as 19 years or 20 years as there is no solid proof to assess the age of their reign of Brahampur Kingdom. In the above chronological order of reign, the average year is taken to be 19 years of each Raja Maru Varman to Soma Varman. It is also possible that journey of Raja Maru Varman towards Mount Kailash was a pilgrimage and eventually the Brahampur kingdom was established. The King Maru Varman after abdicating the kingdom in favour of Jayastambh in the year A.D.567 became Sanyasi and accomplished the heights of Yoga.
Oldest Stone image of Kartikya at Chhatrari
The earliest sculptures seen in the area is a stone image of Kartikeya under worship in the Shakti devi temple Chhatrari. The sculpture can be ascribed to the period not later than the sixth century A.D. As per Dr. V. C. Ohri it shows some stylistic affinities with the image of this deity discovered at Taxila date able to the fifth century. The modeling of the image under worship in the Shaktidevi Temple Chhatrari exhibits predominantly the traits of the sculpture of the Gupta period, particularly in the modeling of the torso of his figure. Some influence of the Kushana sculpture is also seen in it. The treatment of the face appears naturalistic as if possesses the qualities similar to a portrait. The ornaments and the crown of this image are also seen derived from the prototypes seen in the Kushana and Gupta sculptures.In the same temple at Chhatrari two metal images of female deities are seen which have been identified variously by the scholars. These are considered to be the representation of Shaktidevi, yogini or Tara. These figures are two armed. The left hand holds a pomegranate (?) and the right hand probably holds a lotus. A Lance (that is Shakti) is however seen in one of the hands in the case of the one image and in the other images the attribute, lotus, appears to have broken and missing. The style of these images also shows relationship to the tradition of the Gupta period sculpture. The features of these images suggest that these images to be the work of seventh century when there were shift in the approach of the artists from the norms of the Gupta period. The earliest inscription of the Brahampur Kingdom is the Panali-nala- Rock inscriptions. These rock-inscriptions are found in the Panali Nala, not far from the place Gum that was once the headquarters of a pargna of the same name but is now included in the Lilh pargana.[1] They are the oldest epigraphs hitherto found in Brahampur Kingdom after its establishment. On account of the character of inscriptions Dr. J. Ph. Vogel has ascribed these to the 7th Century.The first inscription (Plate VI (a)) consists of two lines 2’ 1” and 7” long respectively. The following is the tentative reading:
[ha(?) himwara muhirit shr(?) ta te te sa(?)vachhra
(1.2.) goridven(likhitan)]
The second inscription consists of a single line 1’ 2” long.
The following is the tentative reading:
ha(ma)vara prahitarya aite bh
The third inscription consists of one line 5 ½” long of only six words. Reading is:
[aite sanvavchhar
The fourth inscription consists also of one short Line 6” long of six aksaras. It reads as under:
Om namah shivaye
Below the above said inscriptions we find the image of Ganesha engraved over the rock with lines and another engraved image of Ganesh within the rock behind the rocks with above said inscriptions on another rock.
Other ancient monuments, which establish the presence of Suryavanshi Rajvansh and founding of the BrahampurKingdom by Maru Varman during the Sixth Century A.D. are three identical Surya stone images of sixth century found at Village Gum.
Earlier this was a pargna of the same, which is now included in the Lilh pargna of Chamba. One of the said three wonderful stone images lies still in a temple dedicated to Goddess Maheshwari and the other two are at Bhuri Singh Museum Chamba and at Calcutta Museum respectively. These Surya images of Gum are identical squatting in Kushana fashion and wearing Sassanian dress and hairstyle, but otherwise in pure Gupta taste. It is a place near which there is a village called by the name Maukhri
This image of Maheshwari is still under worship at Village Gum and we found the surya image and eleven lingas still under worship scattered around the temple. It is further stated that there were 108 Shiv lingas, which have been washed away in flash flood. Out of which we have also discovered the inscription of Ashadha Deva lying under the soil in obverse condition.Based on above scriptures, sculptures and archaeological finds we can safely conclude that the Brahampur Kingdom at present Bharmour was established in the 6th Century A.D. and has completed 1500 years of its establishment in 21st Century A.D. Brahmpur Kingdom was renamed as Chamakpur Kingdom in the 10th Century by Raja Sahil Varman 928-947 A.D. when the capital was shifted from Brahmpur to Champakpur. The Millenium Celebration of Chamba has taken place in the year 2006 and now we can expect to celebrate 1500 years of Brahampur Kingdom / Brahmour soon.
ADVOCATE DHARAM MALHOTRA
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