The only historical material related to the ancient history of Uttarakhand is obtained from the Kunind dynasty, which can be mainly divided into two parts – archaeological and literary material. Kuninda seals are important in the archaeological material and religious texts are important in the literary material. From ancient times to the third century AD, the only sources of Kuninda history are religious texts, in which Mahabharata, Ramayana and Markandeya Purana are prominent.
1-Literary Material-
Mention of Kunindas “is found in Puranas like Ramayana, Mahabharata and Markandeya along with castes like Trigartas, Kulutas, Audumbaras etc.” The earliest mention of Kunindas comes from Mahabharata, according to which Kuninda king ‘Subahu’ fought in the war of Mahabharata. had participated. While “some scholars read the Pulinda of the Ramayana as Kulinda (D.R. Mankad).”
2-Archaeological Material-
In addition to literary sources, the most authentic sources of the Kuninda state are the seals, through which scholars have tried to outline the geography of the Kulinda state. 200 BC in the Central Himalayas. From 300 AD to 300 AD, the only source of Kuninda history is the Kuninda coins obtained from many places in North India. On the basis of these coins, scholars tried to interpret the first historical dynasty ‘Kunind’ of the middle Himalayas during the Mauryan and post-Mauryan period.
Geography Of The Kunind State-
To delineate the geography of the Kunind state, scholars have given great importance to the places where Kunind coins were found. Silver and copper coins of the ancient Kunind rulers have been obtained from the present five states of North India, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal, Haryana and Punjab. The northern part of the geographical area from which these coins have been obtained is Kangra (Himachal Pradesh), southern part Karnal (Haryana), western part Ludhiana (Punjab) and eastern part Almora (Uttarakhand).
Kunind coins have been obtained from two sites of Punjab ‘Rupad’ (Rupnagar) and ‘Sunet’ (Ludhiana) and ‘Sughgaon’ or ‘Srughan’ (Ambala), Narayangarh and Bariya (Karnal) of Haryana. Kunind coins have also been obtained from ‘Chakar’ (Mandi), ‘Jwalamukhi’ (Kangra) and ‘Tappa-Meva’ (Hamirpur) of Himachal Pradesh. ‘Srughna’ of Ambala is considered to be the capital of Kunind kingdom which extended till Punjab, Haryana and Himachal. Kunind beads have also been obtained from ‘Behat’ (Saharanpur) in Uttar Pradesh, which is also believed to be the capital of the Kunind kingdom.
Geography Of The Kunind State (In Uttarakhand)-
Kunind coins have also been obtained from Devdhunga (Uttarkashi), Thatud and Athur (Tehri Garhwal), Sumadi, Bhorgaon and Panduwal (Pauri Garhwal) of Uttarakhand and Almora and Katyur Valley, Bageshwar of Kumaon region. 54 Kuninda coins obtained from Katyur valley make it clear the influence of Kuninda kingdom in this region. The Gomti river valley of Bageshwar district is called Katyur, where the ancient Baijnath temple group near Kausani-Garuda underlines the rich history of the central Himalayas.
In the Garuda town of this valley extending from west to east, ‘Baijnath’ on the left bank of Gomti is recognized as Kartikeyapur, which was the capital of Katyuri kingdom in ancient times. The copper plates issued by the great rulers of this ancient state have been obtained from Pandukeshwar and Baleshwar temples of Chamoli and Champawat in Uttarakhand respectively. The word ‘Kartikeyapur’ is engraved in these copper plates. The early Katyuri rulers were probably the successors of the Kunindas.
Kunind District-
Egyptian geographer “Ptolemy, Samvat 144-222 (87-165 A.D.) mentions the expansion of Kulindjan on the slopes of the source region of Beas, Sutlej, Yamuna and Gangaji.” Description of geographer Ptolemy and Kunind coins the places of receipt are integral to each other. On the basis of currency trend, scholars call this special geographical area (Beas to Kali river middle area) as ‘Kunind district’, which was spread from Punjab to Uttarakhand.
It is clear from the wide spread of Kunind coins in the mountainous and foothill plains of northern India during the post-Mauryan period that the Kunind district had been established as an independent state in the post-Mauryan period.
Types of Kunind Coins-
On the basis of the script engraved in the Kunind coins, the numismatists mainly divide them into three types. These three types of Kunind coins have also been helpful in determining their period. Types of Kunind coins obtained from different places-
1- Amoghbhuti type-
2- Almora type-
3- Chhatreshwar type-
‘Ragya: Kuninda’ is engraved in ‘Amoghabhuti’ type of coins. Scholars associate the Kunind kings with the ‘Kulind’ mentioned in the Mahabharata. The difference in the letters ‘N’ and ‘L’ appears to be the difference in the scripts of the particular area prevalent from time to time. Numismatics have determined the period of ‘Amoghabhuti type’ coins from the last phase of the Maurya period to the decline of the Sunga period on the basis of the script itself.
While D.C. Sarkar has told the coins of ‘Almora type’ to the first century AD. The period of coins of ‘Chatreshwar’ or ‘Chhatreshwar’ type has been determined from the rise of the Satavahanas (1st century AD) to the flourishing period of the Kushanas (2nd century AD). The names of different kings are obtained from the Almora type of coins.
For this reason, these coins are different from the other two types of coins. “These coins have been found only from the Uttarakhand Himalayas. Of these, four seals of four kings named Shivdatta, Shivpalit, Haridatta, Mgbht found from Almora district are now in the British Museum, London.
On all the seals of Amoghabhuti and Chhatreshwar type, the same king was named ‘Amoghabhuti’ and ‘Amoghabhuti’ respectively. The name ‘Chhatreshwar’ is engraved on it. “Of the fifty-four seals found in the Katyur Valley of Bageshwar, one is of Shivdatta, one of Asek and the rest of Gomitra.” Despite the difference in the names of the kings, “Rapson and D.C. Sarkar considered received coins from Almora are Kunind coins.
Script On Kunind Coins-
The Amoghabhuti seals are inscribed in Brahmi and Kharoshthi scripts. While the Chhatreshwar and Almora type coins are inscribed only in Brahmi script. According to the scholars, Kharosthi script was also prevalent along with Brahmi in the west of Sutlej around the first century.
While the Kalsi inscription of Emperor Ashoka is engraved in Brahmi script only, which confirms the fact that Brahmi script was in vogue in Uttarakhand since the Maurya period. Hence, Amogbhuti type of currency was prevalent in western Kunind state around Sutlej. Whereas Chhatreshwar and Almora types of coins were prevalent in the eastern Kunind states of Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.
Symbols Or Paintings On Kunind Coins-
Different types of shapes are made on Amoghabhuti type of Kuninda coins, which can be called symbols or paintings. Bodhi tree, chaitya, stupa, Nandipada, snake, swastika, deer, woman, grass and lotus flower etc. are important in these figures. Bodhi tree, Stupa and Chaitya are symbols of Buddhism and Vedi, Swastik, Nandipada, Snake, Deer and Lotus flower are symbols of Sanatan Dharma.
The Bodhi tree, Stupa and Chaitya reveal the influence of Buddhism on the Kuninda kingdom. Whereas the Buddhist symbol is not inscribed on the Almora type coins. In the Almora type of Kuninda coins, snake, deer, tree, Nandi, victory flag and male deity have been depicted above Nandipada. Nandi and the serpent are the symbols of the Central Himalayan culture. Nandi is the symbol of Shivatva. Therefore, the credit for the first promotion and expansion of Shivatva in the middle Himalayas can be given to Kunindas.
Snake’S Worship-
‘Snake’ worship method is still in vogue in many areas of the central Himalayas. The Sarayu-Eastern Ramganga intertidal region is famous for its serpent temples in the central Himalayas. Here are the famous temples of Kalinag, Pigalnag, Bedinag, Sheshnag, Vasukinag, Feninag, Dhaulinag, Harinag and Kharharinag.
Marking of victory flag on Almora type coins indicates that Kuninda dynasty expanded its kingdom from west to east. Probably after conquering the Kumaon region, the Kunind rulers gave place to ‘Vijaydhwaj’ in their seals. Vedi, Chaitya, Nag, Sarita (river), Shiva, Trishul, Parashu, Deer and tree etc. have been depicted on Chhatreshwar or Chatreshwar type coins. “These (Chatreshwar type) large coins of Kunindas are made on the imitation of the copper coins of Kushanas.” Probably a Kuninda ruler named ‘Chatreshwar’ ruled the central Himalayas after the decline of the Kushan kingdom.
Kunind coins, the carriers of ancient culture, can also be called the propagandists of Shivatva and local culture. Later, due to the coordination of Shivaism and local culture, the ‘Middle Himalayan culture’ developed.
Kunind Janapada –
It is clear from the various dimensions of the Kunind coins that it was not a ‘Kunind Dynasty’ but a ‘Janapada’, which was divided into Western Janapada, Central Janapada and Eastern Janapada. The center of the western district was in Srughan (Sughgaon) Ambala, whose concept is based on Amoghabhuti type coins. Such coins have been found from Sumadi near Srinagar (Garhwal) to Jwalamukhi across the Sutlej in the west and also from Karnal and Sunet in the south. The southern foothill plains of the Central Himalayas, which were the areas around ‘Behat’ (Saharanpur), can be identified as ‘Madhya Kunind Janapada’.
The Almora type of coin interpretation gives strength to the concept of the eastern Kunind Janapada. The adjoining area of Almora and Gomti Valley Bageshwar can be called ‘East Kunind district’.