Yudhishthira (Huna king)

Yudhishthira has been proposed as the last Alchon Hun ruler of Kashmir, according to a reconstruction made by Atreyi Biswas.[1][2] The tentative identification has been made from the lists of Huna kings given in the Puranas and the Rajatarangini.[1]

Yudhishthira
Ruler of the Alchon Huns
Reignc. 630-670
PredecessorNarendraditya Khinkhila
Yudhishthira (Huna king) is located in South Asia
Yudhishthira (Huna king)
Approximate area of Kashmir
Alchon Huns
(400–670 CE)
c. 400–440 (Anonymous kings)
c. 430–490 Khingila
c. 490 Javukha
c. 461–493Mehama
c. 490 Lakhana Udayaditya
Aduman
c. 490–515Toramana
c.515–540Mihirakula
c.530–570Toramana II
Kashmir descendants:
6-7th c. Pravarasena
6-7th c. Megavahana
6-7th c.Tujina
6-7th c.Toramana of Kashmir

The name of Yudhishthira I is mentioned twice in the first and third book of Rajatarangini, and Biswas assumes both to be the same. The Rajatarangini describes him as the son of a ruler named Narendraditya Khinkhila, who has been identified with the historically known Alchon Hun ruler Narendraditya Khinkhila (597-633).[1] According to this identification, Yudhishthira I would have succeeded his father circa 633 and went on to rule for 40 years until c. 670 CE (or for 24 years until c. 657 CE), before being dethroned by Pratapaditya of the Karkota dynasty.[1][2] Yudhishtira is said to have been nicknamed "Andha-Yudhishthira" because he had small eyes.[1]

According to Kalhana, Yudhishthira was the last great Huna ruler, but he still had a line of successors who were subordinate rulers in Kashmir.[1] With the final reign of Yudhishthira and the end of Huna independent rule, new polities arose, such as the Turk Shahis in the areas of Kabul and Gandhara circa 666 CE.[1]

Alternatively, Joe Cribb proposes that Yudhishthira was the son of an earlier Alchon Hun king named Khingila, which would date him after the end of the 4th century CE.[3]

There does not exist any direct historical evidence of Yudhishthira I.

References
  1. Dani, Ahmad Hasan; Litvinsky, B. A. (1996). History of Civilizations of Central Asia: The crossroads of civilizations, A.D. 250 to 750. UNESCO. pp. 169–171. ISBN 9789231032110. The opinion given below follows the reconstruction made by Biswas, who has listed a number of Huna kings from the Puranas, and from the Rajatarangini.
  2. Biswas, Atreyi (1973). The Political History of Hunas in India. Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal. pp. 130–149.
  3. Cribb, Joe (2016). "Early Medieval Kashmir Coinage – A New Hoard and An Anomaly". Numismatic Digest. 40: 98.


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