Ancient The earliest documented reference to Trigarta is found in the works of
Pāṇini, in which he characterizes it as a martial republic consisting of a confederation of six states. As per the
Mahabharata, Trigarta encompassed seven states, indicating the possibility that one state had either seceded from the union or amalgamated with another state. The
Audumbaras, a neighbouring tribal group, are mentioned in the
Vishnu Purana as being linked with the Trigarta.
J. Ph. Vogel notes that during the Early Ghaznavid period, remnants of the
Audumbaras persisted, referred to in its corrupt form by
Al-Biruni as "Dahamala", suggesting a fusion of the Audumbaras with the Trigarta.
Mahabharata Trigarta is mentioned in the epic
Mahabharata. It mentions two different Trigarta kingdoms: one in the west, close to the
Sivi kingdom, and the other north of the
Kuru kingdom. Modern
Kangra is one of the ancient towns in North Trigarta, extending westward to the
Punjab area.
Multan was the capital of Trigarta, with its original name being Mulasthan. The territory of Trigarta kingdom is around the three rivers of Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi. Trigarta kings were allies of
Duryodhana and enemies of the
Pandavas and
Viratas. Their capital was named
Prasthala. They attacked the Virata kingdom aided by the Kurus to steal cattle from there. The Pandavas living there in anonymity helped the Viratas to resist the combined forces of Trigartas and Kurus. Trigarta kings fought the
Kurukshetra War and were killed by
Arjuna, after a ruthless and bloody conflict. Arjuna also annihilated an
akshauhini (a large military unit) of Trigarta warriors called the
Samsaptakas. These warriors had vowed to either die or kill Arjuna as part of a larger plan by Duryodhana to capture
Yudhishthira alive. Trigarta next finds mention in the
Mahabharata's
Sabha Parva, where it is included along with a number of other states of the time. According to the historical consensus, the Mahabharata was first penned down around the 4th century B.C. and continued to be written until the 4th century A.D. having existed in oral form prior to this. The founder of Trigarta is mentioned as Susarma/Susharman in the Mahabharata. He is credited with building the
Kangra Fort (Nagarkot) and Kangra was originally called Susarmapura by a variety of Sanskrit, Buddhist, Jain sources prior to the Muslim period.
Other texts Along with the Greeks, the following groups were described as Vratya-
Kshatriyas or
Mlechhas:
Dravida,
Abhira, Sabara,
Kirata,
Malava,
Sibi,
Trigarta, and
Yaudheya. Historians note several references to Trigarta in the period between its mention by Pāṇini in the 5th century B.C. and the 5th century A.D., when
Samudragupta invaded Trigarta along with various other kingdoms.
Medieval Xuanzang After Samudragupta, the next reference to Trigarta comes from Xuanzang, who records that Jalandhar was ruled by Udito. Xuanzang visited Jalandhara in 635 A.D. and noted that the country measured about 1,000
li (approximately 267 km) from north to south.
Chamba inscription and invasion by Ghazni In the 8th century A.D., the Trigarta rulers acknowledged the supremacy of the
Karkota dynasty of
Kashmir, a fact also recorded in the
Rajatarangini. From the 9th to the 11th century, several references to Trigarta appear, one of the most important being a 10th-century Chamba inscription that records the Trigarta raja being subdued by Sahilavarman and subsequently becoming his ally. During this period, in 1009 A.D.,
Mahmud of Ghazni entered the Kangra fort while the Kangra forces were away at war. The ruler at the time was Jagdish Chandra. The Trigarta capital was moved from Jalandhara to
Nagarkot (Kangra) in 1070 A.D., largely because Jalandhar was in frequent contact with various ambitious invading forces passing through the region on their way to central India. Moreover,
Firishta recounts that in the 1st century A.D., Raja Ram Deo of
Kanauj overran the hill regions but spared both the
Kumaon and Nagarkot rajas after each offered their daughters in marriage.
Katoch dynasty The
Katoch dynasty of
Kangra State claimed to be an offshoot of the Trigartas. == See also ==