Vahika, also referred to as Bahika, was an ancient region of Punjab centered between the Indus and the Sutlej rivers.[1] It was inhabited by various Indo-aryan tribes and kingdoms such as the Madra and Uśīnara with multiple capitals including Multan, Sagala and Taxila.[2] The region has been attested to by numerous authors such as Pāṇini and Patanjali in the late Iron Age and further by Greek writers. Vahika is not to be confused with the similar sounding Bahlika also known as Vahlika which referred to Bactria, located in modern-day Northern Afghanistan and Tajikistan.[3] [4]
| Conventional Long Name: | Vahika (Bahika) |
| Capital: | Sagala Taxila Multan |
| Government Type: | Republic |
| Year Start: | 6th century BCE |
The history of the Vahika region begins in the Vedic era, where the sons of Yayati established prominent kingdoms and tribes that participated in significant events such as the Battle of the Ten Kings and the Kurukshetra War. Vahika is mentioned during this period by writers such as Pāṇini. The region is further documented during Alexander the Great's invasion in the 5th century BCE, when various tribes, including those led by Porus and the Cathaean tribe, offered substantial resistance to the Greek conquest. In the first century CE, additional details emerge from the visit of Apollonius of Tyana to Vahika, where he encountered Phraotes, the king of Taxila, who ruled over the former territory of Porus. Following the decline of the Kushan Empire in the 3rd century CE, coinage from the Shilada and Gadahara tribes are discovered, and numerous texts from the Hunnic era dated to between the 4th-7th centuries CE attest to numerous tribal republics of the region. In the 7th century CE the region came under the control of the Taank Kingdom.
Multiple names have been used in ancient times to refer to the region of Punjab, such as Pentapotamia, in Greek, and Panchanada, in Sanskrit; however, the definition of Vahika has been understood to mean 'the outsiders' in which the Mahabharata speaks of the region with contempt.[5] They were further referred to as Arattas, which translates to 'Kingless', denoting the republican form of governments that dominated the region.[6] [7]
During the creation of the Mahabharata, according to the Karna Parva, Vahika was referred to the area between the Indus and the Sutlej rivers and is referred to by Patanjali as Vahikagrama, located in modern-day Punjab. The core Janapadas of the region included the Madra, Kekaya and Uśīnara in which a further tribal republic noted as the Savasa were also located in the area. The Savasa were described as residing between the Jhelum and Chenab Rivers in the north with their capital in Taxila as noted in the Divyavadana whilst the Kekaya resided in the South. The nearby Madras resided between the Chenab and Ravi Rivers in the north whilst the Usinaras were located in the south and are stated to have been associated with the neighbouring Sivi Kingdom whose capital was centred in Shorkot.[8] Patanjali also makes reference to the Audumbara capital, Pathankot, residing in the Vahika region whom were closely associated to the Trigarta kingdom based on ancient texts.[9]
During Apollonius of Tyana's travels to the region in the 1st century CE, he describes the old territory of Porus being under the control of Phraotes, the King of Taxila, which reached the Chenab River of Punjab and Xuanzang's visit in the 7th century CE, states that the Taank Kingdom was located south of Kashmir and north of Sindh extending from the Indus river in the west to the Beas river in the east, centred in Sagala, modern day Sialkot.
The Udichya region was another region mentioned in ancient texts and is noted by Pāṇini as comprising both the regions of Vahika and Gandhara.[10]
The first mention of the Vahikas comes from the Gandharan grammarian Pāṇini based in the 6th century BCE in which he describes the region as a territory of Sanghas which denotes a republic form of government. He then further describes the ruling class of the Vahika republics with some dominated by Brahmins and others of ‘Rajanyas’ otherwise known as Kshatriyas.[11] In some Sutras they are recounted as a cradle of martial tribes who's way of life consisted of the military arts.[12] Numerous cities lying in the Vahika country are mentioned by Panini including: Kastira, Sagala, Saubhuta, Kaukudivaha, Svavidgarta, Srigalagarta and Vrikagarta.[13]
According to Rigvedic tradition, Yayati was the progenitor of the prominent Udichya tribes and had numerous sons, including Anu, Puru, and Druhyu. The lineage of Anu gave rise to the Madra, Kekaya, Sivi and Uśīnara kingdoms, while the Druhyu tribe has been associated with the Gandhara kingdom.[14] [15]
An important event of the Rig Vedic era was the "Battle of Ten Kings" which was fought on the banks of the Ravi river in central Punjab, c. 14th century BCE, between the Bharata clan led by Sudas on the one hand and a confederation of ten tribes on the other. The ten tribes were the Purus, Druhyus, Anus, Turvasas and the Yadus in addition to five minor ones. Sudas was supported by the sage Rishi Vasishtha, while his former Purohita(family priest) Viswamitra, sided with the confederation of ten tribes. A second battle, referred to as the Mahabharat in ancient texts, was fought in Punjab on a battlefield known as Kurukshetra.
In the 5th century BCE, the sovereign of Taxila, Omphis, formed an alliance with Alexander, motivated by a longstanding animosity towards Porus who governed the region encompassed by the Chenab and Jhelum River.[16] Omphis, in a gesture of goodwill, presented Alexander the great with significant gifts, esteemed among the Indian populace, and subsequently accompanied him on the expedition crossing the Indus.[17] His territory stretched from between the Indus and Jhelum Rivers.[18]
Porus ruled over the tracts between the Hydaspes (Jhelum) river and Chenab River and Strabo noted his territory to contain almost three hundred cities whilst also describing his land as fertile and extensive.[19] He is most notable for opposing Alexander in the Battle of the Hydaspes which proved to be one of Alexander the Great's most challenging battles. After his defeat, when asked by Alexander how he wished to be treated, Porus replied "Treat me as a king would treat another king".[20] Impressed, Alexander indeed treated him like a king, allowing him to retain his lands. Following the battle, Alexander founded two cities called Boukephala and Nikaia, the latter at the site of the battle and named after the Greek for Victory, in commemoration of his success, and the former on the opposite bank to honour his faithful steed Bucephalus, who died during or after the battle.
Following Alexander's battle with Porus, the Greeks had received information of a tribe known as the Cathaeans preparing for war alongside neighbouring tribes and who were considering taking battle in Sagala, modern day Sialkot. Arrian states that the Cathaeans were skillfull in war and were known to Porus after having successfully defeated him previously.[21] Arrian further states that the Cathaeans and other allied tribes had prepared themselves in front of the city upon a hill and after having been defeated encamped themselves in the city leading to a siege and later their eventual defeat.[22]
Strabo describes the culture of the Cathaeans in which they were prized for having beautiful horses and dogs and for choosing the 'handsomest person' as king. The marriage customs were also noted as peculiar to the Cathaeans in that the bride and groom chose their spouse, recounted as the law of the land.[23]
During the formation of the Maurya Empire in the 3rd century BCE numerous mentions of the Vahika republics are stated, most notably in the Arthashastra, written by Chanakya in which he describes the horses coming from the Aratta as of the highest quality of the South Asian nations.[24] He also states that the Madra republic among others lived by the title of Raja.[25] According to Buddhist texts, Chanakya was born in the city of Taxila in which he had brought Chandragupta Maurya to educate him in numerous arts such as military strategy.[26]