Arjunayana

Arjunayana, Arjunavana, Arjunavayana or Arjunayanaka was an ancient republican people located in Punjab or north-eastern Rajasthan. They emerged as a political power during the Shunga period (c. 185 – c. 73 BCE). In the Allahabad Pillar Inscription of Samudragupta (c. 335 – c. 380 CE), the Arjunayanas figure among the autonomous political communities bordering on the Gupta Empire who accepted the overlordship of Samudragupta. They are also mentioned in Bṛhat Saṃhitā of Varahamihira (6th century CE). According to Dr Buddha Prakash, the Arjunayanas are mentioned as Prajjunakas in Kautiliya's text Arthashastra which also places them in the northern division of India.Vincent Smith locates their republic in Alwar and Bharatpur states now in Rajasthan, a view which has been rejected by R. C. Majumdar.

The origin of the Arjunayanas is shrouded in obscurity. They make their first appearance in history sometime after the invasion of Alexander and were first attested by their coins belonging to 2nd or 1st century BCE. Arjunava is mentioned as geographical term in Ganapatha (IV.2.127 dhuma-aday-ah) on Pāṇini. Arjunavana is derived from Arjunava. Arjunayana is same as Arjunavana or Arjunavayana. Arjunavana is believed to be derived from Arjunava.

Greek chronicler Arrian attests one city which he calls Arigaeum or Arigaeon/Arigaion which commanded the road between Kunar and Panjkora valleys in north-eastern Afghanistan. It was in the Kamboja region and the habitat of the Aspasioi tribe whom Arrian calls Indian barbarians. These people had given a tough fight to Alexander in 327 BCE and when the defense of their citadel became difficult in view of the superior forces of Alexander, the inhabitants of Arigaeum/Arigaion had deserted the city, set it on fire and retreated to mountainous fastnesses. Alexander took his forces towards the mountainous fastness where most of the Arigaionians (inhabitants of Arigaion) were collected. A hard contest ensued with the Arigaionian Aspasians, both from the difficult nature of the ground and because the Aspasian Indians were not like the other barbarians of this district but were far stronger than their neighbors. Ptolemy attests that Macedonian forces captured about 40,000, and that over 230,000 of which Alexander picked out the finest and sent them into Macedonia. Scholars like Dr V. S. Agarwala have equated the Arigaeum or Arigaion of Arrian to Sanskrit name Arjunava which finds mention in Pāṇini's Ganapatha as well as in the Kasika. If this interpretation of scholars like Dr V. S. Agarwala is correct and the "Arjunava" of the Kashika or Pāṇini's Ganapatha is indeed the "Arigaeum/Arigaion" of Arrian, then the probable origin of the Arjunayanas can possibly be speculated. The section of Aspasian people inhabiting the city of Arigaion (Arjunava) were probably known as Arjunavanas, Arjunavayanas or Arjunayanas (from Arjunava).

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