Sindhu-Sauvīra

Sindhu-Sauvīra (Sanskrit: Sindhu-Sauvīra; Pāli: Sindhu-Sovīra) was an ancient Indo-Aryan kingdom of the lower Indus Valley in western South Asia (present-day Sindh) whose existence is attested during the Iron Age. The inhabitants of Sindhu were called the Saindhavas, and the inhabitants of Sauvīra were called Sauvīrakas.

Location of Sindhu-Sauvīra during the late Vedic period

Location of Sindhu-Sauvīra with respect to the Mahājanapadas and within the Achaemenid Empire

Outline

Iron Age (1500–200 BC)

Vedic Civilisation	(1500–500 BC)
– Janapadas	(1500–600 BC)
– Black and Red ware culture	(1300–1000 BC)
– Painted Grey Ware culture	(1200–600 BC)
– Northern Black Polished Ware	(700–200 BC)
Pradyota dynasty	(799–684 BC)
Haryanka dynasty	(684–424 BC)
Three Crowned Kingdoms	(c. 600 BC – AD 1600)
Maha Janapadas	(c. 600–300 BC)
Achaemenid Empire	(550–330 BC)
Shaishunaga dynasty	(424–345 BC)
Nanda Empire	(380–321 BC)
Macedonian Empire	(330–323 BC)
Maurya Empire	(321–184 BC)
Seleucid India	(312–303 BC)
Sangam period	(c. 300 BC – c. 300 AD)
Pandya Empire	(c. 300 BC – AD 1345)
Chera Kingdom	(c. 300 BC – AD 1102)
Chola Empire	(c. 300 BC – AD 1279)
Pallava Empire	(c. 250 AD – AD 800)
Maha-Megha-Vahana Empire	(c. 250 BC – c. AD 500)
Parthian Empire	(247 BC – AD 224)

Middle Kingdoms (230 BC – AD 1206)

Satavahana Empire	(230 BC – AD 220)
Kuninda Kingdom	(200 BC – AD 300)
Mitra Dynasty	(c. 150 – c. 50 BC)
Shunga Empire	(185–73 BC)
Indo-Greek Kingdom	(180 BC – AD 10)
Kanva Empire	(75–26 BC)
Indo-Scythian Kingdom	(50 BC – AD 400)
Indo-Parthian Kingdom	(AD 21 – c. 130)
Western Satrap Empire	(AD 35–405 )
Kushan Empire	(AD 60–240)
Bharshiva Dynasty	(170–350)
Nagas of Padmavati	(210–340)
Sasanian Empire	(224–651)
Indo-Sassanid Kingdom	(230–360)
Vakataka Empire	(c. 250 – c. 500)
Kalabhras Empire	(c. 250 – c. 600)
Gupta Empire	(280–550)
Kadamba Empire	(345–525)
Western Ganga Kingdom	(350–1000)
Kamarupa Kingdom	(350–1100)
Vishnukundina Empire	(420–624)
Maitraka Empire	(475–767)
Huna Kingdom	(475–576)
Rai Kingdom	(489–632)
Kabul Shahi Empire	(c. 500 – 1026)
Chalukya Empire	(543–753)
Maukhari Empire	(c. 550 – c. 700)
Harsha Empire	(606–647)
Tibetan Empire	(618–841)
Eastern Chalukya Kingdom	(624–1075)
Rashidun Caliphate	(632–661)
Gurjara-Pratihara Empire	(650–1036)
Umayyad Caliphate	(661–750)
Mallabhum kingdom	(694–1947)
Bhauma-Kara Kingdom	(736–916)
Pala Empire	(750–1174)
Rashtrakuta Empire	(753–982)
Paramara Kingdom	(800–1327)
Yadava Empire	(850–1334)
Somavamshi Kingdom	(882–1110)
Chaulukya Kingdom	(942–1244)
Western Chalukya Empire	(973–1189)
Lohara Kingdom	(1003–1320)
Hoysala Empire	(1040–1347)
Sena Empire	(1070–1230)
Eastern Ganga Empire	(1078–1434)
Kakatiya Kingdom	(1083–1323)
Zamorin Kingdom	(1102–1766)
Kalachuris of Tripuri	(675–1210)
Kalachuris of Kalyani	(1156–1184)
Chutiya Kingdom	(1187–1673)
Deva Kingdom	(c. 1200 – c. 1300)

Late medieval period (1206–1526)

Ghaznavid Dynasty	(977–1186)
Ghurid Dynasty	(1170–1206)
Delhi Sultanate	(1206–1526)
– Mamluk Sultanate	(1206–1290)
– Khalji Sultanate	(1290–1320)
– Tughlaq Sultanate	(1320–1414)
– Sayyid Sultanate	(1414–1451)
– Lodi Sultanate	(1451–1526)
Ahom Kingdom	(1228–1826)
Chitradurga Kingdom	(1300–1779)
Reddy Kingdom	(1325–1448)
Vijayanagara Empire	(1336–1646)
Bengal Sultanate	(1352–1576)
Garhwal Kingdom	(1358–1803)
Mysore Kingdom	(1399–1947)
Gajapati Empire	(1434–1541)
Ladakh Kingdom	(1470–1842)
Deccan sultanates	(1490–1596)
– Ahmadnagar Sultanate	(1490–1636)
– Berar sultanate	(1490–1574)
– Bidar Sultanate	(1492–1619)
– Bijapur Sultanate	(1492–1686)
– Golkonda Sultanate	(1518–1687)
Keladi Kingdom	(1499–1763)
Koch Kingdom	(1515–1947)

The territory of Sindhu-Sauvīra covered the lower Indus Valley,^[1] with its southern border being the Indian Ocean and its northern border being the Pañjāb around Multān.^[2]

Sindhu was the name of the inland area between the Indus River and the Sulaiman Mountains, while Sauvīra was the name for the coastal part of the kingdom as well as the inland area to the east of the Indus river as far north as the area of modern-day Multan.^[2]

The capital of Sindhu-Sauvīra was named Roruka and Vītabhaya or Vītībhaya, and corresponds to the mediaeval Arohṛ and the modern-day Rohṛī.^[2]^[3]^[1] Roruka is mentioned in the Buddhist literature as a major trading center.^[4]

History

Sindhu-Sauvira finds mention in Late Vedic,^[5] early Buddhist and early Jain literature.

Kingdom

During the 6th to 5th centuries BCE, the Sindhu-Sauvīra was ruled by a powerful king named Udāyana or Udrāyaṇa or Rudrāyaṇa by various sources.^[1]^[6]^[2] Udāyana was married to the princess Prabhāvatī, who was the daughter of Ceṭaka, the consul of the powerful Vajjika League in north-east South Asia, and was herself thus the cousin of the 24th Jain Tīrthaṅkara Mahāvīra, himself the son of Chetaka's sister Trisalā.^[7]^[8] Ceṭaka had become an adept of the teachings of his nephew Mahāvīra and adopted Jainism, thus making the Licchavika and Vajjika capital of Vesālī a bastion of Jainism, and the marriages of his daughters to various leaders, in turn, contributed to the spreading of Jainism across northern South Asia.^[9]

Therefore, according to Jain sources, Udāyana converted to Jainism after hearing Mahāvīra preach at Vītabhya, and he abdicated his throne and became a Jain monk after installing his nephew by his sister, Keśīkumāra, as king of Sindhu-Sauvira, instead of his own son, Abhijitkumāra, who found asylum at the court of Kūṇika, the governor of the Āṅgeya city of Campā for the count of the king of Magadha.^[3]^[2] However, Buddhist sources instead claim that Udrāyaṇa embraced Buddhism and was ordained by the Buddha.^[2]

Persian conquest

In 518 BCE, Sindhu-Sauvīra was conquered by the Persian Achaemenid Empire's King of Kings, Darius I, after which it was organised into the satrapy (province) of Hiⁿdūš.^[10]^[11]

Later history

Roruka was probably the capital of the king Mousikanos, who was encountered by Alexander the Great while sailing down the Indus in 326 BCE.^[12]

The Sauvīra people or country were mentioned in the Junâgaḍh inscription of Rudradáman (150 CE).^[13]

Buddhist sites in Sindh are numerous, including a stupa at Brahmanabad (Mansura); Sirah-ji-takri near Rohri, Sukkur; Kahu-Jo-Daro at Mirpur Khas, Nawabshah; Sudheran-Jo-Thul near Hyderabad; Thul Mir Rukan stupa; Thul Hairo Khan Stupa; Bhaleel-Shah-Thul square stupas (5th–7th century A.D) at Dadu, and Kot-Bambhan-Thul buddhist tower near Tando Muhammad Khan. In the 12th century king Kumarapala excavated an ancient Jivantasvami Mahavira image from the ruins of Vītabhaya-pattana, and brought it to be installed at a Jain temple in his capital city Patan.^[14]

v t e History of Sindh
Periods	Indus Valley Civilisation Sindhu kingdom Rai dynasty Brahmin dynasty of Sindh Caliphal province of Sind Habbari dynasty Emirate of Multan Soomra dynasty Samma dynasty Arghun dynasty Tarkhan dynasty Mughal Empire Kalhora dynasty Talpur dynasty Bombay Presidency British period
Capitals	Mohenjo-daro Debal Aror Banbhore Mansura (Brahmanabad) Umer Kot Agham Kot Thatta Khudabad Hyderabad Karachi
People	Hoshu Sheedi Dollah Darya Khan Dodo Bin Khafef Soomro III Sibghatullah Shah Rashidi
Wars & battles	Battle of Rasil Battle of Halani Battle of Miani Battle of Hyderabad Battle of Fatehpur Battle of Jalwakhir First Battle of Shikarpur Second Battle of Shikarpur Battle of Khari Khabarlo Battle of Kachhi Battle of Larkana Battle of Jhok

History

Kingdom

Persian conquest

Later history

See also

References

Works cited

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