New Lights on the History of Assam
By Nalini Kanta Bhattasali
Summary
The article sheds new light on the early history of Assam by discussing recently discovered epigraphic sources that augment our understanding of the Varmma dynasty. After the Mauryan empire’s decline, North India’s history enters a period of obscurity until the rise of the Gupta empire and the coronation of Chandragupta I and his Licchavi queen Kumara Devi around 319-20 A.D. This period also marks the foundation of the Pusyavarman dynasty in Assam. Sir Edward Gait’s early twentieth-century History of Assam relied primarily on Chinese pilgrim Hiuen Tsang’s account and offered only a brief sketch of King Bhaskaravarmma. The author notes that subsequent discoveries now allow a fuller reconstruction of the dynasty. The most important new materials are the Nidhanpur copper-plate grant of King Bhaskaravarmma, clay seals of Bhaskaravarmma found at Nalanda, and the Badaganga rock inscription of Maharajadhiraja Bhutivarmma. These inscriptions, analysed in detail, provide a complete genealogy of the Pusya Varmma line from Bhaskaravarmma’s ancestors to his successors. The Nidhanpur plates, first published in Bengali journals by Pandit Padma Nath Bhattasali and later in Epigraphia Indica and Kamrupa-vasanavali, supply information about land grants and confirm Bhaskaravarmma’s authority. The Nalanda seals, originally identified by K. L. Barua and published by Hirananda Sastri in the Memoir of the Archaeological Survey of India, yield a genealogical list that includes kings overlooked by earlier historians. This list reveals that two rulers, Mahendravamra and Sthitavarmma, performed two horse sacrifices each, indicating significant political power and wealth. The Badaganga rock inscription, discovered in the Nowgong district and discussed by the author in previous publications, extends the genealogy further and adds new details about the dynasty’s later kings. The article emphasises that these sources collectively modify our understanding of the Varmma dynasty, providing names, titles and ritual accomplishments previously unknown. The genealogies confirm that the Pusya Varmma line was well established and politically ambitious, connecting Assam’s history more closely with wider Indian trends during the Gupta age. The author critiques earlier historians for failing to appreciate the political significance of these discoveries and calls for reevaluating Assam’s place in early Indian history. The article thus demonstrates how epigraphic research can illuminate regional histories and rectify long-standing gaps in the historical narrative of Assam.
Conclusion
The discoveries of the Nidhanpur plates, Nalanda seals and Badaganga inscription enrich our understanding of Assam’s past and establish a fuller genealogy of the Pusyavarmma kings. They show that rulers like Mahendravarmma and Sthitavarmma performed multiple horse sacrifices, signalling their authority and prosperity, and they highlight the connections between Assam and broader Indian politics during the Gupta era. By integrating these epigraphic records, historians can move beyond reliance on literary sources and Chinese accounts, offering a more nuanced view of early Assamese state formation and demonstrating the region’s importance in subcontinental history.