Varman dynasty

The first king in this dynasty was Pushyavarman, possibly a contemporary of Samudragupta (c. 335/350-375 CE).^[3] The kingdom which he established with much effort, grew in the periphery of the Gupta Empire, adopted the north Indian political model, and its kings took on names and titles of the Gupta kings and queens.^[9] Nothing much is known directly about the initial kings till the sixth king, Mahendravarman, who established a rock temple and assumed the title of Maharajadhiraja (king-of-kings) in the last quarter of the fifth century.^[9] The dynastic line from Pushyavarman first appear in the 7th century, in Dubi and Nidhanpur copperplate inscriptions issued by Bhaskaravarman and in the Harshacharita and not earlier in any inscription from his ancestors.^[7][9] In these inscriptions Bhaskaravarman claims that he was a descendant of Narakasur, Bhagadatta and Vajradatta.^[7] Modern scholars consider this claim to be a fabrication, jae-eun shin suggests that this genealogy was created in the context of Bharkarvarman's alliance with Harshavardhana, to help legitimise his sovereignty. The use of Naraka/Bhagadatta lineage to establish sovereignty continued under the Mlechchha and the Pala dynasties, a practice which is in keeping with the trend in the post-Gupta period in India.^[9]

She-Kia-Fang-Che claiming him to be a kshatriya whose ancestors came from China.^[10] Though some modern scholars have opined that the Varman dynasty is probably of Indo-Aryan descent,^[11][12] it is now believed that the Varmans were originally non-Indo-Aryans. Suniti Kumar Chatterjee calls Bhaskaravarman a Hinduised Mlechcha king of Indo-Mongoloid origin.^[13] Hugh B. Urban also infers that the Varmans descended from non-Aryan tribes.^[14]

The capital was moved at least once, the last time by Sthitavarman (566-590) with the older city not named but presumed to be Pragjyotishpura,^[15] located at the south-eastern slope of the Narakasur hill near Dispur. The new capital was possibly some location in Guwahati.^[16] Though the claim is not supported by any archaeological findings.

The Varman's modeled themselves after the Gupta's and named themselves after the Gupta kings and queens.^[17]

The dynastic line, as given in the Dubi and Nidhanpur copperplate inscriptions:

South-Asia
400-450 CE

KALABHRAS

WESTERN
GANGAS

LICCHAVIS

SASANIAN
HIND

TRAITAKUTAS

VAKATAKAS

KADAMBAS

SAMATATAS

VARMANS

ALCHON HUNS

HEPHTHALITES

SASANIAN
EMPIRE

Location of the Varmans and neighbouring polities circa 400-450 CE.^[18]