Mushika

Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R)

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Mushika (मुषिक) was name of a country ruled by the king named Kanaka. Wilson has suggested identification of Mushika with the pirate coast of the Konkan. Ezhimala was the former capital of the ancient Mushika Kingdom.

Variants

• Mushika मुषिक (AS, p.753)
• Mūshika मूषिक (AS, p.754)
• Mushika Kingdom
• Mooshika
• Mushika dynasty
• Masikanagara (मसिक नगर)
• Musikanagara (मूसिक नगर)
• Musika (मूसिक)
• Masika (मसिक)

History

Mushika dynasty, also spelled Mushaka, Tamil/Malayalam: Eli or Ezhi, was a minor dynastic power that held sway over the region in and around Mount Ezhi (Ezhimala) in present-day Kerala, south India.

The country of the Mushikas, ruled by an ancient lineage of velir-level chieftains of the same name, appears in early historic (pre-Pallava) south India. Early Tamil poems contain several references to the exploits of Nannan of Ezhimalai. Nannan was known as a great enemy of the pre-Pallava Chera chieftains. The clan also had matrimonial alliances with the Chera, Pandya and Chola chieftains.

The Ezhimalai chiefdom gradually developed into a monarchical polity (known as Kolla-desam) in the early medieval period.

The medieval Mushikas were considered as Kshatriyas of Soma Vamsa. The hereditary title of the Mushika kings in the medieval period was Ramaghata Musaka (Tamil/Malayalam: Iramakuta Muvar).The Mushaka Vamsa Kavya, a dynastic chronicle composed in the 11th century by poet Athula, describes the history of the Mushika lineage.

Mushika kingdom came under the influence of Chera/Perumal kingdom kingdom in the 11th century AD. Mushika royals seem to have assisted the Chera/Perumal kings in their struggle against the Chola Empire. Two subsequent Chola inscriptions (c. 1005 AD, Rajaraja I and c. 1018-19, Rajadhiraja) mention the defeat of the Kolla-desam and the fall of the Iramakuta Muvar.The presence of the Cholas in north Kerala (1020 AD) is confirmed by the Eramam inscription. The kingdom survived the Chera/Perumal state, and came to be known as Kolathunad (Kannur-Kasaragod area) in the post-Chera/Perumal period.

The Mushika kings appear to have encouraged a variety of merchant guilds in their kingdom. Famous Indian guilds such as the anjuvannam, the manigramam, the valanchiyar and the nanadeshikal show their presence in the kingdom. The kings are also described as great champions of Hindu religion and temples. Some Mushika rulers are known for their patronage to a famous Buddhist vihara in central Kerala.[8] Presence of Jewish merchants is also speculated in the ports of Mushika kingdom. A location in Madayi is still known as "the Jew's Place" (the Jutakkulam).

Various definitions

Muṣika (मुषिक):— A country under Kanakas (Wilson’s suggested identification with the pirate coast of the Konkan).

Mūṣika (मूषिक).—An ancient merchant. In the Kathāpīṭhalambaka of Kathāsaritsāgara a story is told to demonstrate that even without any capital an ingenious and industrious man can earn money.

A merchant got this name by means of his industry. Once a poor man of no resources went to the house of a great merchant named Viśākhila. He was then admonishing a young man of his own caste. The merchant was saying, "See, here is a dead rat on the ground. A clever man would earn money by using this as a capital. To you I have given money for business on several occasions. Not only that you have not increased it but also you have lost it."

The poor man who went to him requested the merchant to give him the dead rat. Viśākhila greatly amused at the request gave him the rat. A rich man bought it for his cat to eat and gave him instead two measures of Bengal gram. He roasted it and made it palatable and then with a pot of water went outside the city gates and sat under a tree on the road-side. Wood-cutters were passing that way carrying loads and he sold the roasted gram and water to them who purchased it with eagerness to ease their weariness. They gave him in exchange firewood and in the evening he took it to the market and sold it. With the money he purchased more Bengal gram and continued the trade as before and after a few days he purchased from them a great stock of firewood. Suddenly there were heavy rains and there was a scarcity of firewood in the market and he sold his stock for good price. With the money thus received he purchased some goods and started a grocery shop. Gradually his business increased and he became a big merchant. Because he started the business from a Mūṣika (rat) he got the nick-name Mūṣika.

1) Muṣika (मुषिक).—(c)—a country under Kanakas (Wilson's suggested identification with the pirate coast of the Konkan).*

2a) Mūṣika (मूषिक).—(c)—a southern country.*

2b) A tribe of the Dakṣiṇāpatha.*

मुषिक

मुषिक (AS, p.753): 'त्रैराज्य मुषिकजनपदान्कनकाह्वयोभोक्ष्यति' विष्णुपुराण 4,24,67. इस उद्धरण में मुषिक जनपद के कनक नाम के नरेश का उल्लेख है. मुषिक संभावत: मूषिक का रूपांतरण है. (दे. मूषिक).

मूषिक

विजयेन्द्र कुमार माथुर ने लेख किया है ....

मूषिक जनपद (AS, p.754): 1. इस जनपद का प्राचीन साहित्य में कई स्थानों पर उल्लेख है. श्री रायचौधरी के मत में (देखें पॉलीटिकल हिस्ट्री आफ एनसेंट इंडिया, पृ. 80). मूषिक-निवासियों को सांख्यायन स्रोतसूत्र में मूचीप या मूवीप कहा गया है. इनका नामोल्लेख मार्कंडेयपुराण 57,46 में भी है. संभवतः मूषिक देश हैदराबाद (आंध्र) के निकट बहने वाली मूसी नदी के कांठे में बसे प्रदेश का नाम था.

2. अलक्षेंद्र (सिकंदर) के भारत पर आक्रमण के समय (327 ई.पू.) [p.755]: मूषिकों का जनपद जिन्हें यूनानी लेखकों ने 'मौसीकानोज' लिखा है वर्तमान सिंध (पाकिस्तान) में स्थित था. इसकी राजधानी अलोर या अरोर (=रोरी) में थी. यूनानी लेखकों ने मूषिकों के विषय में अनेक आश्चर्यजनक बातें लिखी हैं जिनमें निम्न उल्लेखनीय हैं-- मूषिकों की आयु 130 वर्ष होती थी जो इन लेखकों के अनुसार इनके संयमित भोजन के कारण थी.

इनके देश में सोने चांदी की बहुत खानें थी किन्तु ये इन धातुओं का प्रयोग नहीं करते थे. मूषिकों के यहां दास प्रथा नहीं थी. ये लोग चिकित्सा शास्त्र के अतिरिक्त किसी अन्य शास्त्र का पढ़ना आवश्यक नहीं समझते थे. मूषिकों के न्यायालयों में केवल महान अपराधों का ही निपटारा होता था. साधारण दोषों के निर्णय के लिए न्यायालय को अधिकार नहीं दिए गए थे (दे. स्ट्रेबों पृ. 15,34-35). मूषिकों का वास्तविक नाम था मुचुकर्ण था. विष्णु पुराण में इन्हें ही संभवत: मूषिक कहा गया है. दक्षिण के मूषिक उत्तरी मूषिकों की ही एक शाखा थे.