Subhag Sen

Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R)

---

Subhag Sen (सुभागसेन) was the last Gora Jat ruler of Afghanistan with capital at Ghazni during period of Chandra Gupta (321BC-298 BC).

Variants

• Raja Subhag Sen (सुभागसेन)
• Subhagasena (Sophagsenus)

History

Afghanistan was part of Bharat Varsh during Mahabharata period. The wife of Dhritrashtra, Gandhari, was from this area. Sometimes there were Indian rulers and sometimes there were Iranian rulers in Afghanistan. During Chandra Gupta’s period Saubhagsen was king in Afghanistan. Jat rulers till the invasion by Mughals ruled Kandahar. After the Mughal invasion some Jats moved to India and others were converted to Muslims. Jats from Afghanistan moved to India during the rule of Shalivahan.

---

Ram Sarup Joon tells us that According to Todd, in ancient times the boundaries of Jat kingdom of Sindhu, included parts of Baluchistan, Makran, Balorari and the Salt Ranges. People of Gill gotra came to known as Gilzai Pathans; Gill Jats at one time ruled the area of Hindukush Mountains. The last ruler of Ghazni was Subhag Sen. At the time of Alexander's invasion king Chitra Verma ruled Baluchistan.

---

Ram Sarup Joon writes that .... In 206 BC Antigonus drove out King Subhag Sen, a Jat ruler Gandhar who had succeeded king Bir Sen to the throne. He was the ancestor of Bhatti Jat gotra.

After some time Greek ruler Yechdemus drove out the descendants of Antigonus, crossed the Hindukush Mountains into India and occupied the Indus valley. Demetrius has been called Dattamitra in Puranas and he belonged to Yucchi (Yuti) race. His grandson Menander expanded the kingdom to include Nagor, Chittor, Ayodhya, Punjab and Sindh. His capital was at Sialkot.

---

Ram Swarup Joon writes... Gaurs are Brahmins as well as Kshatriyas. They trace their origin to Suryavanshi King Mandhata, Mandhatha's mother's name was Goran, who was a Chandravanshi.

According to the "Vayu Purana" (Ansha 99. shloka 130) Mandhata was therefore called Gaur Naresh. According to Bhagwat Datt, both Gaur Brahmins and Gaur Kshatriyas started from King Mandhatha and the Harit gotra started from his great grandson. During the advent of Islam in Afghanistan the ruler of that place belonged to Ghore dynasty. His name was Subhag Sen. Even now there are a large number of people belonging to this dynasty in Zabalisthan and are called Ghorzai. Shahahuddin Mohammed Ghori belonged to this very dynasty. Ghore is a branch of the Baluches also, but they are not accepted as proper Baluchis. Bhagor in Bikaner was the capital of the Ghor kings, from where they were driven out by the people belonging to Bal Clan. After that they settled down in the mountainous county of Ajmer where they are found in large numbers even today. Bundi and Sirohi were also under their occupation. The Chauhan clan conquered the Ghors. Their inscriptions have also been found in Malwa and Bhind. The Bhandon Ghor kings ruled in Bhandra in district Hissar, and they were included in 35 royal clans. Jurel also belonged to Bhadon Ghor Clans.

---

Subhagasena (Sophagasenus of Polybius) in all probability, belonged to the Ashvaka background.

Disintegration after death of Ashoka

Buddha Prakash writes ....[p.95]:On the death of Ashoka in 236 B.C. the process of disintegration started in the Maurya Empire. The Statist and centralized regime, established by them, proved an unbearable burden on the people. According to Kalhana his successor in Kashmira, Jalauka, conquered the territory up to Kanauj, while, according to Taranatha, one Virasena, who may be presumed to be a predecessor of Subhagasena (Sophagsenus), the contemporary of Antiochus III in the North-West, came to power after him. At that time the Greeks, called Yavanas, were hovering on the north-western frontiers in enormous numbers and making inroads up to Kashmira. Hence these rulers of those regions had to be very watchful about their movements. About Subhagasena we are

---

[p.96]: told by Polybius that he held his own up to the Hindukush and had friendly relations with Antiochus III. In particular he assisted him against the Bactrian Greeks rising under Enthydemus I. These Greeks had entrenched themselves in Bactria and were proving a menace for north-western India. Hence, when Antiochus III marched against Enthydemus and besieged him in his capital Zariaspa for two years, Subhagasena rendered him sufficient assistance. As a result Enthydemus surrendered and acknowledged Seleucid suzerainty and Antiochus, while retiring, crossed the Hindukush, renewed his friendship with his Indian ally, got more elephants from him, till he had 150 altogether, and also borrowed some money from him and went through Arachosia, Drangiana and Karmania to the shore of the Persian Gulf. This diplomatic move of Subhagasena to set and assist the Seleucids against the Bactrians, matched, of course, by his military strength and ability to thwart external threats, guaranteed the safety of the Panjab for well over a quarter of a century.

इतिहास

दलीप सिंह अहलावत लिखते हैं कि गौर सम्राट् मांधाता से ‘गौरवंश’ प्रचलित हुआ। उनके प्रपौत्र क्षत्रिय हारीत के वंशज गौड़ ब्राह्मण हैं। सम्राट् मांधाता के क्षत्रियवंशज गण का नाम ‘गौरवंश’ प्रचलित हुआ जो कि जाट वंश (गोत्र) है। इनका भारतवर्ष में बहुत बड़ा राज्य वैभवशाली रहा। सभी इतिहासज्ञ इस वंश की महत्ता को एक मत से स्वीकार करते हैं। इस वंश के राज्य सम्मान को देखते हुए ही कर्नल जेम्स टॉड साहब ने इसे 36 राजवंशों में गिना है। गौरवंश के जाटों का राज्य वैदिककाल से ही रहा है। महाभारत के लेख अनुसार इन गौर जाटों के नाम से जम्बूखण्ड के एक द्वीप में मनःशिला (मैनशिल) का एक बहुत बड़ा पर्वत है जो गौर नाम से विख्यात है। वहां पर इनका राज्य होने का यह प्रमाण है। अंग्रेज इतिहासकार पटोलेमी (Ptolemy) तथा यूनानी लेखक स्ट्रैबो (Strabo) ने लिखा है कि तीसरी शताब्दी ईसा पूर्व गौर वंशज जाटों का राज्य गौरूया नामक देश पर था। वहां के एक नगर का नाम गौराया था। यह देश पामीर पठार की घाटी में मध्य एशिया में बादाखशन और खोटा के बीच में था। ड्ब्ल्यू-डब्ल्यू तारन (W.W. Tarn) के लेख अनुसार दूसरी शताब्दी ई० पूर्व यह गौरूया देश सम्राट् मेंनन्दर के साम्राज्य का एक भाग था। वहां से अपने पैतृक देश भारतवर्ष में आने पर इन गौर वंश के जाटों ने अपने मध्य एशिया में गौराया नगर के नाम पर दूसरा गौराया नगर बसाया जो कि जी० टी० रोड पर लुधियाना और जालन्धर के बीच में है। आज भी इस वंश के जाट यहां पर बसे हुए हैं। मुस्लिम धर्म के प्रचलित होने से पहले गौरवंशी जाट राजा सुभागसेन का अफगानिस्तान पर शासन था। मुस्लिम बादशाहों ने इनसे अफगानिस्तान जीत लिया।

References

---

Back to The Ancient Jats/ Back to The Rulers