Murunda

Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R)

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Murunda (मुरंड) were the Indo-Scythian people mentioned in Puranas. We find mention in Indian epics of both Munda and Murunda. Murunda is probably Sanskritization of Munda.

Origin

The title Murunda means "Lord", in Saka language, as per Sten Konow.

Variants

• Murunda (मुरंड)
• Muranda (मुरंड) दे. Kuranda (कुरंड) (AS, p.751)
• Moroundai (by Ptolmy)

Jat clans

• Moond

History

Tej Ram Sharma writes that Ptolemy (2nd century A.D.) mentions the Murundas for the first time under the name Moroundai and places them on the western border of the 'Gangaridai'. They seem to have occupied an extensive territory, probably the whole of North-Bihar on the east of the Ganga, as far as the head of the delta. They had six important cities, all to the east of the Ganga : Boraita, Koryagaza, Kondota, Kelydna, Aganegora and Talarga. These places are difficult to identify but to Saint-Martin Kelydna appeared to have some relation with Kalinadi or Kalindi river, and Aganagora with Aghadip (Agradvipa) on the eastern bank of the Ganges, a little below Katwa.

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Sir Alexander Cunningham writes that Mundas belong to the hill men of the north, who are spread over the Himalayan and Vindhyan mountains from the Indus to the Bay of Bengal.

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Tej Ram Sharma writes.... We know of a town named Morinda in Punjab which has some resemblance with the word Murunda and it may point out that the Murundas sometimes resided there.

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Abhidhana Chintamani of Hema Chandra Says, “ Lampakastu Murundah Syuh” showing that they were considered Sakas. Murunda is a Saka/Scythian title, meaning Chief/ Head.

Murundas in Puranas

Vishnu Purana - Marúńd́as were the rulers of Magadha in Vishnu_Purana/Book_IV:Chapter_XXIV along with Sarúńd́as and Purúńd́as. Vishnu Purana gives list of Kings who ruled Magadha. ...After these, various races will reign, as seven Ábhíras, ten Garddhabas, sixteen Śakas, eight Yavanas, fourteen Tusháras, thirteen Mundas, eleven Maunas, altogether seventy-nine princes , who will be sovereigns of the earth for one thousand three hundred and ninety years.

• Ábhíras, 7, M.; 10, V;
• Avabhriti, 7, Bhág.
• Garddabhins, 10, M. V. Bhág.
• Śakas, 18, M. V.;
• Kankas, 16, Bhág.
• Yavanas, 8, M. V. Bhág.
• Tusháras, 14, M. V.;
• Tushkaras, 14, Bhág.
• Marúńdas, 13, V.;
• Purúńd́as, 13, M.;
• Surúńdas, 10, Bhág.
• Maunas, 18, V.;
• Húńas, 19, M.;
• Maulas, 11, Bhág.

Total--85 kings, Váyu; 89, Matsya; 76, and 1399 years, Bhág.

Here Sunda and Munda words have been sanskritized in these forms, like Jat as Jarta and Gujar as Gurjara.

Mundas the rulers in Magadha

Bhim Singh Dahiya has mentioned about the rule of Munda people in Magadha. The inscriptional evidences show that Jat rulers and tribes in north India from Kabul to Cuttack, in the period following the disintegration of Kushanas empire. Particularly Magadha area was under the rule of people who had the title, Murunda. They are admitted to be Sakas or Scythians.

The Geographike of Ptolemy says that in 140 AD, the Murundas were established in the valley of the river Sarabos or Sarayu. Half a century later, Oppien mentions the "Muruandien" as a Gangetic people. S R Goyal quotes several other Jain authorities to show that Patliputra in particular, as well as Kanyakubja were ruled by Murundas/Sakas. The Jain ascetic, Padlipta Suri, cured the Murunda ruler of Patliputra of terrible headache and converted him to Jainism. During the reign of Wu dynasty (220 - 227 AD) Fan Chen, the King of Kambodia, according to PC Bagchi sent his relative as ambassador to the Indian King of Patliputra. The ambassador was heartily welcomed and the gesture was returned by the Indian king who sent two men as ambassador as well as four horses of the Yue-chi i.e. the Jat country, as presents to the King of Kambodia. According to this account Buddhism was in prosperous state at that time in Magadha and the title of the king was Meouloun. This title has been identified with Murunda and this shows that in the middle of third century AD the Murundas were still ruling over Patliputra. These Murunda rulers of Patliputra had special relations with Peshawar. It was but natural, for, after all Murundas and Kushanas both belonged to the same Scythian stock.

From this it is clear that racially the rulers of Magadha in the third century AD were identical with Kushanas, ruling Afghanistan. In the Puranas they are mentioned as ruling India after the Tukharas (Takhar Jats) and Puranas also say that 13 kings of Murunda dynasty ruled India. It is significant that the Puranas also mention that these Murunda rulers destroyed the caste system and, in the language of Purans, they raised "low caste people" to high offices and all these people were of "Mleccha" origin. The Vishnu Purana correctly gives the clan name of these people as Munda - a still existing Jat clan. The title Murunda means "Lord", in Saka language, as per Sten Konow.

Thus the literary evidence and evidence of Puranas shows that immediately before the Guptas, the Mundas were ruling over Magadha and their rule lasted for about two centuries, by taking 15 years for one rule. It is unfortunate that none of the thirteen rulers, is even named in the Indian history. This is really a pity for the Indian historians. Apparently, all this was deliberately done to remove all traces of the rule of the Jats which lasted for many centuries in all parts of India. It is possible that the Puranas, which were revised during or after the Gupta age, deliberately excluded details of these Jat rulers.

Thus inscriptional as well as the literary and Puranic evidence shows that various Jat clans ruling in North India. The Varikas, the Mauryas, the Mundas, the Kushanas, the Taanks, etc. are of them.

Various other clans having republic governments, mentioned in the Allahabad Pillar inscription of Samudragupta including Shaka-Muranda in Line- 23,, are still existing Jat clans. This clear picture of different Jat clans ruling in different parts of north India is striking and can not be ignored by any writer of Indian history.

Khoh Copper-plate Inscription of the Maharaja Sharvanatha

• Ôm! Hail! From Uchchakalpa; — (There was) the Mahârâja Ôghadêva. His son, who meditated on his feet, (was) the Mahârâja Kumâradêva, begotten on the Mahâdêvi Kumâradêvî. His son, who meditated on his feet, (was) the Mahârâja Jayasvâmin, begotten on the Mahâdêvî Jayasvâminî. His son, who meditated on his feet, (was) the Mahârâja Vyâghra, begotten on the Mahârâja Jayanâtha, begotten on the Mahâdêvi Ajjhitadêvî.

• (Line 5.)— His son, who meditates on his feet, the Mahârâja Sharvanâtha,— begotten on the Mahâdêvî Murundasvâminî,— being in good health, issues a command to the cultivators, beginning with the Brâhmans, and to the artisans, in half of (the village of) Dhavashandikâ in the Vôta santika: —

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Khoh Copper-plate Inscription of the Maharaja Sharvanatha (512-513 CE):

• Ôm! Hail! From Uchchakalpa;— (There was) the Mahârâja Ôghadêva. His son, who meditated on his feet, (was) the Mahârâja Kumâradêva, begotten on the Mahâdêvi Kumâradêvi. His son, who meditated on his feet, (was) the Mahârâja Jayasvâmin, begotten on the Mahâdêvî Jayasvâminî. His son, who meditated on his feet, (was) the Mahârâja Vyâghra, begotten on the Mahâdêvî Râmadêvî. His son, who meditated on his feet, (was) the Mahârâjâ Jayanâtha, begotten on the Mahâdêvi Ajjhitadêvî.

• (Line 6.)— His son, who meditates on his feet, the Mahârâja Sharvanâtha,— begotten on the Mahâdêvi Murundadêvî— being in good health, issues a command to the cultivators, beginning with the Brâhmans, and to all the artisans, at (the village of) Ashramaka on the north bank of the river Tamasâ:—

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Khoh Copper-plate Inscription of the Maharaja Sharvanatha (533-534 CE), a kalachuri king, mentions to be born of a Murunda Maharani and Mahârâja Jayanâtha:

• Ôm! Hail! From Uchchakalpa; — (There was) the Mahârâja Ôghadêva. His son, who meditated on his feet, (was) the Mahârâja Kumâradêvî, begotten on the Mahâdêvî Kumâradêvi. His son, who meditated on his feet, (was) the Mahârâja Jayasvâmin, begotten on the Mahâdêvi Jayasvâminî. His son, who meditated on his feet, (was) the Mahârâja Vyâghra, begotten on the Mahâdêvi Râmadêvi. His son, who meditated on his feet, (was) the Mahârâja Jayanâtha, begotten on the Mahâdêvi Ajjhitadêvî.

• (Line 6.)— His son, who meditates on his feet, the Mahârâja Sharvanâtha,— begotten on the Mahâdêvi Murundasvâminî — being in good health, issues a command to the residents, beginning with. the Brâhmans, at the villages of Vyâghrapallika and Kâcharapallika in the Maninâga pêtha: —

मुरंड

विजयेन्द्र कुमार माथुर ने लेख किया है ...मुरंड (AS, p.751) = Kuranda (कुरंड)

कुरंड

विजयेन्द्र कुमार माथुर ने लेख किया है ...कुरंड (AS, p.205) कुरंड देश का उल्लेख महाभारत, कर्णपर्व में हुआ है, जहाँ इसे केरल के निकट स्थित बतलाया गया है- 'कारस्करान्माहिष्कान् कुरंडान केरलांस्तया, कर्कोटकान् वीरकांश्च दुधंर्मांश्च विवर्जयेत्।' महाभारत, कर्णपर्व 44, 33. उपर्युक्त प्रसंग से जान पड़ता है कि कुरंड लोगों के देश की स्थिति दक्षिण भारत में केरल के निकट थी। कुरंड लोग अनार्य जातीय रहे होंगे, क्योंकि इन्हें विवर्जनीय बताया गया है। संभव है कि कुरंड और मुरंड एक ही हों। मुरंड लोग शक जातीय थे और इनका निवास महाराष्ट्र के प्रदेश में था। समुद्रगुप्त की प्रयाग प्रशस्ति में 'शक मुरंडों' का उल्लेख हुआ है।