The Final Defeat of Mihirakula

H. Heras

The Final Defeat of Mihirakula

Vol. 3 · No. 1March - 1927pp. 1–12English

Summary

The debate surrounding Mihirakula's defeat centers on conflicting accounts from the Mandasor inscription of Yasodharman of Malwa and Hiuen Tsiang's pilgrim records. The inscription claims Yasodharman forced Mihirakula into submission, as evidenced by the Huna king's bowed forehead. Conversely, Hiuen Tsiang attributes the victory to Baladitya-raja of Magadha (identified as Narasimha-Gupta), who captured Mihirakula through a strategic ambush. Tsiang's narrative details Mihirakula's shame, his mother's intervention, and his eventual exile to Kashmir after Baladitya spared his life. Modern historians propose three interpretations: (1) rejecting Tsiang's account as later and less reliable, (2) suggesting an alliance between Yasodharman and Narasimha-Gupta representing a single battle, or (3) accepting both accounts as separate defeats—first by Baladitya in the east, then by Yasodharman in the west. The timing gap (one century) between the contemporary inscription and Tsiang's later account complicates resolution. Fleet and others endorse the dual-defeat theory, while Allan and Mookerji align with Fleet, positing Mihirakula's final defeat in Malwa. The controversy remains unresolved, with scholars emphasizing the need for further analysis to reconcile these sources.

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Conclusion

This analysis reconciles conflicting accounts of Mihirakula's defeat, demonstrating that the Mandasor inscription and Hiuen Tsiang's testimony are not contradictory but complementary. The Mandasor inscription highlights Yasodharman's role in subjugating Mihirakula through military force, while Hiuen Tsiang's narrative emphasizes Baladitya-raj

Key passages

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“the Mandasor inscription of YasSodharman of Mnlwa, This lithic record states that to the two feet of this king “respect was paid, with compli- mentary presents of the flowers from the lock of hair on the top બો his head, by even that King Mihirakula, whose forehead was pained through being bent low down by the strength of his arm in the act of compelling obeisance,”?!”
““Baladitya-raja, king of Magadha, profoundiy honoured the law of Buddha and tenderly nourished his people. When he heard of the cruel persecution and atrocities of Mihira- kula, he strictly guarded the frontiers of his kingdom and refused to pay tribute.”
“Narasimha-Gupta could not renew the glorious past of his ancestors ; but his 0000૦ will always romain encircled with a nimbus of glory for having destroyed the Hunpa empire in Indin, expelling Mihirakuala to its north-western frontier.”

Works cited in this article

Allan, Gugla Coins, pp. LV-LVL
Fleet, The Coins and History of Toramana, [A., 2411, p. 228
Allan, o.c., p. LIX : Mookerji, Harga, p. 59
Hoernle, The Identity of Yadodharman Vikramiditya, JRAS., 1609, pp. 97-8 ; Modi, Early History of the Huns, /BBRAS., 2217, pp. 594-5
Smith, Early History of India, 2. 337 ; Havell, 47/45 Rule in Indian, [. 175 ; Pathak, On 878 Date of Kalidisa, [BBRAS., 1917, pp. 3543

Discussed in this article

People

Mihirakula 14
Yaśodharman 7
Narasimha Gupta 10
Hiuen Tsiang 6
Baladitya-raja
Jivonji Jamshedji Modi
Isanavarman
Prabhakaravardhana 7
Bana 50
Damodaragupta

Places

Texts & works

Mandasor Inscription

Dynasties, sects & groups

Huna

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In this issue

Vol. 3 · No. 1

1–12The Final Defeat of MihirakulaH. HerasCurrent article 13–24Some Old Bengali Books and Periodicals in the British MuseumSushil Kumar De 25–47Some Lights on Ancient World History from the PuranasJwala Prasad Singhal 48–53Ancient South Indian Gold CoinageR. Srinivasa Raghava Ayyangar 53–59Method of Plastering Walls for Painting ( Sudhalepavidhanam )V. Venkatarama Sharma 60–68Taranatha's History of Buddhism in IndiaA. Schiefner 68–72The Ramayana of Valmiki Mentions Two KosalasL. P. Pandeya Sharma 73–88The Kalinga EdictManindra Mohan Bose 89–96The Lost Bhowal Copper-Plate of Laksmana Sena Deva of BengalNalini Kanta Bhattasali 97–120The Origin and Development of NumeralsSukumar Ranjan Das 121–133On Metals and Metallurgy in Ancient IndiaManindra Nath Banerji 134–143Siege of Bednore, 1783Surath Charan Sengupta 143–151Indian Literature AbroadPrabhat Kumar Mukherji 152–160The Nyayapravesa of DinnagaVidhushekhara Bhattacharya 161–169Tibetan Translation of the Sadhanamala: A ReplyK. S. Ramaswami Sastri 169–171Bharavi and DandinG. Harihara Sastri 171–173The BhagavadajjukiyamP. Anujan Achan 173–176Balpur Copper-Coins of PratapamalladevaL. P. Pandeya Sharma 176–180Kautalya and MachiavelliV. R. Ramachandra Dikshitar 180–181The Malla Era of VisnupurHariprasad G. Shastri 181–182Patanjali and His Knowledge of ScienceK. Chattopadhyaya 183–184Did Madhvacarya Tour in Bengal?Ramesh Basu 185–186Jataka Representations in SiamPhanindra Nath Bose 186–189Date of Accession of King LaksmanasenaChintaharan Chakravarti 189–214On Some Methods and Conclusions in Hindu PoliticsBenoy Kumar Sarkar 214–218The Family-Seats of the Candras of Bengal and of the (so-called) Tungas of OrissaHaridas Mitra 219–225Reviews and Nalavilasa-NatakaNalinaksha Dutt, D. Bhattacharya, T. K. Krishna Menon 226–228Select Contents of Oriental Journals 229–230Bibliographical Notes 231–234Obituary NoticesNalinaksha Dutt

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