Moriya

Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R)

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Moriya (मोरिय) was a small republic in India prior to 500 BC. The great emperor of India Chandragupta Maurya belonged to Moriyas, a noble Kshatriya clan of a little ancient republic of Pippalivana.

Variants

• Moriya मोरिय (AS, p.765)
• Moriya मोरिय (Mahavansa/Chapter 5)

In Mahavansha

Mahavansa/Chapter 5 mentions Consecration of Asoka: The sons of Kalasoka were ten brothers, twenty-two years did they reign. Afterwards, the nine Nandas were kings in succession; they too reigned twenty-two years.

Then did the brahman Canakka anoint a glorious youth, known by the name Candagutta, as king over all Jambudipa, born of a noble clan, the Moriyas, when, filled with bitter hate, he had slain the ninth (Nanda) Dhanananda.

Twenty-four years he reigned, and his son Bindusära reigned twenty-eight. A hundred glorious sons and one had Bindusara; Asoka stood high above them all in valour, splendour, might, and wondrous powers. He, when he had slain his ninety-nine brothers born of different mothers, won the undivided sovereignty over all Jambudipa. Be it known, that two hundred and eighteen years had passed from the nibana of the Master unto Asoka's consecration.

Four years after the famous (Asoka) had won for himself the undivided sovereignty he consecrated himself as king in the city Pataliputta. Straightway after his consecration his command spread so far as a yojana (upward) into the air and downward into the (depths of the) earth.'

History

Dr Atal Singh Khokhar writes that Chandragupta Maurya has been mentioned in 'divyadān' as under in sanskrit: मोरियानं खत्तीयानं वंसे जातं सिरीधरं चन्द्रगुत्तोति पञ्चत चाणक्यो ब्राह्मणो ततो नवमं धनन्तं घातेत्वा चण्डकोधसा संकले जम्बूद्वीपरिह रज्ज सममिसिंचिसी

IAST:- Moriyānaṃ khattīyānaṃ vaṃse jātaṃ sirīḍaraṃ chandraguttoti pañcata cāṇakyo brāhmaṇo tato navamaṃ dhanantaṃ ghatetvā caṇdakodhasā saṃkale jambūdvīāriha rajja sammisincisī

Meaning - Chandragupta, born in Moriya kshatriya vansha, killed nine Nandas with the help of Chanakya and established his rule in entire Jambudvipa.

Jat clans

• Mor (मोर)
• Mori (मोरी)
• Moria (मोरिया)
• Morit (मोरित)
• Morpa (मोरपा)
• Morwa (मोरवा)
• Morwal (मोरवाल)
• Morya (मोर्या)
• Maurya (मौर्य)

Visit by Xuanzang in 636 AD

Alexander Cunningham writes that From the Anoma river both of the Chinese pilgrims proceeded to visit the stupa that was erected at Pippalawano over the charcoal ashes of the funeral pile of Buddha. The Moriyas of this city, having applied too late for a share of the relics of the body, were obliged to be content with the ashes. Fa-Hian places the stupa at 4 yojanas, or 28 miles, to the east of the Anoma; but Hwen Thsang makes the distance 180 to 190 li, or from 30 to 32 miles, and the bearing south-east. Fa-Hian does not mention the name of the town, but in the Burmese and Ceylonese chronicles it is called Pippali-wano, or the "Pippal-forest;" and in the Tibetan Dulva it is called the town of the Nyagrodha, or Banian-trees. Hwen Thsang also speaks of the " forest of Nyagrodha-trees, " as the site of the " charcoal stupa," and as he actually visited the place, we must accept his testimony in preference to that of the distant chroniclers of Ceylon. No place of this name is now known ; but in the south-east direction indicated by Hwen Thsang, there is a large forest which completely surrounds the ruins of an ancient city called Sahankat. This place is described at length by Buchanan, who found several statues of Buddha amongst the ruins. It was therefore certainly

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[p.430]: in existence during the flourishing period of Buddhism. It is 20 miles distant from the Chandaoli Ghat, on the Aumi, measured in a direct line on the map ; but by the road it is not less than 25 miles, owing to the numerous streams that intersect the route. The position therefore corresponds as nearly as possible with that assigned to the Charcoal Tower by Hwen Thsang, but I have no confirmatory evidence to offer, unless the name of the village of Srinagar Kolua may be connected with Koil or charcoal, which is not very probable. I may add, however, that the bearing of Kasia from Sahankat corresponds with the north-east direction of Kusinagara from the Charcoal Stupa which is recorded by Hwen Thsang.

मोरिय

मोरिय (AS, p.765): बौद्ध साहित्य से ज्ञात होता है कि मोरिय नामक छोटासा गणराज्य 500 ई.पू. के लगभग स्थित था. चंद्रगुप्त मौर्य इसी राज्य से संबंध रखता था. इस राज्य का मुख्य स्थान पिप्पलिवाहन था. कुछ विद्वानों ने पिप्पलिवाहन का अभिज्ञान जिला बस्ती में स्थित पिपरिया या पिपरावा नामक स्थान से किया है.

जाट इतिहास

विश्व विजय सिकन्दर के देश ग्रीस में भी जाटों ने अपना उपनिवेश स्थापित किया था, यद्यपि इस समय ग्रीस में उनका अस्तित्व नहीं पाया जाता, किन्तु उसके मोरिया (Morea) के निकट ज्यूटी (Zouti) द्वीप के निवासी जाटों के उत्तराधिकारी हैं।

See also

• Chandra Gupta Maurya
• Jats the Ancient Rulers (A clan study)/Porus and the Mauryas by Bhim Singh Dahiya
• Maurya
• Morea (मोरिया) was the name of the Peloponnese peninsula in southern Greece during the Middle Ages and the early modern period.