PDA

View Full Version : The Van( Ven) Jats of Central Asia



ravichaudhary
December 15th, 2003, 01:44 AM
THE VAN DYNASTY

Van or Ven/Ben is an important clan of the Jats in India, nowadays styled as Venwal or Benhwal/Beniwal. Their king Raja Ben/Ven Chakravarti, (the Chakva Ben of the legends) is famous in India from Punjab to Bengal, though he is not allotted any place in the present history.

It was known that the Vens had played an important role in the history of Central Asia from very ancient times. But the existence of the Ven kingdom of Armenia "was unknown and unsuspected before the decipherment of the cuneiform texts".[19] It "was known as Urartu to the Assyrian's and Babylonian's, Ararat in Hebrew." An early Babylonian tourist's map places the city of Ura-Urtu north of Assyria, and a lexical tablet informs us that Urtu corresponds with Tilla, "The Highlands"[20]

Incidentally, the word Tilla is still widely prevalent among the Jat areas in India and means 'high land'.

The founder of the dynasty was Lutipris, but the important ruler of this line was his son, Sarduris (about 859 B.C.). He is styled as "king of kings", "king of the world", "king of the Naire", "king of the Biainas". Here the titles show that the Nairi (Nahra) and the Biainas (Bains) clans were included in his kingdom, apart from the Ven, Van or Bana.

One of their principal cities was Ardinis (the city of the Sun-god) also called Musasir. Menuas (810 B.C.), the grandson of Sarduris I, then subjugated the other Jat clans. "Parsuas (present Parsvals) had already been attacked by Ispuim's, and Menuas now proceeded to subdue the Manna, farther east, on the southern side of Lake Urmia"[31] He brought the Diaus, the Dia or Dayaeni of the Assyrians (present Dahiya clan) under control on the banks of Euphrates, which was made the western boundary of the kingdom. Menuas built many canals through the mountains which were cut open, and one of the canals is now called Shamiram Su. He built the city of Menuasgert (Melazgert). His son, Argistis I, annexed the territories of the Etius and the Dayaeni.

The Mileds (Mardii of Herodotus) were brought under control. Sarduris II, his son fought many wars with the Assyrians and won them. He proclaimed his victory over Ashur Nirari V (754-745 B.C.). Later on under Tiglath Pilesar III Assyria avenged the defeats and Sargon of Assyria claims to have destroyed a city of Sarduris, named Riar.

Here let us stop and take stock of the situation. It is not our purpose to write history. We have to find out the ethnic history of the Jats only. We have already seen that practically all the names are of Jat clans. Even cities are named after them. The Yens are already shown as the same as Yen or Ben. We have also seen that the Van kings, were also ruling over the Nara and the Bains clans. Further, Mannai or Manna is described as, "the land of Man"[22] and Man is a Jat clan. Similarly Parsuas are to be identified with the Parswal clan. The Mileds are the same as Mardic of Herodotus, the Marda Jats. The Etius are the same as Utiya of Persian inscriptions and Yaudheyas of India. The Daae or Dayaeni are the same as Dahi or Dahinam of Persian inscriptions, the Dahae of Greek writers and the present Dahiya clan. The city of Menuasgert, can be compared with the Mangat clan. Here, gert is the same as Sanskrit 'Jarta', i.e. Jat.

The city of Riar is named after the Riar clan. Similarly, the Treres are the same as Drar or Tarar clan, the Dardas of Indian Puranas. The Cimmerians, the Gimiri, the Gomer of Genesis can be compared with the Gumar clan.[23] The name of the leader of the Dahi and the Gumars. in 673 B.C., when they were fighting against Essarh-addon, the Assyrian king, was Teushp (Devaspa, Devasva in Sanskrit).[24] Later on, they were under Dugdamme, and his son, Sandakshatra.[25] Jermiah speaks of the Medes calling upon the kingdom of Ararat, the Mannai and Ashkenaz (Asikeni of India) to come for the sack of Babylon[26] This also shows their common kinship and unity in adversity. In the map of Armenia, given at page 186 in volume III of CAH, we note the following other clans:

Khalybes - Kharab/Kharap
Kars - Khar (Kurus ?)
Lake Gotehen - Lake Jatan (Gotan)
Vaisis - Bassi
Ushei - Ushinara of India
Erzenum/Erj hana - Arjunaka of India

The Vens were sun-worshippers and were called the children of sun-god, (Surya Vamsi of India). Their goddess is named Saris, Sri of India, and they worshipped the earth and water, too. The Scythians had a goddess, named Tabiti (of Tevathi clan) who was also called Hestia.[27] This latter word is the basis for the Sanskrit name, Shasti of this goddess of the ancient Jats, who still worship her under the same name, Chhathi (cf the proverb, Chhathi Ka Dudha Yad Ana, i.e., to be reminded of the milk of Chhathi- sixth day after birth). It is said that the goddess comes to write the future of the child on the sixth day after birth, and all preparations are made for the occasion. The goddess with six heads (Hestia/Shasthi) is represented on the coins of the Yaudheyas[28]


The Scythian/Saka "are each probably a tribal name spread to the whole people".[29] It is quite correct, and we must remember that the origin of these Sakas is from a legendary king Targitaus (or Tir gita, i.e. Tir, the Jat).

To revert to the Vens, in 714 BC, Sargon the Assyrian, destroyed and looted in the most barbarous manner, the sun city of Musasir, whose king Urzana (Arjana cf Arjuna of India), a subordinate king under the Vens, had to flee. Gold, silver, ivory, swords of gold, chariots of silver, statues of the former kings, those of the gods and goddesses were looted; the temples were burnt. Rusas (Ursa), the paramount king, hearing of this tragedy, committed suicide by sword. [30]

The author of Cambridge Ancient History, when writing about a similar situation, where the Mandas under Astyges destroyed the temple of E-Khulkhul, condemned the action in the following words, "The barbarians...cared little for the ancient fanes or other peoples' gods".31 But CAH glorifes the same action on the part of the so-called 'civilised' Assyrians by mentioning the detailed loot and destruction of the temple and statues of the ancestors and the sun-god.[32] Perhaps, there is a difference between "the gods and fanes" of the "barbarians" and those of the "civilized''!

The Venyan dynasty kings are as under:

(1) Lutipris
(2) Sarduris I (ascended the throne about 859 u.c.)
(3) Ispuinis (the establisher}
(4) Menuas(810 B.C.)
(5) Argistis I
(6) Sarduris It
(7) Rusas (Ursa in Assyrian texts)
(8) Argistis 11 (714 B.C.)
(9) Rusas II
(10) Sarduris III


In 658 B.C. we hear that Assyria was attacked by Andaria, who "was most probably a Scythian leader".[33] Ashur Banipal was the Assyrian ruler at that time. We must note that Andaria is to he compared with the Andar clan. Again we hear the Maans( Mans) attacking Assyria. These Maans were in fact, "the hereditary enemies of UK Assyrians"[34]. The Maan king, Akhshari, called upon the other Jat clans for help, and greatly harassed the Assyrians. Ultimately, Assyria was destroyed by the Jats under Huva Kshatra (Cyaxeres), who invited the fellow Sakas for this purpose. The mightiest empire of that time, with its legendary city of Nineveh fell to the Mandas in 614 B.C., for the last time, and was heard of no more. The Assyrian king committed suicide by jumping into the fire and thus was avenged the suicide of Ursa; exactly after a span of hundred years.

Source: Jats the Ancient Rulers, [1982] B S Dahiya, Sterling Publishers, and New Delhi

References:

19. ibid., Vol. Ill, p. 173.
20. ibid., p. 169.
21. ibid., p. 174.
22. ibid., p. 188.
23. ibid., p. 182.
24. ibid.,p, 83
25. ibid., p. 117.
26. Chapter L, 1.
27. CAH, p. 195.
28. JNSI, V, p. 29.
29. CAH, p. 194.
30. ibid., 181.
31. ibid.,\o\. Ill, p. 220.
32. ibid., p. 380.