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Sanskrit literature in numerous instances refers to the Tocharians as Tusharas, Tukharas, Tokharas, Tuharas etc.
The Atharavaveda-Parishishta Ed Bolling & Negelein, 41.3.3. associates the Tusharas with the Sakas, Yavanas and the Bahlikas. (Saka. Yavana.Tushara.Bahlikashcha). It also juxtaposes the Kambojas with the Bahlikas (Kamboja-Bahlika....AV-Par, 57.2.5; cf Persica-9, 1980, p 106, Dr Michael Witzel. This shows the Tusharas probably were neighbors to the Shakas, Bahlikas, Yavanas and the Kambojas in Transoxian region.
The Shanti Parva of the Mahabharata associates the Tusharas with the Yavanas, Kiratas, Gandharas, Chinas, Kambojas, Pahlavas, Kankas, Sabaras, Barbaras, Ramathas etc. and brands them all as Barbaric tribes of Uttarapatha, leading lives of Dasyus MBH 12.65.13-15.
The Sabha Parva of the Mahabharata Chapters 48-50 states that kings of the Kambojas, Sakas , Tukharas, Kankas and Romakas etc had brought with them as tribute camels, horses, elephants and gold on the occasion of Rajasuya Yajna performed by Yudhisthira at Hastinapura. Later the Tusharas, Sakas and Yavanas had joined the military division of the Kambojas and had participated in the Mahabharata war on Kauravas' side MBH 6.66.17-21; MBH 8.88.17. Karna Parva of Mahabharata describes the Tusharas as very ferocious and wrathful warriors.
At one place in Mahabharata, the Tusharas find mention with the Shakas and the Kankas Shakas.Tusharah.Kankascha. At another place they come with the Shakas, Kankas and Pahlavas Shakas Tusharah Kankashch.Pahlavashcha. And at other places they come with the Shakas, Yavanas and the Kambojas Shaka.Tushara.Yavanashcha sadinah sahaiva.Kambojavaraijidhansavah OR Kritavarma tu sahitah Kambojarvarai.Bahlikaih...Tushara.Yavanashchaiva.Shakashcha saha Chulikaih etc.
Puranic texts like Vayu Purana, Brahmanda Purana and Vamana Purana etc associates the Tusharas with the Shakas, Barbaras, Kambojas, Daradas, Viprendras, Anglaukas, Yavanas, Pahlavas etc and refer to them all as the tribes of Udichya i.e. north or north-west Brahmanda Purana 27.46-48..
Puranic literature further states that the Tusharas and other tribes like Gandharas, Shakas, Pahlavas, Kambojas, Paradas, Yavanas, Barbaras, Khasa, Lampakas etc would be invaded and annhilated by King Kaliki at the end of Kaliyuga. And they were annhilated by king Pramiti at the end of Kaliyga Vayu I.58.78-83; cf: Matsya 144.51-58.
According to Vayu Purana and Matsya Purana, river Chakshu (Oxus or Amu Darya) flowed through the countries of Tusharas, Lampakas, Pahlavas, Paradas and the Shakas etc Vayu Purana I.58.78-83.
The Brihat-Katha-Manjari 10/1/285-86 of Pt Kshmendra relates that around 400 AD, Gupta king Vikramaditya (Chandragupta II) had "unburdened the sacred earth by destroying the barbarians" like the Tusharas, Shakas, Mlecchas, Kambojas, Yavanas, Parasikas, Hunas etc.
Rajatrangini of Kalhana attests that king Laliditya Muktapida, the eighth century ruler of Kashmir had invaded the tribes of the north and after defeating the Kambojas, he immediately faced the Tusharas. The Tusharas did not give a fight but fled to the mountain ranges leaving their horses in the battle field RT IV.165-166. This shows that during 8th century AD, a section of the Tusharas were living as neighbors of the Kambojas near the Oxus valley.
But sixth century AD Brhatsamhita of Vrahamihira also locates the Tusharas with Barukachcha (Bhroach) and Barbaricum (on the Indus Delta) near sea in western India bharukaccha.samudra.romaka.tushrah.. :Brhatsamhita XVI.6. The Romakas was a colony of the Romans near the port of Barbaricum in Sindhu Delta See comments: Dr M. R Singh in The Geographical Data of Early Purana, 1972, p 26. This shows that a section of the Tusharas had also moved to western India and was living there around Vrahamihira's time.
Going out of the Iron Pass, seventh century AD Chinese pilgrim Hiun Tsang had entered Tu-huo-lo (Tushara) country which lied to the north of the great snow mountains (Hindukush), to the south of Iron Pass and to the east of Persia. During Hiun Tsang’s times, country of Tushara was divided into 27 administrative units, each having its separate chieftain. The Kiumitos of Hiun Tsang's accounts (or the Kumijis of Al-Maqidisi) appear to be Kambojas who were living neigbors to the Tusharas north of the Hindukush in the Oxus valley It has to be remembered that before its occupation by Tukhara Yue-chis, Badakshan formed a part of ancient Kamboja i.e. Parama Kamboja country. But after its occupation by the Tukharas in second century BCE, Badakshan and some other territories of Kamboja constututed a part of Tukharistan. Around 4th-5th century AD, when the fortunes of the Tukharas finally died down, the original population of Kambojas re-asserted itself and the region again started to be called by its ancient name i.e. Kamboja (See: Bhartya Itihaas ki Ruprekha, p 534, Dr J. C. Vidyalankar; Ancient Kamboja, People and the Country, 1981, pp 129, 300 Dr J. L. Kamboj; Kambojas Through the Ages, 2005, p 159, S Kirpal Singh). There are several later-time references to this Kamboja of Pamirs/Badakshan. Raghuvamsha, a 5th c Sanskrit play by Kalidasa, attests their presence on river Vamkshu (Oxus) as neighbors to the Hunas (Raghu: 4.68-70). They have also been attested as Kiumito by 7th c Chinese pilgrim Hiun Tsang. Eighth century king of Kashmir, king Lalitadiya had invaded the Oxian Kambojas as is attested by Rajatarangini of Kalhana (See: Rajatarangini 4.163-65). Here they are mentioned as living in the eastern parts of the Oxus valley as neighbors to the Tukharas who were living in western parts of Oxus valley (See: The Land of the Kambojas, Purana, Vol V, No, July 1962, p 250, Dr D. C. Sircar). These Kambojas apparently were descendents of that section of the Kambojas who, instead of leaving their ancestral land during second c BCE under assault from Ta Yue-chi, had compromised with the invaders and decided to stay put in their ancestral land instead of moving to Helmond valley or to the Kabol valley. There are other references which also equate Kamboja = Tokhara. A Buddhist Sanskrit Vinaya text (Dr N. Dutt, Gilgit Manuscripts, III, 3, 136, quoted in B.S.O.A.S XIII, 404) has the expression satam Kambojikanam kanayanam i.e a hunderd maidens from Kamboja. This has been rendered by Tibetan as Tho-gar yul-gyi bu-mo brgya and in Mongol as Togar ulus-un yagun ükin. Thus Kamboja has been rendered as Tho-gar or Togar. And Tho-gar/Togar is Tibetan/Mongolian names for Tokhar/Tukhar. See refs: Irano-Indica III, H. W. Bailey Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, Vol. 13, No. 2, 1950 , pp. 389-409; see also: Ancient Kamboja, Iran and Islam, 1971, p 66, Dr H. W. Bailey.
The tenth century AD Kavyamimamsa of Rajsheikher lists the Tusharas with several other tribes of the Uttarapatha viz: the Shakas, Kekeyas, Vokkanas, Hunas, Kambojas, Bahlikas, Pahlavas, Limpakas, Kulutas, Tanganas, Turushakas, Barbaras, Ramathas etc. See: Kavyamimamsa, Chaper 17. This attests that the Tusharas were different from the Turushakas with whom they are often confused by some writers.
There is also a mention of Tushara-Giri (Tushara mountain) in the Mahabharata, Harshacharita of Bana Bhata and Kavyamimansa of Rajshekhar.
The Rishikas are said to be same people as the Yuezhis (India as Known to Panini, p 64, Dr V. S. Aggarwala, Dr V. S. Aggarwala.. The Kushanas or Kanishkas are also the same people Bhartya Itihaas ki Ruprekha, 1941, Dr J. C. Vidyalnkara . Prof Stein says that the Tukharas (Tokharois/Tokarais) were a branch of the Yue-chi or YuezhiRajatarangini of Kalhana, I, p 6, Tras by M. A. Stein.. Prof P. C. Bagchi holds that the Yuezhi, Tocharioi and Tushara were identical India and Central Asia, 1955, p 24.. Thus, the Rishikas, Tusharas/Tukharas (Tokharoi/Tokaroi), Kushanas and the Yuezhis probably were either a single people, or members of a confederacy.
George Rawilson observes that: "The Asii or Asiani were closely connected with the Tochari and the Sakarauli (Saracucse?) who are found connected with both the Tochari and the Asiani" See: The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Seven Great Monarchies Of The Ancient Eastern World, Vol 6. (of 7): Parthia, by George Rawlinson). . If the Rishikas were Tukharas, then the observation from Rawilson is in line with the Mahabharata Mahabharata 2.27.25-26. statement which also closely allies the Parama Kambojas (=Asii/Asio) with the Rishikas [http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m02/m02026.htm and locates them both in the Sakadvipa.
On the other hand, based on the syntactical construction of the Mahabharata verse 5.5.15
Trans: The kings of the Shakas, Pahlavas and the Daradas, and the Kamboja-Rishikas live in the west in Anupa region.
and v 2.27.25
LohanParamaKambojanRishikanuttaran api ||v 2.27.25||, outstanding Sanskrit scholar prof. Ishwa Mishra believes that the Rishikas were a section of the Kambojas i.e Parama Kambojas.
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See also
"Tusharas"