| USHINAR Ushinars or Ushinaras were an ancient people attested to have been living in central Punjab since remote antiquity. They were Chandravanshi Kshatriyas often associated with Madras, Kekayas, Sibis etc and their territory formed part of Vahik country according to evidence of Panini.
Ancestry of Usinar as per Bhagavat Puran Variants
:
1.
Ushinar → Nriga + Krimi + Nava + Suvrat + Shivi
Aushinari is mentioned by Panini in Ashtadhyayi.
Panini refers to the Usinaras in several sutras of his Ashtadhyayi and mentions their land as a part of the Vahik country. Though not stated specifically by Panini, in all probability, the Usinars were under a Sangh government.
History
:
V. S. Agrawala writes that Ashtadhyayi of Panini mentions janapada Usinar (IV.2.118) - Panini mentions Ushinar as part of Vahik. Panini mentions three divisions of Vahik Country, viz Kekaya, Usinar and Madra. Fourth division to be added to Vahik country is Savas. Of these Kekaya and Savas may be located between Jhelum and Chenab, the first in the south and second in north respectively; Madra and Ushinar between the Chenab and Ravi River in the north and south respectively.
The Divyadan refers to the Shvasas in Uttarapath with headquarters at Takshasila to which Ashok was deputed by his father Bindusar as Viceroy to quell their rebellion. The name of Savas or Shvas seems to be preserved in in the modern name Chhiba comprising of Punchh, Rajauri and Bhimbhar. In literature Ushinars are often associated with the Sibis (greek - Siboi) whose chief town Sibipura has been identified with Shorkot in Jhang district.
Tej Ram Sharma describes that....We get three different versions about the origin of the Yaudheyas : third version is ....
(iii) The Harivamsa 594 and the Vayu Puran 595 state that King Usinara of the Puru dynasty had five queens named Nrga or Mrga, Krmi, Nav, Darv and Drsadvati who gave birth to five sons named Nrg, (or Mrga),'Krmi, Nav, Suvrat and Sibi (or Sivi) respectively. Sibi was the lord of the Sibi people or of the city of Shivpur, while Nrg (or Mrga) was the ruler of the Yaudheyas or of Yaudheyapur. The other three sons of Usinar, viz., Nava, Krmi and Suvrata, were the lords respectively of Navarastra, Krmilapuri and Ambasthapuri. According to Pargiter, King Usinar established the Yaudheyas, Ambasthas, Navarastr and the city of Krmila, all on the eastern border of the Punjab; while his famous son Sivi Ausinar originated the Sivis or Sibis in Shivpur.
History
:
Ushner
:
In Kathasaritsagar Ushinargiri is mentioned under the territory of Kankhal - Haridwar. This place Diwyavdan (p. Described 22) Usirgiri and Vinypitk (Vinypitk Part 2, page 39) Usirdwaj seems.
Panini mentions Ushinar in Ashtadhyayi 2, 4, 20 and 4, 2, 118. It is known from the Kaushitaki Upanishad that Gargiya Balaki who was a contemporary of Kashi King Ajatshatru lived in Ushinar country in the pre- Buddha period.
Capital Ushinr King Mahabharat Bhojnagr is described in "Galvo Vimrisnnev Swcarygtmans : Jagam Bhojnagrn Drashtumaushinrn Nripm. (Udyog Parva Mahabharata 118, 2)
Shantiparv Mahabharat 29, 39 mentions a king named Shibi of Ushinar- 'Shibimaushinraman Chaiv dead Srnjaya Shushrum'.
Rigveda 10, 59, 10 mentions a queen named Ushinrani - 'samindrayaraya gamnadwahnya avahudushinranya ana, bharatamap yadrapo dhyo: Prithivi kshamaarpo moshuta kinchanamat' or as indicated by the above quotes Ushinradesh was the name of the adjacent state of present-day Haridwar . It also included the Yamuna coastal region of the district Dehradun because in the forest festival Mahabharat 130, 21, there is mention of a yajna performed by Ushinar Naresh in the neighboring region of the Yamuna - 'Jalan Chopjalan Chave, Yamunamabhito Nadeem, Ushinro Va Yatreshtva Vasavadatyarichyat.'
Association
with the present Jat gotras :
Names given in the genealogical tables include only the important personages. Other Jat gotras maybe associated with names not included. It shows that majority of Jats belong to the Yayati dynasty. The five branches of Yayati dominated the whole of Northern India, Central Asia and some European countries. European scholars have known these conquerors as of Yayati dynasty. They are remembered by different names in different countries such as Yayati, Ayati, Yati, Yuti, Yeuchi, Jutes, Jeets, Jati, Gatae, Goth, etc.
Quite a few names cut of the tables are associated with the area around Haridwar, called Shiv Ki Jata. Buddha married Ikshvaku’s sister Ahilya in this area. Rishi Vishwa Mitra’s son Gadh performed ‘tapasya’ here.
Bhagirath brought the River Ganges into the plains in this area and as legend goes, when Jhanu Rakshash (demon) drank it all, he cut open his thigh and released the Ganga River.
Actually Jhanu is also mentioned in the tables, and, as a ruler, must have opposed or disturbed the project of bringing the Ganga to the plains.
Shiv ji married Sati and Parbati in this area. This is the land where the Yayati dynasty prospered and expanded. The Puru dynasty had their capital in this area. Excavations in the area should lead to important revelations.
Ram
Sarup Joon writes....In the eight generation of Krishna was King
Ushinar whose son was Shavi, more popularly known as Shiv Ji. He
married Sati and Parbati and had two sons Ganesh or Ganpati and
Somi Kartik. Ganesh or Ganpati are not names but titles meaning
head of a tribe. Jats have a big Gotra called Shavi. Iran was once
known as Shavi Desh as mentioned by Huen Tsang and Fa Hein in the
account of their travels to India. They have stated that through
Tartar, Kashgar and Pamir they reached Shavi Country. Shavi is even
today remembered in Iran as Prophet Shish. A shrine on his name
is situated on the bank of River Tigris. A province of Iran was
called Shavisthan now known as Seistan.
Ram Swarup Joon writes that Shavi was the son of the king Ushinar.
The Shavi dynasty prospered well. The Descendants of his dynasty are famous as Takshak, Bachak, Bharhaich, Nags etc. Shavi founded the country of Shavisthan (Siestan) in Iran and also the Island of Jatoli. They also founded kingdoms of Turkistan and Scandinavia.
The Shavi rulers constructed the Shorkot fort in Jhang.
In Iran there is a Mausoleum of prophet Shish. Hieun T-sang and Fahien have also called Iran as Shavi country.
Usinars
in Vedic Literature :
Divyavadan refers to the Svasas as people of Uttarapath with headquarters at Takshasila to which king Ashok was deputed by his father Bindusar as a Viceroy to quell their rebellion. The ancient Savasa or Svasa is said to be modern Chhibba which comprises Punch, Rajauri and Bhimbar.
Thus, the Usinaras, the very neighbors of the Svasas must also be located in Punjab proper.
Mahabharata
references :
Usinar
prince in Draupadis’ Sywayamvar :
Usinars
in kurukshetra war :
Further
epic references :
Mahabharat also speaks of Usinar princes as sacrificing on two small streams near Yamuna. There was also one king Usinar i.e king of Usinar country, contemporary of king Janak of Videh. Garagya Balaki, a contemporary of Janak lived for some time in Usinar country.
Mahabharat (and Katha sarit-sagara) refer to Usinaragiri which is located near Kankhal at the point where Ganges issues from the hills. It is said to be identical with Usiragiri of Divayavadan and Usir-dhvaj of Vanaya texts.
There is also an epic reference Suyajna, the king of the Usinars.
Srimad
Bhagavatam and the Usinars :
Srimad Bhagavatam also states that the Usinars, the Sibi, the Madras, and the Kekayas were the direct descendants of Yayati's son Anu. Sibi or Sivi is stated to be son of Usinar.
Consequently, in the literature, the Usinars are often associated with the Shivis or Sibis (Sibois of the Greek writings) whose chief town Sibipura has been identified with Shorkot, in Jhang district in Pakistan.
Usinar
in Buddhist literature :
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