Arjunayanas - Origin of Arjunayanas

Origin of Arjunayanas

Origin of Arjunayanas is shrouded in obscurity. They make their first appearance sometime after the invasion of Alexander and were first attested by their coins belonging to 2nd/1st century BCE. Arjunava is mentioned as geographical term in Ganapatha (IV.2.127 dhuma-aday-ah) on Pāṇini. Arjunavana is derived from Arjunava. Arjunayana is same as Arjunavana or Arjunavayana. Arjunavana is believed to be derived from Arjunava. Greek chronicler Arrian or Lucius Flavius Arrianus 'Xenophon' (ca. 86 - after 146) attests one city which he calls Arigaeum or Arigaeon/Arigaion. It commanded the road between Kunar and Panjkora valleys in north-eastern Afghanistan. It was Kamboja region and the habitat of the Aspasioi tribe whom Arrian calls as Indian barbarians. These people had given a tough fight to Alexander in 327 BCE and when the defense of their citadel became difficult in view of the superior forces of Alexander, the inhabitants of Arigaeum/Arigaion had deserted the city, set it on fire and retreated to mountainous fastnesses. Alexander took his forces towards the mountainous fastness where most of the Arigaionians (inhabitants of Arigaion) were collected. A hard contest ensued with the Arigaionian Aspasians, both from the difficult nature of the ground and because the Aspasian Indians were not like the other barbarians of this district but were far stronger than their neighbors. Ptolemy attests that Macedonian forces captured about 40,000, and that over 230,000 of which Alexander picked out the finest and sent them into Macedonia. Scholars like Dr V. S. Agarwala have equated the Arigaeum or Arigaion of Arrian to Sanskrit name Arjunava which finds mention in Pāṇini's Ganapatha as well as in the Kasika. If this interpretation of scholars like Dr V. S. Agarwala is correct and the "Arjunava" of the Kashika or Pāṇini's Ganapatha is indeed the "Arigaeum/Arigaion" of Arrian, then the probable origin of the Arjunayanas can possibly be speculated. The section of Aspasian people inhabiting the city of Arigaion (Arjunava) were probably known as Arjunavanas, Arjunavayanas or Arjunayanas (from Arjunava). A variant of Sanskrit Arjunayana is attested as Arjunayanaka. Kautiliya's Arthashastra mentions and brackets a nation called Prajjunaka with Gandhara and refers to their buffoons, Artisans ans professional singers and actors. Since Gandhara was a great ancient cultural center, therefore, the Prajjunakas who are bracketed with the Gandharas and are attested to have Gandhara-like cultural characteristics, must also have laid close to Gandhara. The Prajjunakas of Arthashastra have been supposed by some scholars to be a variant of Sanskrit Arjunayanakas (Arjunayana). If this be correct, then the 4th century BCE text on State-craft also attests the Arjunayanas (Arjunavanas) as close neighbors of the Gandharas which fact possibly alludes to the inhabitants of Arigaion (Arjunava) of the Swat/Kunar valleys.