Toramana II
Ruler of the Alchon Huns
Portrait of Toramana II, from his coinage.
Toramana II is located in South Asia
Toramana II
Approximate location of Toramana II's territory
Reign6th century CE
Alchon Huns
(400–670 CE)
c. 400–440 (Anonymous kings)
c. 430–490 Khingila
c. 490 Javukha
c. 461–493Mehama
c. 490 Lakhana Udayaditya
Aduman
c. 490–515Toramana
c.515–540Mihirakula
c.530–570Toramana II
Kashmir descendants:
6-7th c. Pravarasena
6-7th c. Megavahana
6-7th c.Tujina
6-7th c.Toramana of Kashmir

Toramana II (Gupta script: Śrī Toramāṇa, "Lord Toramana") was a ruler of the Alchon Huns in the 6th century CE.[1]

Confrontation with the Nezaks

Around the middle of the 6th century CE, the Alchons, after having extensively invaded the heartland of India, had withdrawn from Kashmir, Punjab and Gandhara, and going back west across the Khyber pass they resettled in Kabulistan. It seems that there was a direct confrontation between the Alchon Toramana II and the Nezaks in Kabulistan, as he made overstrikes of Nezak coins, and at the same time adopted the Nezak bull's head in his own crown in some of his coins minted in Gandhara.[1]

The legend of the coins of Toramana II were previously mistakenly read as "srī nara" and "nara", leading to suggestions that there was an Alchon Hun king named "Narana" or "Narendra".[1] Since a 2013 study by Matthias Pfisterer, it has been recognized that the legends on these coins should be read as "srī tora" and "tora", hence the attribution to a "Toramana II".[1] According to Michael Alram, the supposed king "Narana" or "Narendra" should be "deleted without substitution".[1]

The coins of Toramana II in Kabulistan generally have the mention ""His Excellence, King Tora",[2] and some of them are overstrikes over Nezak coins.[3][4][5][6]

Coinage

Toramana II of Kashmir

A more sophisticated type of coinage from Kashmir is also known that bears the name "Toramana", and is often called "Toramana II" in numismatic studies. It is dated to the end the 6th-7th century CE. This coin type belongs to another ruler, Toramana of Kashmir, a probable descendant of the Alchon Huns in Kashmir,[8] and may bear a relation with the "Toramana" of the Gonanda dynasty (II) mentioned in Kalhana's Rajatarangini.[9]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Alram 2014, p. 278.
  2. ^ Alram, Michael. "The Countenance of the Other". Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna.
  3. ^ Alram, Michael. "The Countenance of the Other". Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna.
  4. ^ Alram, Michael. "The Countenance of the Other". Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna.
  5. ^ Alram, Michael. "The Countenance of the Other". Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna.
  6. ^ Alram, Michael. "The Countenance of the Other". Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna.
  7. ^ Alram, Michael. "The Countenance of the Other". Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna.
  8. ^ Cribb, Joe (1 April 2017). "Early Medieval Kashmir Coinage – A New Hoard and An Anomaly". Numismatic Digest. 40: 99. It seems very likely therefore that the rulers of Kashmir at this period were descendants of the Hun kings who ruled large parts of northwestern India from the mid-4th to the 6th century"
  9. ^ Kumar, Raj (2008). History Of The Chamar Dynasty : (From 6Th Century A.D. To 12Th Century A.D.). Gyan Publishing House. pp. 318–319. ISBN 978-81-7835-635-8. But the name of Toramana is found on a species of Kashmir copper coins of which remarkably large quantities have been preserved to this day . The connection of this coinage with Kalhana's notice cannot be doubted.

Sources

Regnal titles Preceded byMihirakula King of the Alchon Huns 530-570 Succeeded byAlchon-Nezak rulers
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