Vispavarma
Apracha King (Gāndhārī: Apacaraja)
The Bajaur casket mentions the father of Indravarma, i.e. Vispavarma, as the king of the Aprachas. Metropolitan Museum of Art.^[1]
Reign	1st century (c. 0-20 CE)
Predecessor	Indravasu
Successor	Indravarma
Spouses	Śiśireṇa Rukhuṇaka
Issue	Indravarma Vāsavadattā Mahāvedā Ṇikā
House	Apracharajas
Dynasty	Apracha
Father	Indravasu
Religion	Buddhism

Vispavarma (Kharosthi: 𐨬𐨁𐨭𐨿𐨤𐨬𐨪𐨿𐨨 Vi-śpa-va-rma, Viśpavarma^[2]) or Visnuvarma (Kharosthi: 𐨬𐨁𐨮𐨸𐨂𐨬𐨪𐨿𐨨 Vi-ṣṇu-va-rma, Viṣṇuvarma;^[3] ruled circa 0-20 CE) was an Indo-Scythian king of the Apracas, who ruled in the area of Bajaur in modern northwestern Pakistan. His reign is known for sure to include the date of 6 CE, due to his description as king on the 5-6 CE Bajaur casket.^[4]

Vispavarma is mainly known from a dedicatory Buddhist inscription by his son Indravarma, who mentions him as his father. The inscription which is written in Kharoshthi, translates into English as:

Prince Indravarma, son of Commander Vispavarma, together with his wife establishes these bodily relics in his own stupa. Commander Vispavarma and Sisirena, the wife of the Commander, are (hereby) honored. Indravasu, king of Apraca, and his wife Vasumitra, who is the mother of a living son, are (hereby) honored
— Opening inscription in Gandhari Prakrit on the Silver Buddhist reliquary of Prince Indravarma.^[5]

In the Bajaur casket inscription, Vispavarma is further described as king of the Apracas by his son Indravarma, the date of the dedication being 5-6 CE:

In the sixty third year of the late great king Aya (Azes), on the sixteenth day of the month of Kartia (Kartika), at this auspicious (?) time, Prince Indravarma (Indravarman), son of the king of Apraca, establishes these bodily relics of Lord Sakyamuni; …. He produces brahma-merit together with his mother, Rukhunaka, daughter of Aji…. And these bodily relics having been brought in possession from the Muraka cave stupa, were established in a secure (?), safe, deep (?), depository…
— Text of the Bajaur casket, Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Since the Bajaur casket indicates that Vispavarma was king as of 5-6 CE, his reign is usually dated to around 0-20 CE.

Notes

^ Metropolitan Museum of Art notice [1]
^ Richard Salomon, An Inscribed Silver Buddhist Reliquary of the Time of King Kharaosta and Prince Indravarman, Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 116, No. 3 (Jul. - Sep., 1996), pp. 418-452
^ Richard Salomon, A Kharosthī Reliquary Inscription of the Time of the Apraca Prince Visnuvarma, South Asian Studies 11, 1995, Pages 27–32,
^ An Inscribed Silver Buddhist Reliquary of the Time of King Kharaosta and Prince Indravarman, Richard Salomon, Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 116, No. 3 (Jul. - Sep., 1996), pp. 441-442
^ The World's Writing Systems, Peter T. Daniels, William Bright, Oxford University Press, 1996, p.382 [2]

Vispavarma Regnal titles Preceded byIndravasu Apracharaja c. 0-20 CE Succeeded byIndravarma

Indo-Scythian kings, territories and chronology (in green)

Territories/ dates	Western India	Western Pakistan Balochistan	Paropamisadae Arachosia	Bajaur	Gandhara	Western Punjab	Eastern Punjab	Mathura
			INDO-GREEK KINGDOM
90–85 BCE			Nicias	Menander II		Artemidoros
90–70 BCE			Hermaeus	Archebius
85-60 BCE			INDO-SCYTHIAN KINGDOM Maues
75–70 BCE			Vonones Spalahores	Telephos		Apollodotus II
65–55 BCE			Spalirises Spalagadames			Hippostratos	Dionysios
55–35 BCE			Azes I				Zoilos II
55–35 BCE			Azilises Azes II				Apollophanes	Indo-Scythian dynasty of the NORTHERN SATRAPS Hagamasha
25 BCE – 10 CE				Indo-Scythian dynasty of the APRACHARAJAS Vijayamitra (ruled 12 BCE - 15 CE)^{[n 1]}	Liaka Kusulaka Patika Kusulaka Zeionises	Kharahostes (ruled 10 BCE– 10 CE)^{[n 2]} Mujatria	Strato II and Strato III	Hagana
10-20 CE		INDO-PARTHIAN KINGDOM Gondophares		Indravasu	INDO-PARTHIAN KINGDOM Gondophares		Rajuvula
20-30 CE			Ubouzanes Pakores	Vispavarma (ruled c.0-20 CE)^{[n 3]}	Sarpedones		Bhadayasa	Sodasa
30-40 CE			KUSHAN EMPIRE Kujula Kadphises	Indravarma	Abdagases		...	...
40-45 CE				Aspavarma	Gadana		...	...
45-50 CE				Sasan	Sases		...	...
50-75 CE							...	...
75-100 CE	Indo-Scythian dynasty of the WESTERN SATRAPS Chastana		Vima Takto				...	...
100-120 CE	Abhiraka		Vima Kadphises				...	...
120 CE	Bhumaka Nahapana	PARATARAJAS Yolamira	Kanishka I				Great Satrap Kharapallana and Satrap Vanaspara for Kanishka I
130-230 CE	Jayadaman Rudradaman I Damajadasri I Jivadaman Rudrasimha I Satyadaman Jivadaman Rudrasena I	Bagamira Arjuna Hvaramira Mirahvara	Vāsishka (c. 140 – c. 160) Huvishka (c. 160 – c. 190) Vasudeva I (c. 190 – to at least 230)
230-280 CE	Samghadaman Damasena Damajadasri II Viradaman Isvaradatta Yasodaman I Vijayasena Damajadasri III Rudrasena II Visvasimha	Miratakhma Kozana Bhimarjuna Koziya Datarvharna Datarvharna	INDO-SASANIANS Ardashir I, Sassanid king and "Kushanshah" (c. 230 – 250) Peroz I, "Kushanshah" (c. 250 – 265) Hormizd I, "Kushanshah" (c. 265 – 295)			Kanishka II (c. 230 – 240) Vashishka (c. 240 – 250) Kanishka III (c. 250 – 275)
280-300 CE	Bhratadarman	Datayola II	Hormizd II, "Kushanshah" (c. 295 – 300)			Vasudeva II (c. 275 – 310)
300-320 CE	Visvasena Rudrasimha II Jivadaman		Peroz II, "Kushanshah" (c. 300 – 325)			Vasudeva III Vasudeva IV Vasudeva V Chhu (c. 310? – 325)
320-388 CE	Yasodaman II Rudradaman II Rudrasena III Simhasena Rudrasena IV		Shapur II Sassanid king and "Kushanshah" (c. 325) Varhran I, Varhran II, Varhran III "Kushanshahs" (c. 325 – 350) Peroz III "Kushanshah" (c. 350 –360) HEPHTHALITE/ HUNAS invasions			Shaka I (c. 325 – 345) Kipunada (c. 345 – 375)		GUPTA EMPIRE Chandragupta I Samudragupta
388-395 CE	Rudrasimha III		Chandragupta II

^ From the dated inscription on the Rukhana reliquary
^ An Inscribed Silver Buddhist Reliquary of the Time of King Kharaosta and Prince Indravarman, Richard Salomon, Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 116, No. 3 (Jul. - Sep., 1996), pp. 442 [3]
^ A Kharosthī Reliquary Inscription of the Time of the Apraca Prince Visnuvarma, by Richard Salomon, South Asian Studies 11 1995, Pages 27-32, Published online: 09 Aug 2010 [4]

See also

Notes