The Kunindas
The Kingdom of Kuninda was an ancient central Himalayan kingdom documented from around the 2nd century BCE to the 3rd century, located in the southern areas of modern Himachal Pradesh and far western areas of Uttarakhand in northern India and Doti Gadwall in Nepal.
- Mahabharata mentions that the Kunindas people were conquered by Arjuna.
- They were mountaineers and neighbour of the Trigarta, and they lived between river Beas, Satluj and the Yamuna i.e. Sirmaur, Shimla hills and kullu.
- Varahimir mentions them as a people of Kulutas and Sirhind
- In modern period, we can identify Kunindas with the kanets. They used plain as rearing ground for their cattle.
- They issued silver and copper coins, the silver coin had the Prakrit script in obverse and Kharoshthi in the reverse and copper coin inscribed mainly in Brahami script.
- The coins of Kunindas have also been found in the territory between Ambala and Saharanpur hills.
- Their coin bear "Rajnah Kunindasya Amoghabhutisya" which shows that all the members of the tribal assembly were called rajas and head or chief of the house was called Maharaja.
- The other coins bearing in the title "Amoghabhuti" which is not a person but official title.
- Kunindas lost their independence with the entry of Shakas during 3rd century AD and reappeared only with the decline of Kushana Empire as they joined hands with Yaudheyas to get Kushana out for eastern Punjab
An ancient central Himalayan
The first mention of kuninda appears in Panini Ashtadhyay where he mentions it as an Ayudhajivi Sangha, meaning a warrior republic. Though, the kingdom may have existed earlier as it is also mentioned in Mahabharat to be situated in the east of kuru kingdom.[3] The history of the kingdom is documented from around the 2nd century BCE. They are mentioned in Indian epics and Puranas. The Mahabharata relates they were defeated by Arjuna.