Kamarupa
Also called: Pragjyotisha · Topic: Early Medieval North India: Harsha to the Rajputs · NCERT: Class 6, Ch 5 "India, That Is Bharat"; Class 7, Ch 7 "The Gupta Era: An Age of Tireless Creativity"; Class 7, Ch 3 "Empires and Kingdoms: 6th to 10th Centuries"; Class 7, Ch 4 "Turning Tides: The 11th and 12th Centuries"
Meaning
Kamarupa is the old name for the region of present-day Assam. Older texts also call it Pragjyotisha. In Harsha's time (7th century CE), the Varman dynasty ruled it. Their king Bhaskaravarman was Harsha's ally. Kamarupa mattered because it linked the Ganga plains to the north-east and to the routes towards Tibet.
Example
In 1205, Bakhtiyar Khilji tried to march to Tibet through Kamarupa. Local fighters resisted him and used scorched-earth tactics, which means burning crops and supplies so the enemy can find no food. His army fell apart.
Don't confuse with
- Kamboja: a different ancient region, in the far north-west. It has nothing to do with Assam.
Related concepts
- Pushyabhuti dynasty
- Harshavardhana
- Kannauj
- Banabhatta
- Harshacharita
- Kadambari
- Varman dynasty
- Prayaga assembly
- Xuanzang