Mihirakula
Topic: Gupta Empire and the Classical Age · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
Mihirakula was a Huna king of the early 6th century CE. He was the son of Toramana. The Hunas were Central Asian invaders who attacked the Gupta empire. Mihirakula ruled over parts of north-western and northern India. Later accounts, especially by Xuanzang, describe him as cruel and as a persecutor of Buddhists who destroyed monasteries. His defeat marked the end of the Hunas as a major power in India.
Example
Around c. 528 CE, Yashodharman, the Aulikara king of Malwa, claimed in his Mandsaur inscription that Mihirakula bowed before him. Xuanzang also records that Mihirakula was defeated by a king named Baladitya, usually identified with the Gupta ruler Narasimhagupta Baladitya.
Don't confuse with
- Toramana: Mihirakula's father, the earlier Huna king. Toramana's inscription is on the Eran boar in Madhya Pradesh.
Related concepts
- Hunas
- Skandagupta
- Bhitari pillar inscription
- Eran inscription of Bhanugupta
- Song Yun
- Yashodharman
- Aulikara dynasty
- Decline of the Guptas
- Valabhi