Exploring the Treasure Trove of Ghoda Gali

One of the curious and magnificent treasure trove of ancient stone sculptures lies at a place known as Ghoda  Gali, which is about 3 km before the main  historical town of Gool Gulab Garh.

The site is gifted with number of equestrian statues, some of which are in the form of life size designed horses, while as some are in the form of spring Bowles. These Bowles are profusely carved and depicts both floral and geometrical designs.

The images of horses are also elaborately designed along with their riders. The riders are shown equipped with armory  suits. This is a wonderful archaeological site, where such interesting and historic treasure trove has been found.

This archaeological site is yet to be properly investigated into, but the preliminary observations have revealed its significant archaeological importance and the site in view of its importance has been brought under ancient monuments protection act.

The local traditions associated with site have been connecting it to Mahabharata age and they believe that the site had been  built by Pandvas during their exile period, when they had taken refuge in such abandoned places.

In fact the most of the archaeological sites built of massive stones here in Jammu and Kashmir are associated Pandvas. The grand remains of Martand, Avantipira and Parihaspora sites have also  been attributed to Pandvas and locally pronounced as pandav lari (buildings of Pandavs), but historically speaking this is not the fact.

In fact  these are historical buildings and have been built by different Hindu rulers of Karkota and Varma dynasties respectively.  Most of these archaeological sites have been identified and attributed to their historical periods. 

The archaeological treasure trove of Ghoda Gali definitely is associated with some historical period.  The sculptures of horse riders in warrior poses brings them close to either indo-parthiens    or any branch of Huns. Since few local archaeologists attribute this site to Huns, may be they are right in their perception. Since Huns have got their established history in Jammu and Kashmir and they are learnt to have crossed the Pir Panchal forests to take refuge in Kashmir.  

Who were those people? Historical records mention them a branch of white Huns who had established themselves already in Bactria (Balk) in early 4th century AD. Later on they are said to have followed Sassanian Empire towards south of Hindu Kush. After destroying their colonies moved towards Kidera Empire,  in about late 4th century AD. Huns raids are said to have begun the disturbance of Kidera Kushan realm and gradually took control of the whole Kidera principality, which included Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir. Huns are recorded to have defeated Guptas and went up to central India.

Tormarna and Miherakula have been the most famous rulers of this dynasty, one of the inscriptions preserved at Gwalier Fort records their relationship as son and father. The two princes have also got numismatic evidence i.e., their coins have been found from the lands of their entire domain. Their eastern conquests are also supported by Chinese records. Sungyuns a Chinese pilgrim has recorded the coming of Huns two generations before the time of his visit in 520 AD.

Kidara’s rule in Jammu and Kashmir was also succeeded by Huns. Miharakula son of Tormana after facing defeat in central India at the hands of Yasodharaanan is recorded to have taken refuge in Kashmir. He is recorded to have arrived in Kashmir valley in about 5th century AD through Pir Panchal Pass. He is also credited to have brought several numbers of Gandharian Brahmins and settled them in Southern Kashmir. He is also alleged to have destroyed Buddhist institutions of the valley.

A hoard of Hun coins  reportedly was few-years ago recovered from Shopian area which carried fifteen coins of Shahi-Miher Kula, the name of its most famous ruler  who is recorded to occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

Besides mentioned in the local records, Huns have here got their numismatic evidences as well. In their coins they  were treated as past masters in imitations. In the regions captured from Sassanain kings they carried their coinage on Sassanian type. Regions captured from Gupta’s followed Gupta type and copied Kushan type in the regions captured from Kideras.

The Hun rifle has a great political and economic effect on the valley of Kashmir, Upendra Thakur in his book, Hunas in India observes that the rise of Huns conquest of parts of Central Asia and subsequent invasion of India leading to the occupation of Kashmir worsened the economic condition of the valley of Kashmir. With the overland trade routes, disturbed and ultimately closed down, a land locked territory detached from the rest of the world.

Kashmir under the Huns becomes an impoverished country. Gold and base gold coins of Kushans and Kideras got out of circulation; there was reversion to agriculture and which consequently led to feudal order in Kashmir.

In fact Huns presence in Jammu and Kashmir has been now established on the bases of ancient literary and numismatic records, but no such significant archaeological site of this period has been found yet. If the stone sculptures found at Gohda Gali are attributed to this period then we can have the first archaeological site of Huns in Jammu and Kashmir.

The site at Ghoda Gali has been declared as state protected monument under the ancient monument preservation Act sumvet 1977 (1920) and is maintained by archaeology department. However, the archaeological investigations and scientific dating of the site has not been yet   ascertained. It is impressed upon the concerned authorities to investigate the site and get its artifacts scientifically dated.

The state archaeology department and History department of Jammu University shall come forward and   explore the site, so that this exquisite treasure trove is identified and interpreted well.

The writer is a senior archaeologist and an author.