Toramana, also known as Toramana Shahi Jauvla, was a king of the Alchon Huns during 493-515 CE in northern India in the late 5th and early 6th century CE. Toramana consolidated the Alchon Huns rule in the erstwhile Punjab areas as known today in northwestern India and present-day Pakistan. His rule, through conquests, extended up to Eran in Madhya Pradesh. He is known to have used the title “Maharadhiraja” (i.e., Great King of Kings) in his inscriptions, as seen in the Eran Boar inscription.
The Sanjeli inscription speaks of Toramana’s conquest and control over Malwa and Gujarat. His other conquests included present-day Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Kashmir, and as far as Kausambi, where one of his seals was discovered.
The Risthal inscription discovered recently mentions that it was the Aulikara king, Prakashadharma of Malwa, who defeated Toramana. He is also known from Rajatarangini and through coins and inscriptions.
There is record at Kura or Khura in the Salt Range in Punjab, now in Lahore, of the building of a Buddhist monastery by Rotta Siddhavriddhi during the reign of Toramana. The donor allowed the religious merit to be shared by him with the king and his family. The Khura inscription (495-500) mentions Toramana as Rajadhiraja Maharaja Toramana Shahi Jauvla. The word ‘Jauvla’ is thought to be an epithet or honor, of the Buddhist record in Sanskrit, that recorded the gift of a monastery to the monks of the Mahisasaka school.
The Gwalior inscription about Mihirakula, son of Toramana, written in Sanskrit, describes Toramana as a ruler of great merit who by his heroism is characterized by truthfulness and justice. The Eran Boar inscription in Eran, Malwa, 540 km south of New Delhi, in Madhya Pradesh, was erected in honor of Varaha avatar, of the deity Vishnu. The inscription praises Vishnu who as Varaha Avatar lifted up the earth out of the waters and caused the mountains to tremble and who is the pillar of the great home that comprises the three worlds.
The ancient statue of Varaha has engravings that speak of protecting rishis and of upholding dharma. The 484/85 CE inscriptions in Sanskrit on the neck of the boar are in 8 lines of Brahmi script and record the construction of the temple at the location by Dhanyavishnu, the younger brother of Maharaja Matrivishnu, who had died. The inscriptions speak of Maharajadhiraja Toramana and of the first year of his reign over the world with splendor.
The seals in the name of ‘Toramana’ and ‘Hunaraja’ in Kausambi suggest that the city was probably attacked and destroyed by the Alkhons under Toramana in 497-500 CE.
The Rishtal stone-slab inscription informs that the Aulikara king Prakashadharma of Malwa defeated Toramana in 515 CE. He could also have been defeated by king Bhanugupta of the Gupta Empire in 510 CE, according to the Eran inscription. The battle has not been described elsewhere.
Silver coins issued by Toramana were in use immediately after the use of Gupta silver coins. The coins include the fan-tailed peacock and the design is similar, except for the honor given to Toramana.
8th CE Jaina literature, the Kuvalayamala states that Toramana lived in Pavvaiya on the banks of the Chandrabhaga and was emperor of the world.
It was Prakashadharma of the Aulikara dynasty who defeated Toramana. Later, Yashodharman, son of Prakashadharma defeated Mihirakula, the son of Toramana, and freed the Malwa region from the Hunas. The Aulikaras were rulers of Malwa between the 4-6 century CE, based near Mandsaur. Their kingdom covered present-day western Madhya Pradesh, southeastern Rajasthan and northeastern Gujarat. The kingdom of the Aulikaras are known from several inscriptions and inform that the kings were Hindus, who built temples to Shiva, Surya and Vishnu as also Buddhist monasteries in western Madhya Pradesh and east Rajasthan.
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