KAMBOJA JANAPADA IN YASAKA PERIOD (700 BC)

THE KAMBOJAS:
ONE OF THE PRE_EMINENT & MOST ANCIENT KASHATRYA TRIBES OF INDIA/AFGHANISTAN.

Between the Epic age (1200BC) and that age of Panini (500 BC), there lived another great Grammarian Yasaka (700 BC). He has commented upon the Kamboja language pecularities which has led numerous scholars to identify Kambojas as Iranian speakers rather than Indo Aryans.

Savtigartir Karama Kambojeseva Bhasyate Kamboja Kambal Bhoja, Kamniya Bhojava Kambalah Kamaniyo bhavati Vikaramasyaryesu bhavyante sava iti [Nirukuta 2/2]

This not only talks about Kamboja language pecularities of Kamboja Janapas, but it further also testifies to the luxurious style and opulence of the Kamboja of Yaskian period (see commentary of Acharya Durg, Swami Brahammuni Parivrajak Vidyamartand on Yasaka's Nirukuta; Ancient Kamboja, People & the Country, 1981, p 255, 224, 225).

The scholars attribute Panini to around 700 BC. Panini has written a Grammer book...Nirukuta. As there is no possibility of interpolation in Grammer books as in other texts, scholars generally agree that the Yasaka's Nirukuta is an uncorrupted text.

Thus, as attested to by Yasaka's Nirukuta, we find the evidence of a flourishing Kamboja Janapada, around and before 700 BC, where the Kamboja Kashatrya kings had been ruling.

KAMBOJA KASSHATRYA JANAPADA IN VEDIC AGE. (1200-1500 BC)

The earliest mention of Kamboja occurs in the Vamsa Brahmana (1/18) of the Samveda where a sage Aaupamanyava Kamboja is mentioned in the line. Aupanmanya was his patric name i.r. being son of Upamanu he was called Aupanyava. He was called Kamboja because he was born in Kamboja Janapada or Tribe.(Ancient Kamboja, People & the Country,1981, p 202, Dr J. L Kamboj; cf History & Culture of Ancient India, Vedic Age, 259, Dr R. C. Majumdar, Dr A. D. Pusalkar).

The Sage Upamanu mentioned in the Rig Veda 1-102,9) has been identified as the father of this Kamboja teacher (Dr R. C. Majumdar, Dr A. D. Pusalkar, K. D. Sethna, Dr B. C. Law, Dr Zimmer, Dr Ludwig, Dr J. L. Kamboj etc etc).

Now as sage Upamanu belongs to Vedic era. This shows that Kamboja Kashatrya Janapasda had been in existence since at least as early as Vedic Age.