 | Kambojas: Encyclopedia II - Kambojas - Kambojas: A Warrior Clan
Kambojas - Kambojas: A Warrior Clan
In India, the Kambojas seem to have belonged to the Kshatriya caste of Indo-Aryan society.
The earliest and most powerful reference endorsing the Kshatriya-hood of the Kambojas is Panini's fifth century BCE Ashtadhyayi. Panini refers to the Kamboja Janapada, and mentions it as "one of the fifteen powerful Kshatriya Janapadas" of his times, inhabited and ruled by Kamboja Kshatriyas (Ashtadhyayi, 4.1.168-175). See: Kambojas of Panini
The Harivamsa attests that the clans of Kambojas, Sakas, Yavanas, Pahlavas etc. were "formerly Kshatriyas". It was king Sagara who had deprived the Kambojas, and other allied tribes, of their Kshatiya-hood (Harivamsa 14/19) and forbidden them to perform Svadhyayas and Vasatkaras (Harivamsa, 14/17).
The Harivamsa also calls this group of Sakas, Kambojas, Yavanas, Pahlavas and Paradas "Kshatriya-pungava", i.e., foremost among the Kshatriyas.
The Manusmriti attests that the Kambojas, Sakas, Yavanas etc were originally "noble Kshatriyas", but were gradually degraded to the status of Sudras, on account of their neglect of sacred rites and non-entertainment of the Brahmanas in countries (X/43-44).
The Mahabharata likewise, also notes that the Kambojas, Sakas, Yavanas, Pahlavas, et al. were originally "noble Kshatriyas", who later got degraded to barbaric status due to their neglect of the Brahmanas (MBH 13/33/31-32).
The Arthashastra of Kautiliya (11/1/04) attests Kshatriya Shrenis (Companies of Warriors) of the Kambojas, Surashtras, and some other nations, and notes them as living by agriculture, trade and warfare.
The legend of Daivi Khadga or Divine Sword detailed in Shantiparva of Mahabharata (12/166/1-81) also powerfully endorses the Kshatriya-hood of the Kambojas. The sword as the "symbol of Kshatriya-hood" was wrested by the warrior king Kamboja from the Kosala king Kuvalashava alias Dhundhumara, from whom it went to another warrior king called Muchukunda (MBH 12/166/77-78).
Bhagavata Purana (2.7.35) references a king of the Kambojas, and calls him a "powerfully armed mighty warrior" (samiti-salina atta-capah Kamboja).
Kalika Purana (20/40) refers to a war between the Buddhist king Kali (Maurya Brihadratha) and the Brahmanical king Kalika (Pusyamitra Sunga), where the Kambojas came as military supporters to Brihadratha, (187-180) BCE. The Purana notes the Kamboja warriors as Kambojai...bhimavikramaih, i.e. the Kambojas of terrific military prowess", again suggesting the Kshatriya-hood of the Kambojas.
There are numerous similar references in the Puranas, Mahabharata, Ramayana and other ancient Sanskrit and Pali literature, that further document the Kshatriya-hood of the Kambojas.
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