Mand History
As you go through the literature, Mands history goes deeper and deeper. It goes back to 700 BC (Before Christ). Central Asia (Consisting of Iran, Assyria, Macedonia, Babylonia, Afghanistan, Persia, Sumeria, Balkh & Bukhare, Azerbaijan, Kazakhistan, Armenia & Mongolia etc.) is the origin of the Mands. Besides mands, the other jat clans in that area were Gills, Kangs, Gujjars, Virks amd Munnai. In those days Mands were known as Mandas in that area. Mandas as Mands and Mannai as Manns are established in today’s Punjab, India.
2. In the beginning of seventh century Sagran-II was the king of Assyria (Persia, iran). He attacked and defeated the small clans and brought them under Assyria. Dayauku was the leader of Mand clan. Few places it is written as Deiokes or Devaka but it was the same person Dayauku or Deiokes or Devaka. Assyria king Sagran-II captured the Chief of Mands i.e. Dayauku and overpowered his kingdom. As per the Assyrian custom, the king of Mands were to be hanged but his life was spared. It is said that for sparing the life of king of Mands i.e. Dayauku, 22 Chiefs at that time played a vital role. All of them accepted Dayauku as their leader and accepted the power of domain of Assyria & swear a oath of alliance i.e. moral and legal hold of Sagran-II i.e. King of Assyria. Dayauku’s life was not only spared he was sent along with his family to Hamath a small town in Assyria. Dayauku was so popular for his sense of justice that all his tribesman would love to come to hear his decision. He was an excellent psychologist, good in judgement, shrewed and a fair & firm administrator.
3. Dayauku once again raised a powerful army. He built his capital in Alvanda which is a Mountain range in Persia. This mountain range is also called granite range. In this range Ecbatana was the Capital city of Mand Emperor in Iran now called Hamadan. It is at 6000 ft. above sea level. This capital city had seven concentric walls, so arranged that they raised one above the other by the heights of their battlement.
4. After constructing such a powerful Capital of Mand at Ecbatana, Dayauka started expanding his empire. The Assyrians could never dream that this mountain shepherd in the near future would shake the great Nineveh (Capital city of Assyrians, it used to be in Mesopotamia now in Iraq) and cause the name of Assyria to disappear from the powerful nations of the world. The adjoining kingdoms were annexed to Manda Empire.
5. After consolidating his empire for 53 years King of Mands i.e. Dayauku was replaced by his son Fravanti during 655 BC. He conquered Persia and attacked Assyrian Empire, but he was defeated & was killed.
6. Huva Kshatra became the third king of Manda Empire. He was son of Dayauku, King of Manda. He was one of those rare leaders who were very successful at both the time of conflict and peace. Such personalities do appear on the world stage from time to time. He was a good shooter. After reordering his army he thought of taking revenge from Assyria. He declared war against his archrival the king of Assyria and Nineveh the capital city of Assyria was seized and adjoining areas were devastated. The victory was so complete and the Assyrians defeat was so terrible that the King would never think of revenge against Manda in the near future.
7. Assurbanipal, the king of Assyria died in 626 BC, and his successors were disputing the throne. Such an opportunity was not to be missed and the second attack began by Huva Kashtra i.e. the third king of Manda Empire on Nineveh the Capital city of Assyria. The Emperor burnt himself within the palace and perished with family. Thus in 606 BC Nineveh fell and so utter was its ruin that the Assyrians name was forgotten and the history of their empire soon melted into fables.
8. Daughter of third king Huva Kashtra was married to Nebu-Chad-Nezzar thus Babylonia was roped in. The kingdom of Armenia and Cappadocia was included into Manda Empire. Lydia was emerging as a powerful nation in the west and it was inevitable that the two powers would collide. The war began in 585 BC but it was stopped after six years due to a total eclipse of the sun. The people and the kings were very scared of the consequence of that eclipse. They signed a peace treaty and under its terms a daughter of Lydian emperor was married to the heir of Mandas. The kingdom of Urutu was annexed to the Manda Empire. The following year in 584 BC Huva Kshatra the great emperor of Manda died. He observed a tribute that from a beaten nation he raised Mandas into the most powerful and vivid empire of the time..
9. Ishtuvegu Astyages was the son of third great emperor of Manda, Huva Kshatra. After the death of Huva Kshatra his son Ishtuvegu Astyages succeeds him. He was an unworthy person of a worthy father and he deviated from the basic policy of Mandas i.e. to keep fit and be ready for war at a short notice. He was just opposite of what was expected. The luxuries of all sorts became a part of the courts. Elaborate ceremonies were prescribed for courts and courtiers. Purple and red flying robes were compulsory for junior officers. Golden chains and decorated collors were affixed for higher ranks. Drinking vessels made of gold were used at parties. Under such circumstances the empror become lethargic. He was superstitious too. He had no son and his daughter named Mandani after the clan name Manda was married to a small vassal prince of Elam. It was foretold by the Magis the priest and astrologers of the court that the son of Mandani would be great king of Asia and Europe.
10. The first issue of princess Mandani was Cyrus who became the Emperor of Manda after putting in prison his maternal grandfather Ishtuvegu Astyages. Curys the Great, fought three wars against the jats in Balakh and Caspian Sea. At both places he was unsuccessful. Balakh remained independent under Kangs and the small kingdom of Massagate ruled over by the Dahia remained free and independent. The King of Messagate kingdom was Armogha, who died and the queen had taken the administration in her hands. Cyrus was a crooked man & so he wanted to make the best use of unsettled situation. Cyrus the Great asked the queen to marry him. The queen refused. Cyrus started troubling the queen. The queen gathered her force and the battle which followed, was most furious. On both sides they were jats and they fought to finish. Hevodotus says that of all the wars of antiquity this was the most bloody. The queen gained complete and final victory. Cyrus was killed. His body was recovered from the battle field. Capital of Manda, Ecbatana fell in 550 BC.
11. After the death of Cyrus, many Jat kingdoms in the North East were free from the Persian Empire, which was an off shoot of the earlier Manda Empire. The defeat of Cyrus the Great and his death was a signal for the Manda Jats under Persian Empire to take up the throne of Ecbatana. The jats under their leader Gautmate did this. In the mean time Darius came, thus second Manda Empire lasted only for six months because Gautamate was killed in the Sobhyavati Palace of Ecbatana. However, the efforts to regain the control of Manda Empire did not cease there, in 519 BC, Phrvavati another Manda follower of the sun god of the Magis priests unsuccessfully, fought for the lost empire. This was the end of Manda Empire.