Toramana also called Toramana Shahi Jauvla was a ruler of the Alchon Huns who ruled its Indian region in the late 5th and the early 6th century. Toramana consolidated the Hephthalite power in Punjab, and conquered northern and central India including Eran in Madhya Pradesh. Toramana used the title "Great King of Kings", equivalent to "Emperor", in his inscriptions, such as the Eran boar inscription. The Sanjeli inscription of Toramana speaks of his conquest and control over Malwa and Gujarat. His territory also included Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Kashmir. He probably went as far as Kausambi, where one of his seals was discovered. According to the Rīsthal inscription, discovered in 1983, the Aulikara king Prakashadharma of Malwa defeated him.
Overview
Toramana is known from Rajatarangini, through coins and inscriptions.
Punjab inscription
In the :File:Kura inscription of Toramana.jpg|Khurā inscription, Toramana assumes the Indian regnal titles in addition to central Asian ones: Rājādhirāja Mahārāja Toramāṇa Shahi Jauvla. Among which Shahi is considered to be his Title and Jauvla being an epithet or Biruda. This is a Buddhistrecord in hybrid Sanskrit, recording the gift of a monastery to members of the Mahīśāsaka school.
The Eran Boar inscription of his first regnal year indicates that eastern Malwa was included in his dominion. The inscription is written on the neck of the boar, in 8 lines of Sanskrit in the Brahmi script. The object of the inscription is to record the building of the temple in which the current Varaha image stands, by Dhanyavishnu, the younger brother of the deceased Maharaja Matrivishnu. The first line of the inscription, made after 484/85 CE mentions the "Maharajadhiraja Toramana" and reads:
Sack of Kausambi
The presence of seals in the name of "Toramana" and "Hunaraja" in Kausambi, suggests that the city was probably sacked by the Alkhons under Toramana in 497-500.
Defeats
According to the Rishtal stone-slab inscription, discovered in 1983, the Aulikara king Prakashadharma of Malwa defeated him in 515 CE. Toramana may also have been defeated by the Indian EmperorBhanugupta of the Gupta Empire in 510 A.D. according to the Eran inscription, although the "great battle" to which Bhanagupta participated is not explicited. A few silver coins of Toramana closely followed the Gupta silver coins. The only difference in the obverse is that the king's head is turned to the left. The reverse retains the fantailed peacock and the legend is almost similar, except the change of name to Toramana Deva. A Jaina work of the 8th century, the Kuvalayamala states that he lived in Pavvaiya on the bank of the Chandrabhaga and enjoyed the sovereignty of the world.
