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The Indian Analyst
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South Indian Inscriptions |
EPIGRAPHIA INDICA As there has been some discussion[1] on these plates during recent years, it would not be out of place if I say a few words about the points raised therein. The Chālukya copper-plates fall into two categories. The earlier plates do not necessarily begin with the verse Jayaty=āvishkṛitaṁ, though the Boar form of Vishṇu is in some cases praised, and the preamble in them is very short, being most probably adapted from the early Kadamba records, as is the case with the Nerūr and Lohaner plates. The Chipḷūṇ plates[2] begin with a verse in praise of the foot of Vishṇu while the Haidarābād[3] and the Sātārā[4] plates do not begin with a verse at all. Svāmi-Mahāsēna, Mātṛigaṇa (Group of Mothers), Mānavya gōtra and the birth from Hārīti are generally referred to in Kadamba grants. The present plates, in addition, refer to the bringing up of the originator of the family by Kauśikī and the performance of various sacrifices by members of the family. But the Kāndalgaon[5] (spurious) plates of Pulikēśin II and the Haidarābād6 and other plates of his successors begin with the verse Jayaty=āvishkṛitaṁ and have more or less the same long preamble.
About the prolixity of the plates, I may observe that if compared with any of the complete and genuine plates of Pulikēśin II, nothing abnormal is to be found in these plates. The inscription on these is of about the same length as on others. As regards the dating of the grant, I may point out that the Haidarābād, Kāndalgaon and the Kopparam plates7 belong to the later Chālukya grants and as such give the details of the date in the body of the text. But it can be easily seen that the Chipḷūṇ plates have no date at all and the scanty details of the date in the Goa8 and Sātārā plates are to be found partly in the body and partly at the end of the text. Even the dates of the Yekkēri9 and Aihoḷe10 stone inscriptions are recorded practically at the end. It must be said, however, that, as far as I know, of all the genuine records of Pulikēśin II, only the Aihoḷe inscription refers to his victories in specific terms. It is therefore not safe to depend on those records for dating the Harsha-Pulikēśin war. The dateof the present grant is given thus in the last line : dvipañchāśad-adhikē śakā(t-ā)bda-pañchakē. With the obvious correction suggested,11 the date would be 552. As Pulikēśin II’s reign extended at least from Śaka 532 to 556, and if the date 552 be referred to the Śaka era, then the grant falls within his regnal period. This is also borne out by the genealogy given above. Of the localities mentioned in this grant, it is very difficult to say whether the very well known Girnār in the Junagad State is implied here by Girinagara. But there is a village called Girnara in each of the Igatpuri, Malegaon, Nasik and Baglan taluqas of the Nasik District.12 It is possible that one of these four, most probably the one in the Baglan taluqa, is meant here. _________________________________
[1] For instance, see Proceedings of the Indian History Congress, Calcutta Session 1939, p. 586 etseq. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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