South Indian Inscriptions

EPIGRAPHIA INDICA

NANDSA YUPA INSCRIPTIONS

Let us now proceed to discuss the historic data supplied by the record. ^[1] It is a eulogy of the Mālava king [Śrī ?]sōma. It is interesting to note that neither this king not his father or his grand-father bears any royal, feudatory or military title, like mahārāja, rājan or sēnāpati. It would appear that the republican traditions were still strong among the Mālavas, and no regal titles were permitted to their rulers even when they had established hereditary dynasties ruling at least for three generations. Inscription B. l. 4 refers to the hero supporting the ancestral yoke of administration borne by his father and grandfather, and l. 15 gives their names. Inscription B, ll. 5-7, informs us that the hero had filled the space between the earth and heaven by his all-excelling fame, and had heralded and era of uncommon prosperity for his country. The fame of the king and the prosperity of the country must have been the result of some signal victory over an important enemy ; it is a pity that the record does not preserve his entire name.

We know that during the reign of Rudradāman I, in c. A. D. 150, the sphere of influence of the Śaka power had extended to Bahawalpur ; for the Girnar inscription of the above king informs us that he had conquered Maru (Marwar), Sindhu and Sauvīra (Southern and Northern Sindh). Rudradāman also claims to have defeated the Yaudhēyas, who were then occupying the Bahawalpur State and the territories beyond. ^[2] It will thus be seen that both the earlier and later homelands of the Mālavas had come under the rule of the Śakas in A. D. 150. The Śaka rule over these territories continued for about half a century. Then, however, started a struggle for the Śaka throne, lasting for about 15 years from c. A. D. 181 to 196, between the Mahākshatrapa Jīvadāman and his uncle Rudrasiṁha I. ^[3] This must have weakened the Kshatrapa power and given an opportunity to the Mālavas to assert themselves. The father Jayasōma and the grandfather Prabhāgravarddhana (?) of the hero of these records were ruling from c. A. D. 180 to 200 and from A. D. 200 to 220 respectively. Whether they initiated any revolt against the Kshatrapa power is not definitely known.

If the record really uses the epithet jayanartana with reference to its hero’s grandfather, it is likely that he may have scored some victories. But these need not necessarily; have been in any open revolt against the Śakas. Probably he fought as a partisan either of the uncle or of the nephew in the struggle for the throne that was being fought in the Śaka kingdom at that time ; his victories may be the victories which he had won for his suzerain. The real revolt must have been initiated by [Śrī ?]sōma himself. He describes his bravery as sva-śakti-guṇa-guruṇā ‘ great on account of the quality of his own prowess ’. This epithet is more or less similar to the title svayam=adhigata-mahā-kshatrapa-nāmnā, which Rudradāman I had taken for himself, and may have been even suggested by it. The Śaka ruler defeated by [Śrī ?] sōma may have been either Rudrasēna I (A. D. 200-222) or one of his younger brothers, Saṅghadāman (A. D. 222-3) or Dāmasēna (A. D. 223-235). Most probably it was Saṅghadāman, the shortness of whose reign may have been due to his having died in the struggle against the Mālavas. It is interesting to note in this connection that his death took place only three years before the date of our record, and after a short reign of only about one year.

It was probably to celebrate his signal victory over the Śakas that king [Śrī ?]sōma performed the Ēkashashṭirātra sacrifice. The sacred texts state that as a result of this sattra, nature regains its original vigour and brilliance and there ensues a period of all round prosperity.^[4] During the

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^[1] Since both the records are almost identical, they will henceforth be referred to in the singular.
^[2] Above, Vol. VIII, p. 44.
^[3] Rapson, A Catalogue of Indian Coins, Andhras, Kshatrapas, etc., p. cxxv.
^[4] Pañchaviṁśa Brāhmaṇa. 24, 18.