South Indian Inscriptions

EPIGRAPHIA INDICA

A large number of epigraphs collected from the Hāvēri taluk of the Dharwar District reveals the existence of an ancient line of Śilāhāra chiefs that had domiciled in that region.^[1] The earliest of these records referring itself to the reign of the Rāshṭrakūṭa monarch Amōghavarsha (9th century) mentions Kaliyammarasa, the first known member of this family, as holding the office of nōḷgāmuṇḍu.^[2] An examination of several records containing references to this family shows that this office was held hereditarily by its members and that their authority extended over the tract of Bāsavura-140. This humble position of these chiefs seems to have improved in course of time, for, they are addressed as Mahāsāmantas under the Western Chālukyas and Mahāmaṇḍalēśvaras under the Yādavas of Dēvagiri during the 11th and the 13th centuries.^[3] While giving their praśasti reference is frequently made to their Khachara race and the serpent banner.^[4] The usual Śilāhāra title denoting connection with the city of Tagara is not found in it. Unlike the other branches, this family appears to have been a follower of Jainism, as Padmāvatī of the Jain pantheon was their tutelary goddess,

A petty offshoot of the Śilāhāra lineage stretching over three generations, apparently bearing no connection with the Śilāhāra families noticed above was functioning at Terdal in the Belgaum District during the twelfth century. Jains by persuasion, they adored the goddess Padmāvatī. They had the emblem of peacock feathers as their ensign.^[5]

One more family of Śilāhāra Mahāmaṇḍaḷēśvaras, who had migrated further south to the region of the Kurnool District of the Madras Presidency, has been lately brought to light by the inscriptions copied in that area. One of these from Erramaṭham^[6] dated in A.D. 1075 during the reign of the Western Chālukya king Bhuvanaikamalla (Sōmēśvara II) introduces his feudatory Satyarasa of the Śilāhāra family, who constructed a temple at the village in the name of his father Bikkarasa. This chief figures again in another record^[7] from the same area, a few years later (A. D. 1082) during the subsequent reign of Vikramāditya VI. A damaged record of the latter reign coming from the same parts^[8] mentions another chief named Rājāditya of the Śilāhāra lineage, who seems to have been connected with the family of Satyarasa. In the first of these record Satyarasa is given the titles, Tagarapuravarēśvara,^[9]Pratyaksha-Jīmūtavāha-kuḷa-sambhava and Mandākinīvaraprasādōdita (prosperous through the grace and boon of the goddess Gaṅgā). It may be noted that the combination of these titles, which are rather characteristic, distinguishes this family from others.^[10]

It may be seem from the foregoing that besides the three hitherto known branches of the Śilāhāra stock, there flourished at least seven other distinct branches including the Akkalkōṭ line of the present record.

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^[1]Above, Vol. XIX, pp. 180 ff. and B. K. Nos. 10, 12, 19, 32, 37, 41, 78, 123, 153, etc., of 1932-33.
^[2]B. K. No. 24 of 1932-33.
^[3] Above, Vol. XIX, p. 184, etc.
^[4] The phrase, pannagadhvaja-virājamāna or sarpadhvaja-śōbhita, is met with in some records describing the titles of this family. The Northern Koṅkaṇ and other branches generally mention their banner of the Golden Eagle (Suvarṇa-garuḍa-dhvaja).
^[5]Ind. Ant., Vol. XIV, pp. 22 ff.
^[6]A. R. No. 317 of 1937-38.
^[7]Ibid. No. 33 of 1942-43.
^[8]Ibid. No. 64 of 1942-43.
^[9] Slight verbal alterations in the eminent Śilāhāra title denting authority over Tagara seem to have been devised for distinguishing the different branches. The Northern Konkaṇbranch used the title Tagarapuriparamēśvara. The Bijapur, Akkalkōṭ and Kothapur families had it in its modified form Tagaravuravarādhīśvara, The Eḷamēla family had changed it into Tagaranagarādhīśvara. Tagarapuravarēśvara of the Kurnool branch is one more instance to the point.
^[10] Some of the records referred to in the course of the above discussion ofseveral Śilāhāra families are unpublished. I am grateful to the Government Epigraphist for India for having kindly permitted me to study this material.