South Indian Inscriptions

EPIGRAPHIA INDICA

The Kalachuris certainly extended their power over the northern Maratha country and Malwa^[1] and probably also over some adjoining regions. King Kṛishṇa’s coins, styled Kṛishṇarāja-rūpaka in the Anjaneri inscription of Pṛithivīchandra Bhōgaśakti, dated 709 A.D., are not only found in the Nasik District but also in the islands of Bombay and Salsette.^[2] The above facts no doubt suggest that the Kalachuris very probably succeeded in extending their power over the Gujarat-Kathiawar region or at least over wide regions of that area and that, from the middle of the sixth century A.D., all rulers of that region, bearing subordinate titles, owed allegiance to the Kalachuris. It may further be noted that the date of our inscription falls in the period between the rule of the Maitraka ruler Dharasēna II (Gupta-Valabhī years 252-70=571-89 A.D.) and that of Śīlāditya I Dharmāditya (Gupta-Valabhī year 286-90=605-09 A.D.). Thus if Vishṇushēṇa (Vishṇubhaṭa) actually belonged to the Maitraka dynasty, his rule may be accommodated between 589 and 605 A.D., although it has to be admitted that the introductory part of the epigraph under study does not follow that of the Maitraka records. But if Lōhāṭā, and not Valabhī, was his headquarters, it is possible to suggest that he was ruling side by side with the Maitraka king or kings of Valabhī, even though he belonged to the same family or a branch of it. Lōhāṭā is, however, mentioned as Lōhāṭaka-grāma in the endorsement and may have been merely a village in the dominions of Vishṇushēṇa.

The inscription says that Vishṇushēṇa had been approached by the community of merchants, apparently of Lōhāṭā as suggested by the endorsement, with the request of being favoured with the ruler’s āchāra-sthiti-pātra which they might utilise in protecting and favouring their own people (lōka-saṁgrah-ānugrahārtham) and that the merchants were actually favoured with the ruler’s sthiti-pātra used in the protection and settlement of the people of his dominions (janapadasya……. parirakshaṇa-sannivēśanāya). This sthiti-pātra or āchāra-sthiti-pātra is elsewhere also called anugraha-sthiti-pātra, sthiti-vyavasthā and sthiti-pātra-vyavasthā and is actually a long list of regulations which look like prevalent customary laws without much modification. At the end, king Vishṇushēṇa (Vishṇubhaṭa) further says that, in addition to the āchāras quoted, he also approved of other āchāras that were handed down from ancient times. He ends with the request that his anugraha-sthiti-pātra should be approved and followed by the future rulers of the country. The executor (dūtaka) of the document was Bhaḍḍaka who was an officer of the department of war and peace (sandhivigrah-ādhikaraṇ-ādhikṛita). The main document ends with the date and the representation of Vishṇushēṇa’s signature.

This is followed by an endorsement according to which Sāmanta Avanti issued an order from Darpapura to his own officials informing them that he had given his assent to the sthiti-vyavasthā granted by the illustrious Vishṇubhaṭa (Vishṇushēṇa) to the community of merchants residing at Lōhāṭakagrāma (apparently the same as Lōhāṭā, from where Vishṇushēṇa’s document had been issued) and that persons conducting their respective trades and following the above sthiti-pātra-vyavasthā should not be disturbed in any way. The endorsement ends with the second date referred to above. Whether Sāmanta Avanti was a subordinate of Mahāsāmanta-Mahārāja Vishṇushēṇa (Vishṇubhaṭa) or whether the Lōhāṭā area came to form a part of the district ruled by Avanti at a later date cannot be satisfactorily determined. It is not improbable that Avanti was a Gurjara who dated his document in the Kalachuri era. If this suggestion may be accepted the endorsement is to be regarded as dated in 605 A.D., only about 13 years after the original document.

The said list of regulations or customary laws, which is full of obscure and technical words, is very valuable not only to a lexicographer but also to all students of ancient Indian history.

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^[1] They granted lands in the Nasik region and issued charters from Ujjayinī and Vaidiśa (Vidiśā). Cf. Bhandarkar, loc. cit., Nos. 1206-08.
^[2] Above, Vol. XXV, p. 229.