South Indian Inscriptions

EPIGRAPHIA INDICA

Malla,^[1] son of Vaiṇasiṁha or Vaiṇapāla, who was in charge of the management of the temple. The request was granted by the governor in consultation with his secretary.^[2] The governor is stated to have given the verdict that as it (i.e. worship in the temple) was the religious duty of the petitioners, they should follow it (lines 11-14).

Then come four verses, all in the Śārdūlavikrīḍita metre. In verse 1 the Sultan is mentioned as Mahīmada. Verses 1-2 together summarise the main facts stated before. The only additional information furnished by them is that the said Malla was a Kāyastha and that the installation of the deity took place according to the prescribed rites such as the chanting of the mantras at night during the Rōhiṇī nakshatra. It is interesting to note that on the date cited previously the Krittikā nakshatra lasted till ·34, followed by Rōhiṇī thereafter. Verse 3 seems to allude to the Puranic episode of the destruction of the Three Cities by the god Śiva. Verse 4 praises the deity Madhukēśvara, i.e. Śiva, as the supreme god and invokes his blessings. In the prose passage that follows (lines 29-31) is introduced Vijāditya who wrote (i.e. drafted) the charter. He is described as one respected by Syara Sihādā-rāja^[3] who appears to have been an officer of some importance, probably a prince of the royal family. It is not unlikely that he is identical with Syāra Mallika mentioned in line 8. This Vijāditya appears to have been a person of some learning, though his composition has been spoiled by the ignorant engraver. The last two lines (31-32) are damaged. Line 31 again refers to Ṭhakura and Madhukēśvara.

The inscription is of unique historical importance. The ruling king introduced as Mahārājādhirāja-śrī-Suratāṇa must no double be Sultan Muhammad Shah bin Tughluq. The epithet Suratāṇa is a Prakrit form of Suratrāṇa (cf. lines 14-15) which is a Sanskritised form of Sultān. Muhammad Shah’s accession took place a few days after the death of his father Ghiyās-ud-dīn Tughluq in February or March 1325 A.D.^[4] The areas around Kalyāṇa might have been annexed by Muhammad Shah himself in the course of his campaigns against Warangal and Bidar during the life-time of his father when he was acting as the viceroy of the southern province under his original name Ulugh Khan.^[5] Our inscription dated 1326 A.D. falls in the second year of Muhammad Shah’s reign. It thus furnishes the earliest epigraphic evidence so far known for the reign of the king.^[6]

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^[1] This name is spelt as Māla in one place and Malla in two places. Similarly, the family name Ṭhakkura given alternately as Ṭhakura and Ṭhākura and perhaps wrongly as Ṭākura also.
^[2] The name of this secretary appears to be Jaṁḍadāsa (lines 12-13). It is not unlikely that the same person is mentioned as Jaṁḍamala in line 8 immediately after Shōjā Ahamada. Compare the name of Mulla’s father mentioned with variations as Vaiṇapāla (line 12) and Vaiṇasimha (line 17).
^[3] Sihādā may be corrupt form of Shāhjādā, meaning a prince.
^[4] Cambridge History of India, Vol. II, p. 135.
^[5] Aiyangar, South India and Her Muhammadan Invaders, 1921, pp. 133-34.
^[6] It is interesting to note that two inscriptions associated with the Sultan are found in the south. One of them, in Persian, from Rajahmundry is dated September 12, 1324 A.D. (Sewell and Aiyangar, Historical Inscriptions, etc., p. 182). But it is clear that Muhammad Shah was not the reigning king at that time. As the record mentions the name Muhammad Shah which was assumed by the Sultan after his accession, it is possible to think that the epigraph was set up later in his reign. The second one is dated in his ninth year (1334 A.D.) and comes from Panaiyūr in the former Pudukotta State (Aiyangar, op. cit., p. 153).