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The Indian Analyst
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South Indian Inscriptions |
INSCRIPTIONS OF THE TRAIKUTAKAS (Line 5) For increasing the religious merit and fame of (Our) mother and father and Ourself, the village Kanīyas-Tadākāsārikā (Smaller Tadākāsārikā), situated in this very vishaya, has been conferred (by Us) on the Brāhmana Nannasvāmin, a resident of Kāpura, for as long as the moon, the sun, the oceans and the earth will endure, (not to be entered by chātas and bhatas1) except (to punish) thieves and rebels, to be exempt from all taxes (ditya) and forced labour (and) to be enjoyed by a succession of sons and sons’ sons. (L. 6) Wherefore, none shall cause obstruction while he enjoys, cultivates and assigns (this village).(Here follows one benedictive and imprecatory verse). (L.8) (This) order (is issued), Buddhagupta being the dūtaka, (in) the year 200 (and) 7, on the thirteenth, (in figures) 10 and (and) 3, (lunar day) of the bright (fortnight) of Vaiśākha. No. 9; PLATE IV B THE plates were first brought to notice by Mr. A. M. T. Jackson, I.C.S., in a note which he added to Rev. H. R. Scott’s article entitled ‘Traikūtaka coins from the Poona District’ published in the Journal of the Bombay Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, Vol. XXIII, pp. I ff. They were subsequently edited with a translation and collotype plates, by Dr. E. Hultzsch in the Epigraphia Indica, Vol. XI, pp. 219 ff. I edit the inscription here from the facsimiles accompanying Dr. Hultzsch’s article.
The copper-plates were found at Surat. ‘They are two in number, each measuring between 9 ¼ and 9 ½ inches in breadth and about 3 ½ inches in height, and bear writing only on their inner sides. They are comparatively thin and have no raised rims, but the writing on them is in a state of fairly good preservation. A number of letters are filled with verdigris and therefore have not come out on the impressions, though their outlines are quite visible on the original plates. As in the case of the Pārdi plates there are two ring-holes at the bottom of the inscribed side of the first plate, and two corresponding ones at the top of the second plate. A long copper wire is passed through the two holes on the right, and its ends are twisted round, but not soldered. A second copper wire may have held the plates together on the left, but is now missing. The total weight of the plates and wire is 50 tolas.2’ The record consist of eighteen lines, nine being inscribed on the inner side of each plate. The average size of letters is about .2".
The characters are of the western variety of the southern alphabets and resemble
those of the Pārdī plates3. Attention may be drawn here to the following additional
peculiarities. The medial ā which is generally denoted by a horizontal stroke to the right
is brought down like a vertical stroke in -ārāti-, 1.5, while in the case of m and l it is
shown by a curve attached to the bottom of the letter, see pramānī-, 1.14, Hālāhala,
1.18. Notice also the curve denoting the mātrā for medial ē and ō in the case of m and n
in śarmmanē, 1.10 and mōdati, 1.16. The length of medial ī is in some cases (e.g., in
śrī-Mahārāja, 1.7) indicated by a dot and in others (e.g., in pallīkā-, 1. 14), it is
indicated by two curves turned in opposite directions. The medial ri is generally denoted
by curled curve, but in one case (viz., pramānīkritya 1. 14) the vowel is shown by a curve 1See above, p. 24, n. 9 Chātas and bhatas were charged with the maintenance of peace and order in
the kingdom. They correspond to modern policemen and soldiers. See below, p. 43, n. 12. |
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