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The Indian Analyst
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South Indian Inscriptions |
SOCIETY the chālukyas, the Rāshtrakūtas, The Chandēllas and the Pālas. The Śaka king Śridharavarman and the Gurjaras, some of whom bore names ending in bhata,1 Were also probably regarded as Kshatriyas. The latter, in their later records, claim to have descended from Karna, the son of Kunti by the sun. They were, therefore, probably regarded as born of the race of the Sun. That they claimed to be Kshatriyas is also clear from the Jodhpur insription of Bāuka, in which their ancestor Dadda I is spoken of as the son of Brahmana father and a KShatriya mother.2 Many of the important civil and military offices must have been by the Kshatriyas. The State functionaries mentioned in early grants, whose names ended in bhata, probably belonged to the warrior catse.3 Some Kshatriyas followed peaceful vocations. Several records of the Kalachuris of Ratanpur mention Kumārāpala of the Haihaya lineage as a scribe. He was known for calligraphy, and out of curiosity wrote several praśatis.4 He had made a deep study of politics, literature and poetics, and himself composed prasatis of no mean literary merit.5
Next to the Kshatriyas came the Vaiśyas. They were doubtless engaged in trade and commerce, and exercised great influence at the royal court as well as in the Pañchakulas.6 Some towns which had predominantly a merchant population were known as vaniń-nagaras (merchant-towns).7 All the affairs of such towns were managed by the Pañchakulas elected by them. Some merchants were appointed Mayors of towns8 and contributed liberally to the religious and charitable institutions in the State. Some Vaisyas distinguished themselves in the military professions also. Several later records9 from Chhattisgarh give a glowing description of the victories won by Vallabharaja, a Vaiśya feudatory of the Kalachuris of Ratanpur. He constructed several temples, excavated tanks and reared mango groves.10 He was specially favoured by Lāchchhalladēvi, the queen of Ratnadeva II. who treated him as her own son.11
The Kāyasthas were another influential community. Their descent from a legendary
sage named Kachara who practised penance at Kulāňchā in Gauda is mentioned in a fragmentary inscription of the reign of Karna.12 Gōllāka alias Gauda, the Amātya of Yuvarājadēva I, probably belonged to the kāyastha caste. He is known from several huge rockcut images which he caused to be carved at Bāndhōgargh.13 Some of his descendants like
Sōmēśvara served the Kalachuris of Tripurī by diplomacy as well as personal valour. Some
Kāyasthas who settled in Chhattisgarh belonged to the Vāstavya family. Their ancestor
Govinda had emigrated from the Chēdi mandala. His grandson Ratnasimha and great grandson Dēvagana were learned persons who composed praśastis of considerable merit.14
The Kāyasthas were generally employed as clerks and are mentioned as scribes in some
1No. 21, 1.7.
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