Sanskrit Inscriptions (J): The Rāṣṭrakūṭas

[Study of Sanskrit Inscriptions Issued During Early and Early Medieval Period (J): The Rāṣṭrakūṭas]

Now we will discuss further the inscriptions issued from northern India by the kings of Rāṣṭrakūṭa dynasty, a premier dynasty (generally known as south Indian dynasty) at that time. We may agree with the view of A. S. Altekar that the period of Rāṣṭrakūṭa ascendancy in the Deccan from about 753 CE to 975 CE constitutes perhaps the most brilliant chapter in its history. This is remarkable;no other ruling dynasty played such a dominant part as an imperial power in the history of Deccan till the rise of the Marathas in the eighteenth century. Although the Rāṣṭrakūṭa Empire was originally from southern India, it is relevant to facilitate negotiations. There are only two Sanskrit inscriptions of Rāṣṭrakūṭa dynasty that were found in the northern region of India, that records mobility of vedic brāhmaṇas for various purposes related to the vedic culture.

Shortly before the collapse of the Cālukyas, a family of the Rāṣtrakūṭas was gradually coming into prominence in Deccan. By the middle of the seventh century, they were leaning towards a small Kingdom in Berar and gained fame under Dantidurga who later became the founder of the Rāṣṭrakūṭa Empire. During c. 741 CE, Ellora Plates of Dantidurga, refers to three brāhmaṇas. They were Ādityabhatta, Maula, and Govisara, and all of them were emigrants from Navasārikā.^[1] They were granted the village of Pippalāla in the district of Candrapuri by the king. D.C. Sircar identifies Navasārikā with Nausari in the Surat district of modern Gujarat.^[2] The donated village Pippalāla holds its original name till today, about thirty-three miles from Ellora near Aurangabad in north Maharashtra. Hence the all the donees went to Maharashtra from Gujarat.

The Hilol Plates of Year 470 (c. 788 CE)^[3] issued by King Kakka records a grant of two pieces of land. The first piece was donated in favor of Bhaṭṭa Mātṛgaṇa, who belonged to Kāśyapa gotra and a well versed in the Vedas and its six aṇgas of Mādhyandina-śākhā of Śukla-Yajurveda. This grant was issued from Harshapura, and the donee Bhaṭṭa Mātṛgaṇa was hailing from Sānanda, that bear the same name Sānand near Ahmedabad in Gujarat.^[4] And Harshapura is identified with Harsol on the Meshwa river of Kaira district.

The land of the second part was bounded in all directions by the fields belonging to the other brāmhaṇa. Those who were neighbors are, (sāmantaḥ) Bhaṭisvāmin, Brāmhaṇa neighbor Sāṃjaka, the neighbor Īśvara of Madahara, Brāmhaṇa Bhaṭṭa Prathilla, the neighbor Dhāiṃka of Madahara, Bhaṭṭa Īśvara (who was an inhabitant of Sīharakhijya) and the brahmaṇa neighbor Sambaśarman. The witness to this gift was the Brahmaṇas Aggaka, and Vārīśa, Bhaṭṭa Lella, an inhabitant of the village Khallāpalli, Koṭaka, Brāhmaṇa Bhaṭṭa Datta who was an inhabitant of the village Kūsamba, Brāhmaṇa Seṇabhaṭṭa, Brāhmaṇa Tūśeka and Siddhuyaka. Siharakhi or Siharakhibjya is identified with the modern-Serakhinear Baroda. Khallāpalli is probably Khadāl (or Kharāl) about 10 miles east of Hilol, across the Vātrak river and Kūsamba seems to be Kösam two miles north of Khadāl.^[5]

It is noteworthy that in the presence of the group of officials stationed at Harshapur, brāhmaṇa (probably a judge), who was versed in the six aṇgas (of the Vedas) and Bhāulla of Vālekhabha and in the presence of all the people the land gifted by the illustrious Candrāditya was accepted by Mātṛgaṇa.

Govindarāja issued the Prince of Wales Museum Plates in c. 810 CE. The plates record agrant of the village Usauṇaka in the Vāhāula-caturāśīti to Brāhmaṇa Bhobika, son of Bhaṭṭa Jaya, an emigrant from Gauḍa-deśa. At the time of the grant, he was residing at Charmmanihauha,^[6] also known as Chamarwara. The editor of the plates, M.G. Dikshit, identifies the donated village Usauṇaka with modern Wasan in the former Baroda state in Gujarat. So we may conclude thus, the donee was migrated from any one of the Gauḍas, eastern region of India, and came to settle down in Baroda region in Gujarat, where he received this village as a donation.

Karaka Suvarṇavarṣa was also of the viceregal family of Gujarat, by his Baroda grant of c. 812 CE, granted the village of Vadapadraka included in the Amkoṭṭāka. D. C. Sircar^[7] identifies the places with modern Baroda and Akota (a suburb of Baroda), respectively. The recipient of the grant Bhānubhaṭṭa, son of Somāditya, had come from Valabhī,^[8] in Gujarat and the village that he received from Karkka Suvarṇavarṣa also lay within Gujarat.

Another Rāṣṭrakūṭa King Indra-III issued the Jambgaon grant in c. 914-915 CE. Through the gift, the villages of Kurundaka, Tenna and others in the vicinity of Kammanija situated in Lāṭadeśa were given to brāhmaṇas. Among these villages, Tenna is the same as modern Ten near Kamrej in the Navsari division of former Baroda state in Gujrat. The donee was the Brāhmaṇa Siddhapabhaṭṭa, son of Vennapabhaṭṭa, who was originally from Pāṭaliputra^[9] which is generally identified with Patna in Bihar. It is noteworthy that according to D.C. Sircar, there is a Pāṭaliputra in the South Arcot district of Madras and the name Pātaliputra has been given to modern Cuddalore, probably by the brāhmaṇas. They migrated there from Pāṭaliputra in the north.^[10] Hence, migration may have taken place either from the east or from the south in this case. However, the names of the donee and his father Siddhapabhaṭṭa and Vennapabhaṭṭa respectively indicate that they both were South Indians. So the donee Siddhapabhaṭṭa maybe emigrated from Cuddalore and went to the Baroda region in Gujarat.

Another grant of the time of Indra-III from Chinchani dated c. 926-927 CE mentions that an endowment was made consisting of a village Kanaduka and some land in Devihara village so that the income accruing from it could be utilized for the maintenance. However, vedic reference is so inadequate, it bears a lot of information regarding migration. The purpose of the grant was for the feeding of nine people belonging to Pañca-Gaudiya-mahāpariṣad of Samyāna^[11] and for maintenance of a mathika to worship the goddess Daśamī. The term Gaudīya here has been used in the sense of North Indian brāhmaṇas in general. In the south, the brāhmaṇas are divided into five classes, collectively known as Pañca-Drāvida according to D.C. Sircar.^[12] Similarly, in the northern brāhmaṇas, were divided into the five groups-Sarasvata, Kānyakubja, Gauḍa, Maithila, and Utkala-together given the general name Gauḍa. He further added, the term Gauḍa in this case, has been applied to North Indians generally. So the brāhmaṇas who benefited by this charter could have traveled to Thane near Bombay and formed a mahāpariṣad or assembly there and then received a grant.

In Cambay Plates of Govinda-IV (c. 930 CE)^[13] issued by another Rāṣṭrakūṭa ruler Govinda-IV, who was a worshiper of both Viṣṇu and Śiva;granted the village of Kevañja lying near the holy place Kāvikā and situated in the Kheṭaka or modern Kheda in Kaira district in Gujarat viz. Lāṭadeśa,^[14] Kevañja, and Kāvikā have not yet been located. As per the description, they were included within the community of Kaira in Gujarat. The donee was the Brāhmaṇa Nāgamayya, son of Mahādevayya, belonging to the Māṭhara-gotra and a student of Vājasaneya-Kāṇva-śākhā.

Several vedic references can be seen here in this inscription. This grant carried with it certain rights like udraṅga, uparikara etc. and for the purpose of maintaining the bali, caru, vaiśvadeva and atithi-tarpaṇa and for the performance of the alternative, essential and occasional rites (kāmya-nitya-naimittika-karmas); and for the production of fortnightly śrāddhas and sacrificial ceremonies such as Darśapūrṇamāsa, Cāturmāsya, Ashṭakā and Āgrayaṇa rites and for the purpose of preparing the caru, puroḍāśa, sthālīpāka and so forth; for the purpose of granting priest fees and gifts (dāna-dakshiṇā) in connection with homa, niyama, the study of one’s own Veda (svādhyāya) and religious service; for the purpose of providing accessory assistance for the rites concerning Rājasūya, and the seven forms of the Soma sacrifice (sapta-soma) such as the offering garments, ornaments, entertainment, gift, sacrificial fees and among others (vastrlaṃkārasatkāradānadakshiṇādi) to the various priests such as Maitrāvaruṇa, Adhvaryu, Hotṛ, Brāhmaṇacchaṃsin, Grāvastut and Agnidhra;and for the purpose of supplying the requisite materials for preparing sattra, prapā, pratiśraya, vṛshotsarga, reservoirs, wells, tanks, orchards, temples and among others.

Brāhmaṇa Nāgamayya is described as staying at Mānyakheṭa and subsisting on the feet of Vallabhanarendradeva, i.e.,Govinda IV himself. He is described as staying at Mānyakheṭa or Malkhedat the time of the grant, although initially, he had been a resident of the hoły place of Kāvikā,^[15] near which lay the gift village Kevañja. So, Nāgamārya, who at one time had lived in a village in the Kaira district of Gujarat, went southwards to Malkhed in Mysore sometime before the date of the grant, probably in search of employment. Mānyakheṭa is Mālkhed in Gulbagra District, Karnataka. Kevañja, the village granted, is the Kimoj or Kimaj of the present day. Kāvikā is well known Kāvi and Kheṭaka is modern Kaira.

The Sāngli grant of Govinda-IV issued in the c. 933 CE records a gift Lohāgrāma included in the Ramapuri-700,^[16] to Keśava Dikṣiṭa, son of Dāmodarabhaṭṭa who had lived in Pumdravardhana viz. North Bengal (Pundravardhana is a general term comprising North Bengal). The donated village Lohāgrāma and Rāmapuri-700 of which of them was a unit that has not been determined yet. But village names with numbers were common in Maharashtra and southern region, especially in Kanara during the 9^th to 10^th century. It was a common phenomenon that Rāṣṭrakūta records give names of villages and territorial units^[17] like Belgol-300, Banavāsi-12,000, Purigeri-300, Bagenad70, Kinsukad-70 and others since the dynasty was mainly flourished in the southern region of India. From this, it can be easily inferred that the donated village was located in Maharashtra and at that time it was ruled by the Rāṣṭrakūta kings. Hence Keśava Dikṣita, the donee of this grant, emigrated from North Bengal and went far away to South Maharashtra, where he was benefited by this grant with usual rights and privileges from the Rāṣṭrakūṭa ruler Govinda-IV.

A few years after Govinda-IV, Krṣna-III came to power. And then, in c. 940 CE, Krṣna-III issued the Deoli Plates. A brāhmaṇa named Rishiappa or Rishiyapayya^[18] received a village called Tālapuruṃṣaka by this grant. Which is not adequately identified;however, some idea can be made about the current location of the donated community. The donated village Tālapuruṃṣaka was bounded on the south by the river Kanhanā, which is bearing the same name till today and running from the north-west of Nagpur. And on the west another village Mohama which is present Mohgaon situated in the Chhindwara district, fifty miles to the north-west of Nagpur and on the north by Vadhira, which is Berdi near Nagpur. So the donated village was apparently in the vicinity of Nagpur in Maharashtra. This inscription does not mention the original homeland of the donee. However, R.G. Bhandarkar the editor of this charter suggests, that as the donee’s name ends with ‘appa’ or ‘apayya’, the donee most probably was a south Indian. KrṣnaIII soon after his accession in c. 939 CE, had turned his attention to the south. He came into conflict with Parāntaka Cola. As a result of this political disturbance,^[19] the Brahmaṇa Rishiappa may have left his home in the south and migrated northwards to the Nagpur region in Maharashtra.

There was a time when Bengal was devoid of vedic brāhmaṇas. Still, migration from the Bengal region to other parts of India was a common scenario during the 10th century, which is evidenced by Gonori plates of Paramāra King Vākpatirāja and among others. A Rāṣṭrakūṭa grant titled as Kolagallu Inscription of Khottiga dated c. 967 CE, contains a eulogy of donee Brāhmaṇa Gadādhara who was inhabited at Tadagrāma situated at Dinajpur in north Bengal. The charter records he came to Kolagallu, which is in south India from North Bengal.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Ibid., vol. XXV, p. 30.

[2]:

D.C. Sircar, op. cit., p. 207.

[3]:

USVAE, vol. V, pp. 443-446.

[4]:

A collateral branch of the Raṣırakūtas acted as viceroys of Gujarat and Mālava. Candrāditya was a Viṣayapati under Karka II. There is some controversy as regards the overlord of Candrāditya. H.D. Sankalia prefers to identify him with a Karka or Kakka of the Rāṣtrakūṭa family of Central India. According to him, if we identify Kakka of this record of c. 788 CE with Kakka of the ‘Antroli-Chharoli Plates’ of c. 757 CE (IA, vol. XXXI, p. 334), would give him too long period to rule. But D.C. Sircar believes that Karka of Central India was the father of Rāṣṭrakūṭa Prabala of the Pathari Inscription of c. 861 CE (EI, vol. 1X, p. 248). However, D.C. Sircar finds it doubtful that Karka could have ruled seventy-five years earlier than the date of his son's record. We also know of the Kings who ruled for a long time, e.g. Dharmapāla c. 770-815 CE, Candella Dhaṇga c. 954-1002 CE and Paramāra Bhoja, c. 1000-1055 CE. Therefore, the period of thirty-one years between the Antroli-Chharoli Plates and the Hilol Plates is not too much. Moreover Candrāditya's overlord Kakka having semi-independent titles Mahāsāmantādhipati Paramarajādhirāja Parameśvara, is no other than Kakka Il of the Gujarat branch, as he probably assumed semi-independence after the death of Dantidurga. Furthermore, there is no evidence to prove whether Karka of Central India was an imperial rular or semiindependent ruler. Hence D.C. Sircar correctly identifies Kakka of the Hilol Plates with either Kakka 11 of the Antroli-Chharoli Plates, or with a descendant of the latter. This identification seems more probable than that of Sankalia.] of this family, issued the Hilol Plates of the year c. 788 CE as suggested by H.D. Sankalia, who edits the plates, and by D.C. Sircar (ibid., vol. XXXIV p. 219). Both of them ascribe the date to the Gupta-Valabhī era. These plates record a donation of two pieces of land, one in Pādāṭaka-grāma andthe other in the south of Hilohilagrāma. The donee Bhatta Mātrgaṇa, son of Matriśvara, had come from Sānanda-sthāna (ibid., p. 217). This Sānanda-sthāna is the same as Sanand, a railway station on the Ahmedabad-Viramgam line about twelve miles west of Ahmedabad and the headquarters of the taluka of the same name. As regards, the two villages in which the gifted propereties lay, former one was Hilohila , which is identical with modern Hilol in the Dehgam-taluka of the Ahmedabad district and the other village Pādāṭaka , which may be identical with modern Pahada or Pada near Raudavat, about a mile east of Hilol. Thus, both the donee's original home and the gifted properties were in Ahmedabad region in Gujarat.

[5]:

USVAE, vol. V, p. 446.

[6]:

EI, vol. XXVI, p. 253.

[7]:

D.C. Sircar, op. cit., p. 256.

[8]:

IA, vol. XII, p. 160.

[9]:

EI, vol. IX, p. 36.

[10]:

D.C. Sircar, op. cit., pp. 211, 297.

[11]:

EI, vol. XXXII, p. 53.

[12]:

D.C. Sircar, op. cit., pp. 128-129.

[13]:

USVAE, vol. VII, pp. 156-166.

[14]:

This portion states how the king was protecting the grants to temples and agrahāras though they were resumed by previous rulers and was generously making hundreds of land grants daily. On that occasion he weighed himself against gold, when he ascended the scales, he bestowed on brāhmaṇas six hundred agrahāras and three lacs of suvarṇa coins, and on temple eight hundred villages, four lacs of survarṇas and thirty-two lacs of dramas. Afterwards, he granted the village of Kevañja.

[15]:

EI, vol. VII, p. 40.

[16]:

IA, vol. XII, p. 251.

[17]:

A.S. Altekar, Rāṣırakūṭas and their Times, pp. 77, 112.

[18]:

EI, vol. V, p. 196.

[19]:

A.S. Altekar, op. cit., p. 116.