Political History of Northern India

SR No.: 001744
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Gulabchandra Chaudhary
Publisher: Sohanlal Jain Dharm Pracharak Samiti Amrutsar
Publication Year: 1954
Total Pages: 482
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, History, & Culture
File Size: 10 MB

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POLITICAL HISTORY OF N. INDIA FROM JAIN SOURCES
II. THE RASTRAKUTAS OF HASTIKUNDI
During the Rāṣṭrakūta invasion of Northern India certain Răștrakūta chiefs settled in Northern India and from them sprang several petty dynasties about which fortunately we have information from several inscriptions found in Northern India.
About one of the branches of this family which settled in Rajasthāna we know from a Jain inscription. This branch is named by the historians ast the Rästrakūtas of Hastikundi. The inscription is called Bijapur stone inscription of Dhavala and it was discovered in a Jain temple situated in a lonely place about two miles from village Bijapur in the Bali district of the Jodhpur division.' It consists of two separate records incised on the same stone. The first contains twenty-two lines and is dated V.E. 1053 (997 A.D.) and the second eleven lines and is dated V.E. 996 (949 A.D.). Both seem independent of each other and open with the praise of Jain Tirthankaras or Jain religion.2
Verse 3 of the first record refers to a royal family but, unfortunately, the name of the family is lost. From verse 3 of the second record we know that the name of the family, definitely, was Rāṣṭrakūta. In verse 4, we are introduced to prince Harivarman and his wife Ruchi. From Harivarman sprang Vidagdha (v. 5) and from Vidagdha, Mammata (v. 8); from Mammața came Dhavala (v. 9) and Dhavala's son was Bālaprasāda (v. 19).
The second part of the inscription seems older and it records only the first three members of the dynasty. The object of this inscription is to show that Vidagdharāja built a caitya grave at Hastikundi for his guru Balabhadra. The former prince in V.E. 973 granted certain donations, two-third of the proceeds of which was to go to the Jina (Arkat) and one-third to the guru Balabhadra as Vidyadhana. The grants were renewed by Mammata in V.E. 996. The nature of grant is described in verses 8-17.
The first record supplies us certain material of historical value. It states that Dhavala gave shelter to the armies of a king whose name is lost.
1 JASB., 1893, Pt. I, pp. 308-14; EI., X, p. 17 ff; the full text of the inscription is also published in the Jain Lekha-sangraha, Pt. I, p. 233, No. 898 (Calcutta).
± EI., X, p. 18, V. परवादिदर्पमथनं जिनेन्द्रवरशासनं जयति ।
3
. .
राष्ट्रकूटकुलकाननकल्पवृक्षः।
4. V. 14 आदानादे तस्माद्भागद्वयमर्हतः वृतं गुरुणा ।
शेषतृतीयभागो विद्याधनमात्मनो विहितः ॥