Indian Antiquary Vol 09

SR No.: 032501
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1984
Total Pages: 398
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 17 MB

Page 49

FEBRUARY, 1880.)
A SILÅRA COPPER PLATE GRANT.
39
origin about 907 A. D." In the light of the information which we now possess, this is not altogether accurate. And, indeed, it is obvious that Colonel Taylor in this passage only refers to one branch of the Silê ra dynasty-the branch to which the various inscriptions found in and about Kolhapur appertain. There are, however, three different branches of that dynasty, disclosed in the various documents at present accessible. These documents were discussed pretty fully by Pandit Bhagvanlal Indraji in a paper in the Four. Bombay Br. R. Asiatic Society (1877), vol. XIII. pp. 1ff. He there distinguishes three dif- ferent branches of this dynasty, which, neverthe- less, appear to have flourished contemporane- ously. The grant before as belongs to the first branch of Pandit Bhagvânlal. And the series of kings, as it appears in this grant, is as follows:
1. Kapardi I.
2. Pulasakti 3. Kapardi II." (Saka 775-799)
4. Vatpuvanna
5. Zanza
(Saka 838)
6. Goggi 7. Vajjadadêva 8. Aparajita
It will be observed that this coincides with what is deducible from Dr. Bühler's Plate," so far as it goes. The first king of this series-for Jimata v â hana and Jim û taketu cannot be looked upon as historical, would appear to have flourished somewhere about the beginning of the 9th century of the Christian era. The third king Kapardi II. is identified by Pandit Bhagvânal with the "Kapardi... meditating on the feet of Pulasakti," who is mentioned in two of the Kan. hori Inscriptions, and the identification may be accepted without hesitation. It affords & very safe and tangible basis for the chronology of the Silâra dynasty. Pandit Bhagvânlal gives the Saka year 735 as the date of the first Kapardi. That appears to be an inference from the date of the second Kapardi, allow. ing twenty years a-piece to his two predecessors. The inference is not inadmissible, especially having regard to the fact that the Kanheri Inscription of Saka 775 speaks of the already flourishing and victorious reign of Kapardi II. It is not unlikely, indeed, that the reign of Kapardi I. commenced somewhat earlier even than the year 735 of the Saka era.
Of the kings who came after Kapardi II. none requires any notice here till we come to Aparajita the son of Vajja da dê va. With regard to him Dr. G. Bühler writes as follows": "It is also probable that a king has been omitted between Aparajita and Vajjada dê va II., or at least the real name of Aparajita has been left out, for the verse in which the names of Kebid dva and Vajja dadê va occur is mutilated." There is no reason, however, to suppose any such omission in our plate as there is in that on
ss Ind. Ant. vol. V. p. 276. 56 J. B. B. R. A. 8. vol. XIII. pp. 11, 12.. 57 Ind. Ant. vol. V. p. 277. A remark ought to be made on king Zanza. He appears to be the king mentioned by the Arabian geographer Masu'di as reigning at Saimar in 916 A.D. Masů'di states that there were 10,000 Musalmans in Saimar, and that the kings were under the Balhara, and had the title of Zenbil when he visited the place. (B. de Meynard and P. de Courtille, Les Prairies d'Or, tom. II, pp. 85.97: Reinaud, Menoire sur l'Inde, p. 220.) Dr. DaCunha's identification of Masu'di's "Janja with the SilAra "Sri Chhinnadeva RAJA" (J. B. B. R. 4. S. vol. XII. p. 55) is not correct-on this, if on no other ground, that whereas Janja lived in 916 A.D., "Chhinnaraja" lived in 1027 A.D. I may take this opportunity of stating that I am indebted to Dr. Da Cunha's papers in the J. B. B. R. A. S. for references to some of the authorities relied upon in this paper. Others of the references I obtained from Mr. Nairne's Konkan, from which Dr. DaCunha also seems to have got some of his information.
9. Vajjadadêva II.
10. Arikesari (S. 939)
11. Chhittaraja 12. Nagarjuna 13. Mummoni (Šaka 948) T
(Šaka 982) 14. Anantadeva (s. 1016)
Aparâditya (Šaka 1109) 53 This name appears in sundry different forms in the various inscriptions which we now possess. In the Plate at Jour. Tit. Soc. of Bombay vol. fil. p. 419, the form is Silahfira. In Dr. Bühler's Plate the form is Silara as well as Silahárs. In Wathen's Plate No. IV. (J. R. A. Soc. vol. IV. p. 981) the forms are Silsydra (qnery whether this is
mistake in the engraving or in the decipherment ?) and Silah Ars. In our own plate, it is Śllara and Sildra, (which may be the same); Srilara, which occurs once, is probably a mere slip. See also J. B. B.R.A. 8. vol. I. p. 217; J. R.A.S. vol. II. pp. 38-4, 894 ; vol. IV. p. 110 and note there, and p. 114 where an explanation of the name is suggested. Mr. Nairne always calls the dynasty the Silher dynasty. It may be here added that Dr. DaCunha seems not to be correct in his observations on " the Tagaras, and the Silah Aras" at J. B. B. R. A. S. vol. XII. p. 61, in speaking of the two as distinct and of one as a branch of the other. In truth, Tagars is not the name of a dynasty at all.
Prof. H. H. Wilson's remark on this princent J.R.A.S. vol. IV. p. 109, note, is incorrect; of. alao J.R.A.S. (N. S.) vol. IV. p. 85.