Indian Antiquary Vol 18

SR No.: 032510
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: John Faithfull Fleet, Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1984
Total Pages: 454
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 19 MB

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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[AUGUST, 1889.
son and successor Skandagupta, who "conquered the Push gamitras," and "joined in close conflict with the Hūņas," and, after his father's death, established again the ruined fortunes of his family." It seems likely that the Pashyamitras are to be placed in Central India, somewhere in the country along the banks of the Narmada ;* and possibly it was by them that Kumâragupta's power in Malwa wus overthrown. But the Hûņas belonged to the extreme north-west of India, and, however far they may have been successful in isolated attacks on the northern frontier of the Gupta kingdom, they had not then broken through the Gupta territory and invaded the more southern parts of it. In the first place, the Junagadh rock inscription of Skandagupta (id. No. 14, p. 56), and his Kahâum pillar inscription (id. No. 15, p. 65), shew that, during the period A.D. 455 to 466, he held the supremacy right across the lower part of Northern India, from Kathiawad to the confines of Nepal. And in the second place, the Valabhi records shew pretty closely the period when the passage of the Hûnas to the south did take place. From them we learn (e.g., id. No. 38, p. 167) that the Sénápati Bhatarka, the founder of the Valabhî family, “was possessed of glory acquired in a hundred battles fought with the large armies, possessed of unequalled strength, of the Maitrakas, who had by force bowed down their enemies ; " i.e. that he fought successfully, in Kathiawad or on its frontier, against the Maitrakas, i.e. the Mihiras, i.e. the particular family or clan, among the Hûņas, to which Tôramâņa and Mihirakula belonged. For Bhatarka's third son, the Mahárája Dhruvasens I., we have the date of A.D. 526 (Gupta-Valabhi-Samvat 207, the month Karttika; ante, Vol. V. p. 206), - the earliest recorded date of the family. Between them there intervened the two elder brothers of Dhruvasêna I., the Sénápati Dharasêna I., and the Maharaja Drôņasimha. And Bhatarka is thus to be placed, roughly, in the period A.D. 490 to 500 ; just synchronously with the latest date for Budhagupta in Málwa. As we have seen, just after Badhagupta we find Tôramaņa established as king of Eastern Mâlwa. And the reference to the Maitrakas in connection with Bhatarka, who evidently prevented an invasion of Kathiawad by them, shews precisely the period when his troops were marching to the south.. Skandagupta, the last of the direct line of the Early Gupta kings, had commenced to reign in or about A.D. 450; and doubtless it was his death that enabled the Huņas, who had already proved troublesome enemies enough, to assume an aggressive attitude again, under Tôramaņa ; and on this occasion with such success as to penetrate even to Central India, and to hold good their position there, till Mihirakula was overthrown by Yasôdharman in the west and by Baliditya in the direction of Magadha.
We have seen that the date 52, on Toramana's coins, can have no local application, reckoning from his conquest of Malwa. Nor can it be reckoned from the Gupta epoch; for its equivalent would then be A.D. 371-72, almost a century and a quarter too early. Even if, for the sake of argument, we admit that the system of “omitted hundreds " was used anywhere in India before the invention and application of the Lokakála reckoning in considerably later times, and so, while reading the date as 52, we jaterpret it as 152, and refer it to the Gupta epoch with the result of A.D. 471-72, it would still be twenty-five years too soon; to say nothing of the improbability of Tôra mâna consenting to use the Gupta era. Thus, no explanation of the date can be found by any of these applications of it. Further, the omission of the name of Tôramaņa's father in the Erag boar inscription, contrasted with the fact that his own Dame, as that of the father of Mihirakula, is given in the GwAlior inscription dated in Mihirakula's reign, indicates plainly, if interpreted on the analogy of other epigraphical records drafted by Hindus, that Tôramâna was the first of his tribe or clan to establish himself in Malwa. And in this connection, a comparison of the details of the two Eraņ records with which we are concerned, is instructive. The pillar inscription opens with a verse in praise of Vishņa as the four-armed god. Then follows the date, — " in a century of years, increased by sixty-five; and while Budhagupta (is) king; on the twelfth lunar day of the bright fortnight of the month Ashadba : on the day of Suraguru ; (or in figures) the year 100 (and) 60 (and) 5; and while
• Soo tho Vishnu.Purana, Translation, Vol. IV. p. 215, noto.