Indian Antiquary Vol 40

SR No.: 032532
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1984
Total Pages: 388
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 15 MB

Page 20

14
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
(JANUARY, 1911.
family, as I have said above, reigning at Taksbasila: One of the Kshatrapas of this family, called Kugulaks, was Liaka. And a copper-plate inscription found in the Panjûb describes his son Patika as raising a stúpa over the relics of the Buddha and making a grant of land for its upkeep.
The other two Kshatrapa families were, however, followers of the Brahmanic religion. I have said above that one was holding Kathiawad and Malwa and the other the Dekkan. The inscriptions of this last Kshatrapa family are found in the Nasik, Karlt, and Junnar caves. A part of an inscription relating to them at Nâsik may be quoted as followg18:
सिद्धं राज्ञःक्षहरातस्य क्षत्रपस्य नहपानस्य जामात्रा दीनीकपुत्रेण उषवदा
afTe ............Tarat ut det
अनुवर्षे प्राणशतसाहनीभोजापवित्रा
De goeetu art: EiT &c., &c. The donor referred to in this inscription is Ushavadâta, i.e., Rishabhadatta or Vpishabhadatta His wife's name, as given in another Nâsik inscription, is Samghamita, i.e., Sanghamitra. Both of these are indisputably Hindu names. But in a third Násik inscription we are distinctly told that he was a Saka.19 His foreign origin is also indicated by the names of his father and father-inlaw. The former is called Dinika and the latter Nahapana, as will be seen from the inscription just quoted. It will easily be admitted that neither Dinika nor Nabapana is an Indian, i.e., Hinda, name. Nahapana again is styled a Kshatrapa, and is said to be of the Kahabarata family, Kshaharâta is non-Hindu name. And Kshatrapa also is not a Sanskrit word ; at any rate, it is unknown to Sanskrit literature. It is the Sanskritised form of the old Persian title Kshatrapáran, which has been anglicised into Satrap. All these things unmistakably point to the alien origin of Ushavad&ta and, in particular, to his having been a Saka, though his and his wife's names are distinctly Hindu. Now let us see what the remainder of the inscription tells us. Rishabhadatta is called tri-go-sata-sahasra-da, i.e., the giver of three hundred thousand kine. He is further spoken of as having granted sixteen villages to the gods and Brahmaņas. He is also stated to have furnished eight Brahmaņas with the means of marriage at the holy place Prabhâsa, i.e., Somnath-Pattan in Kathiwad, in other words, he incurred the merit of accomplishing eight Brühmaņa marriagos. And, to crown the whole, he is said to have been anuvarsharh Brahmana-kata-8dhasri-bhojd. payitá, i.e., to have annually fed one hundred thousand Brahmaņas. This reminds us, as Dr. Bhandarkar has aptly said,20 of the grand feast given, not many years ago, to Brahmaņas by the late Maharaja Sindhia of Gwalior. These charities undoubtedly stamp Ushavadâta as a very staunch adherent of the Brahmanical religion. Yet in origin he was a Saka and, therefore, a foreigner !
The rule of this Ksbatrapa family, called Kshahar&ta, over the Dekkan did not las' for a long time. It was speedily overthrown by Gautamiputra S&takarņi and his son, Våsishţi patra Paļumâyi, of the Satavahana or Salivahana dynasty. Anotier Kshatrapa family, I have said, ruled over Kathiwad and Malwa. Its capital was Ujjain. It produced no less han vineteen rulers and its sway endured for no less than 270 years op to A.D. 388. The founder of this family was Chaghtana and his father was Ghsamotika, both indubitably foreign Dames. But the names of all his successors are Hindu, 6.g., the son of Chashtana himself was Jayadâman, his son was Rodradâman. Though perhaps the ending ddman may be supposed, es Prof. Rapson says, to be the same as the suffix dames in such names as Spalgadames and so forth, a1 the first components such as Jaya- and Radra-, are unquestionably Hindu. About this Rudrad Aman his rock-inscription at Junagadh saya :
शब्दार्थ गान्धर्व-न्यायायानां विद्यानां महतीनां पारण
-fan-arararegmatreat 1 Ep. Ind., Vol. VIII., p. 78. 10 Ibid., pp. 85-6. *Early History of the Dekkan, p. 41. 31 Catalogue of Indian Coins, Introd., p.cv.
93 Ep. Ind., Vol. VIII., p. 44, 1. 18.