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86
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[APRIL, 1912.
matha (Phaseolus aconitifolius), chand (gram or Cicer arietinum), and gavára (Cyanopsis psoralioides) are called korada. The object in levying these cesses appears to be to provide food in charity (sadderata) to the hungry passers-by and light to the wayfarers (11. 6-7). With a view to its continuity in future, the management of these cesses was placed in the hands of the pancha or trustees of the village. Their names are:- Jajaya, Lohara, Alhana, Bhopatiya, Devadhara etc. These were most probably the headmen of the village at that time (1.8). Then follow the imprecatory and benedictory words, which are followed by the date: Sunday, Aśvini-nakshatra, the 11th of the dark half of the month of Jyeshtha of the V. S. 1272 (A. D. 1215) (1. 10). I line 13 we are told that the step-well was constructed by the sutradhara (mason) Asala, and the stones were worked and shaped by the mason Jahada. The prasasti was composed by Kayastha Sühaḍa of the Naigama lineage (1. 14). The inscription closes with an invocation to the rivers Ganga, etc., for our good.
We thus see that at the time when this inscription was incised on stone, Shamsu-d-Lin was ruling over Delhi from A.D. 1211 to 1236 as has been noted supra. He was brother-in-law t Aram Shah. Arâm Shah had hardly ruled over Delhi for one year when Shamsu-d-Din usurped the throne. It is stated that Shamsu-d-Din was bought by Qutbu-d-Din for a thousand o rupees. In this inscription Delhi is called by the name of Jogini or Yoginipura. The same name is met with in Dingala-bhasha (or unpolished language) poetry. In the Hammira-mahakarya of Nayachandra-sûri, the same name riz., Yoginipura is found used for Delhi, e. g., in the
Verse:
परमप्रीतिगौराणां पौराणामपि भाषितम् ।
singafer maag dindigen
In Marwâr, is often used for y, e. g., jogi for yogi. Ba
The name of the ruler of Ranthambhor is given as Vallanadeva, but no mention is made of the race to which he belonged. We know from other sources that the descendants of the famou Châhamana Prithviraja were holding sway over Ranthambhor during that period. So the said Vallanadeva must have belonged to the Châhamâna race. The genealogy of the rulers of Ranthambhor is described in the Hammira-mahakarya referred to above. The name of Prithviraja's son Govindaraja is first given and then the name of the latter's son Ballanadeval is mentioned. This is evident from the following verse occurring in that work:
गोविन्दे दिविषद्वृन्दे संचारयति चातुरीम् |
तानवं शात्रवं निन्ये श्रीमद्वाला भूपतिः ॥ ४३२ ॥
The time when Bâllana of the Hammira-mahakarya flourished exactly coincides with that of the Vallanadeva of our inscription. No doubt can, therefore, be reasonably entertained as to Vallanadeva of our inscription being a Chahamana and a grandson of the celebrated Prithviraja.
We also learn from this inscription that the dominions of Vallanadeva extended from Ranthambhor to Manglânâ in Marwar. Jayatrasimha (or Jaitrasimha), the hero of our inscription, was a Dadhicha Kshatriya by caste, which is now-a-days known as Dahiyâ. Another inscription of the Dahiya Kshatriya has been found in the temple of Kevâya-mâtâ in Kinsariyâ, a already noted above, and a paper on the same has been sent by me for publication in the Epigru phia Indica. The Dahiya Kshatriyas recognise Dadhmat-devi as their family-goddess, just as the
1 Mr. Nilakantha Janardana Kirtanê, in his introductory note on the Hammira-mahakavya, published i 1879 by the Education Society's Press, writes thus :
"After Govindaraja, Balhana succeeded to the throne." Mark the minor difference between Ballapa and Balhana.