Indian Antiquary Vol 47

SR No.: 032539
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1984
Total Pages: 386
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 15 MB

Page 77

MARCH, 1918 ]
DEKKAN OF THE SATAVAHANA PERIOD
73
so far been traced in the different parts of India from their inscriptions and coins. A few isolated names of Kshatra pas and Mahakshatra pas have also been found, but the exact province of their rule not yet known. Two of the four Kshatrapa families ruled over Western India, but here we have to deal with only one of them. It was again only one prince of this family with whom we are directly concerned. His name was Nahapana, and it was he who seems to have wrested Mahârâsh tra from the Satavahanas. He has been mentioned in no less than eight cave inscriptions. Of these six have been cut in Cave No. 10 of the Pandu Lena near Nasik, one in the Chaitya cave at Karle, and one in a cave at Junnar."! All of these except the last specify the many charitable and publicly useful works of Ushavadata, who calls himself son-in-law of Nahapana and son of Dinika. All these records give Xahapâna's family name Kshaharâta which, in Prakrit forms, appears as Khaharâta or Khakharâta. For a long time Nahapana was the only Kshaharâta prince known to us. A few years ago. another Kshatrapa of the Kshaharâta clan, named Bhûmaka, was brought to light by the celebrated numismatist, Prof. E. J. Rapson, by carefully reading the legends of certain coins wrongly attributed to Nahapana.15 He was the immediate predecessor of Nahapana in Rajputânâ and Mâlwâ, but does not seem to have ruled over Maharashtra. A fragmentary inscription found by Dr. J. Ph. Vogel on the site of Ganeshra, 16 three miles west of Mathura, revealed the name of yet another Kshaharâta, viz., Ghataka, who, if the restoration proposed by him, is correct, was also a Kshatrapa.
It has just been mentioned that of the eight inscriptions which refer themselves to the reign of Nahapana, no less than seven describe the benefactions of his son-in-law Ushavadâta (Rishabha datta)" and the latter's wife Dakhamita (Dakshamitra). Most of these charities stamp Ushavadata as a staunch adherent of the Brahmanical religion, and these we will describe in the next lecture. Ushavadâta's other charitable works were the gifts of gold and river-side steps on the river Barnâsâ 18 and the bestowing of thirty-two thousand cocoanut trees at the village Nânamgola" on the congregation of Charakas 20 at Pinditakâvada, Govardhana, 21 Suvarnamukha and Râmatirtha in Sorpâraga. Among the works of public utility executed by him may be mentioned quadrangular dwellings for Brâhmals and resthouses at Bharukachha, 23 Dasapura, 21 Govardhana and Sorpâraga and the establishment
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14 Ibid, Nos. 1099, 1131-1136 and 1174.
15 TRAS., 1904, pp. 3371-4. 16 Ibid, 1912, pp. 121.2; ASI., AR., 1911-12, 128-9.
17 This name is not the Hinduised form of a foreign name as has been thought by wome; for it has heen mentioned in the Kalpa-stri as the name of a Bråhman (SBE, XXII 220). This name oeeurs also in Kârle Inser. No. 11 (EI..VII. 36; ASWI., IV. 91) as the name of the father of one Mitradevanaka hailing from Dhenukakata and bearing the expense of a pillar in the Kårle Chait ya cave. M. Senart no doubt identifies him with Ushavadáte, son-in-law of Nahapana, and Prof. Rapson seems to gree with him (CIC.A.Wk. etc., Intro. lix). I am afraid I cannot accept this view. We have 20t an inscription of Nahapana's son-in-law in this cave recording the grant of village to the Buddhist monks residing in it. Evidently he made this grant after the cave W&S excavated. But AR Mitradevanaks incurred the expenses of carving one pillar in this cave, it is clear that his gift was in time prior to its excavation.Mitradevanaka's father, Ushavadata, cannot, therefore, be the same as Ushavadâta, son-in-law of Naha pâna.
15 Baraâ så corresponds with the Sanskrit Parnåså mentioned in the Mahabharala and the Puranas and with the modern Bans, which is the name of two rivers in Rajputana —one coming from Mount Abů and falling into the Gulf of Outch and the other a tributary of the Chambal. The former river can hardly be meant, as it rarely contains any water except during the rains.
19 Perhaps NÅrgol on the Thápå sea.board, four miles west of Sanjân, as proposed by Bhagwânlal Indraji.
20 These seem to be identical with the Charakas who are named in the stereotyped formula of the Buddhist (e. 8., Maha vastu, III. 412, anya firthika-Charalu-Pariurá je ka) and Jaina texts, namely, a certain special category of Brahmanical ascetics (EI., VIII. 79).
21 This is Goverdhan Gangpur, six miles west of Nasik. 22 Sopårå near Bassein in the Thaņa district. A holy reservoir here is still called Rama-kunda. 23 Modern Broach. 24 Mandasor (Fleet, GI., 79, n. 2), which is on the borders of Rajputând and Malwa.