Epigraphia Indica Vol 14

SR No.: 032568
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Sten Konow, F W Thomas
Publisher: Archaeological Survey of India
Publication Year: 1917
Total Pages: 480
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 24 MB

Page 198

No. 11.)
SANGOLI PLATES OF HARI-VARMAN.
165
rules are often violated; e.g. -narh anēka 1. 4, samvatsarē afvao 1. 8, vriddhaye Atharva1. 9, -farmmabhyah Garga- 1. 12, @gotrebhyah Vishnu- 1. 12, obhyah Yasas- 1.13, bhyah Chaüliya. 1. 14. The wrong class nasal is used in Vaikuntha. 1. 11, which ought to be Vaikuntha.. The word Chaüliya, 1. 14, perhaps stands for chauliya.
The plates record & grant by king Hari-varman of the early Kadamba dynasty of Vaijayanti. Since the publication of the Halsi' and Devagere grants, which were the first to come to light, our knowledge of the dynasty has vastly improved, owing to the publication of seven more copper-plate grants, and two stone inscriptions, all from Mysore territory; so that now we are in possession of a gennine account of the origin, as well as a fairly certain genealogy for the family, thanks to the excellent papers by Dr. Kielhorn on the Tālagunda pillar inscription. From the earliest known grants Dr. Fleet was led to believe that the Kadambas were followers of Jainism ;8 but all the records from Mysore since bronght to light show that not only did they worship Brahmanical deities, and highly respect the Brahmans, but they were themselves linear descendants of a Brāhmaṇa. The more probable conclusion is that the Kadambas were very tolerant in religion, favouring with donations, now one sect, now another. On careful examination of all the published records we find that from Kakutstha-varman down to Harivarman every king granted donations to Jaina ascetics, as well as to Brähmaņas.
The grant was issued from Vaijayanti, the modern Banavāsi in the Sirsi Taluka of the North Kanara District. The donees were 23 Brāhmaṇas of 8 different gòtras, all well versed in the Atharva-rēda. Some of the gora Dames are very unusual, e.g. Kaimbala, Kälāśa, Śrāvishtha, Valandata, Chaüliya. The fact may also be noted that there are very few Brahmanas belonging to the Atharva-vē da at present in the Deccan, and Bombay Karnatic. The village granted was Tēdāva, of which no particulars are given, and which cannot be identified.
The date is given as the New Moon day (Amāvāsya) of the month Āsvina, during the eighth regnal year of Hari-varman. This in itself would have given us no more data for fizing the chronology than the other Kadamba inscriptions supply; but the further specification of the date as Vishupē, no doubt, helps to some extent in doing so. Let us see how we can make use of this clue.
It is admitted on all hands that the Kadambe role in the Deccan was displaced by the Chalukyan, some time before 570 A.D., and that Hari-varman, who must have been one of the last Kadamba princes, if not the very last, cannot be placed earlier than about the end of the first half of the sixth century A.D. On this hypothesis I began to calcolate whether the Amāvåays in the month of Afvina coincided with Vishapa or Tulä-Sankranti (autumnal equinox) during any year about the same period. On consulting Diwan Bahadur L. D. Swimikannu Pillai of Madras, I found that daring the whole of the sixth century A.D. there were only three years in which the above astronomical phenomenon ooourred; viz., during A.D. 507,526 and 545. The first of these years is ont of the question, as being too early for Hari-varmen. Of the other two I think the year 545 is more probable than tbe year 526, as in the former case we should not have to leave a large gap unaccounted for, between the periods of Kadamba and Chalukya Ascendancy. However, it is not unlikely that the year was 526. The dåto of the present grant must therefore be either Tuesday, the 22nd September 528 A.D., or Thursday, the 21st September 545 A.D.
1 Ind. Ant. Vol. VI, pp. 22-32.
? Ind. Ant., Vol. VII, pp. 89-38. Ep. Ind., Vol. VI, pp. 14, 18; Ep. Ind., Vol. VIII, p. 146; Epi. Carna., Vol. IV, p. 186; Vol. V, p. 5941 Vol. VI, p. 91 ; Vol. VIII, p. 12. . . Ep. Ind., Vol. VIII, p. 24; Epi. Carna., Vol. VIII, p. 187. Ep. Ind., Vol. VIII, pp. 24 f.
Ind. Ant., Vol. VI, p. 22,