Epigraphia Indica Vol 29

SR No.: 032583
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Hirananda Shastri
Publisher: Archaeological Survey of India
Publication Year: 1951
Total Pages: 432
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 21 MB

Page 323

184
EPIGRAPHIA INDICA
[VOL. XXIX era. This would suggest a date about the beginning of the eleventh century A. C. for the inscription under discussion and such a view seems to be supported by palaeography. The use of numerical symbols instead of figures appears to point to a date not considerably later than the tenth century.
The charter was issued by king Dēvānandadēva II of the Nanda or Nandödbhava family of Jayapura in the present Orissa State. This ruler is already known from his Baripada Museum, Jurerpur and Narsingpur plates, 1 none of which, however, bears any date in an ora as the record under review. The seal of king Dēvānanda is found attached to the Talmul plate of king Dhru. vānanda who belonged to the same family and was apparently a successor of Dēvānanda II. Like the present charter of Dēvānanda, Dhruvānanda's record is dated in the year of an era. This date is usually taken to be the year 293 ; but, as we have suggested above, it may be really 193. This conjecture seems to be supported by the date, year 184, no doubt of the same era, when Dēvānanda II, who appears to have been the inmediate predecessor of Dhruvānanda, issued the charter under discussion.
The Baripada Museum plate of Dēvānanda II and the Talmul plate of Dhruvānanda have quoted the same introductory verses. These verses, with the omission of only one, are also quoted in the Jurerpur plate of Dēvānanda II. All these records begin with a prose passage referring to Jayapura which was the capital of the Nanda or Nandodbhava kings of Orissa. The verses that follow speak of the following rulers : (1) Jayānanda, (2) his son Parānanda, (3) his son Sivānanda, (4) his son Dēvānanda (I), and (5) his son Vilāsatunga. The above verses are followed in the Baripada Museum and Jurerpur plates by a prose passage which introduces king Dēvānanda (II) as the issuer of the charters in question, while the same passage substituting the name of Dhruv.nanda for that of Dēvānanda (II) is found in the corresponding section of the Talmul plate. It was therefore quite natural to suggest that both Dēvānanda (II) and Dhruvānanda enjoyed the viruda Vilāsatunga and were the sons of Dövānanda (I). But the introductory verses of the charter under discussion clearly state that the reigning king Dēvānanda II was the son of Vilasatunga. "As these verses are stated to have been composed by the Sandhivigrahin of the Nanda king, they have to be regarded as more authentic and reliable than the introductory portion of the other records of the family, which is full of errors of various kinds. It seems that verses describing the reigning kings are omitted through confusion in the above records of Dēvānanda II and Dhruvānanda. The correct genealogy of the Nanda or Nandödbhava rulers of Orissa from Jayānanda, founder of Jayapura, to his fifth descendant Dēvānanda II is thus supplied by the record under review. But the relationship between Dövänanda II and Dhruvananda still remains uncertain. Dhruvānanda seems to have been either a younger brother or & son of Dēvānanda II. The genealogical tree of the Nandas of Orissa may therefore be drawn as follows.
* See above, Vol. XXVI, pp. 74 ff.; Vol. XXVII, pp. 225 ff. * J BORS, Vol. XV, pp. 87 ff. • Ahore, Vol. XXVII, p. 327, note 1. . Cf. above, Vol. XXVI, p. 76, note 2.
Dhruvananda appears to have utilised an old plate on which bis predecessor's seal was fixed and the introductory stanzas were engraved alrcady.