Epigraphia Indica Vol 30

SR No.: 032584
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Hirananda Shastri
Publisher: Archaeological Survey of India
Publication Year: 1953
Total Pages: 490
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 27 MB

Page 51

EPIGRAPHIA INDICA
(VOL. XXX plates both of them receive the same title Mahārāja, while in the Indian Museum plates, Rā jēndravarman alone has the title of Mahārāja, Dēvēndravarman's name being mentioned with the simple honorific prefix éri.
The scribe Sarvachandra and the engraver Khandimalla are both known from several other grants of Dēvēndravarman III. At the time of the present grant Sarvachandra hold the high office of Mahāsāndhivigrahika or the Chief Minister for peace and war. In the Chicacole plates he is called merely Sämanta, while in the later Tekkali and Indian Museum plates he is called Rahasya or Private Secretary. Akshasālin Khandimalla, who is mentioned as the engraver, is sometimes called Samanta.
As for the localities mentioned in the present grant, Kalinganagara from where the plates were issued has already been identified with Mukhalingam in the Srikakulam District. Nagara where the donee was residing is probably the same as Kalinganagara. As Mr. G. V. Ramamurti has shown, the Ganga capital Kalinganagara is mentioned in the Telugu inscriptions at Mukhalingam as Nagara. There is still a place called Nagarakatakam, about two miles to the south of Mukhalingam, which probably marks the site of the ancient capital. The territorial division of Varābavartani in which the donated village was situated is known from as many as five other grants, viz., the Achyutapuram plates of Gn. 87, the Chicacole plates' of Gn. 128, the Siddhantam plates of Gn. 195, the Chicacole plates of Gn. [2]51 and the Bangalore plates. In three of these, viz., the two sets of Chicacole plates dated Gn. 128 and [2]51 and the Bangalore plates, it is called a vishaya, which shows that it was roughly of the same size as a modern district. It has not yet been definitely identified; but most of the grants mentioning this division were found either at Chicacole or not very far from it. Again, Siddhārthaka, which is mentioned in the Achyutapuram and Siddhantam plates as situated in Varāhavartani,' is probably identical with modern Siddhantam, which lies about three miles south of Nagarakatakam near the right bank of the Varsadharā. The vishaya of Varāhavartani seems, therefore, to have comprised the territory round modern Chicacole. Northward it extended beyond Siddhāntam and probably contained the royal capital Kalinganagara also. Mugunika, the village donated by the present charter, has been identified with Musunūru. Sidhathā, which was in its vicinity, is probably identical with the village Sidhatā mentioned in the Bangalore plates. The close similarly in their names together with the description that both of them were situated in the same territorial division of Varāhavartani leaves no doubt about their identification. Perhaps they are not different from Siddhārthaka, which also was situated in the same vishaya. In that case they may be identified with modern Siddhantam, which, as stated above, lies only about three miles south of Nagarakațakam. I am unable to identify the other villages mentioned in the present grant.
TEXT
First Plate i fachlo [*] Rafet [1*] A grarforc: alacjacavitaifa
Above, Vol. IV, pp. 187 ff. *Ibid., Vol. III, pp. 128 ff.
Ind. Ant., Vol. XIII, p. 121. . Above, Vol. XIII, p. 214.
In. Ant., Vol. XIII, p. 275. • Ep. Oarn., Vol. IX, Bn. 140. * Above, Vol. III, p. 128; Vol. XIII, p. 214.
• Mr. Narasimham has not given details about its location and I have not been able to trace it on the Degree Map 65 N.
From ink impressions supplied by the Government Epigraphist for Indit. 10 Expressed by a symbol.