Epigraphia Indica Vol 33

SR No.: 032587
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: D C Sircar
Publisher: Archaeological Survey of India
Publication Year: 1959
Total Pages: 514
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 29 MB

Page 207

142
EPIGRAPHIA INDICA
(VOL. XXXII
June 1068 A.D. taking the year to be current and the month Amanta, If, in the case of the date of the inscription under study, the year is similarly regarded as current and the month as Amânta, Saka 982, Kārttika-prathama-paksha 3, Monday would correspond to the 11th October, 1059 A.D. On that date, the tritiya tithi began at:55 of the day.1
Lines 38-41 state that Parambabhatļāraka Mahäräjädhiraja Anantavarman Vajrahastadöva (i.e. Vajrahasta III), who was the lord of Trikalinga and a devout worshipper of the god Mahēsvara (Siva), issued his order relating to the grant in question to the people of the countryside together with his officers. The gift village was Kuddam (line 42; called Kudda in line 55) which was situated in the vishaya or district of Köluvartani. It was given for the perpetual enjoyment of the donee, without any trouble, for the merit of the king himself and of his parents. But it is interesting to note that the village is not stated to have been a rent-free gift. The expression sarova-pida-vivarjjitam in line 43 shows that the donee enjoyed certain privileges which, however, did not include freedom from the payment of rent. We know that, in chartery recording the creation of a rent-free holding in favour of the donee, the exemption from the payment of rent is specified in clear terms. As will be clear from our discussion of the details of the grant below, the nature of the document under study is that of a kara-säsana or Tent-paying grant.
Lines 45-49 describe the donee who obtained the village of Kuddam or Kudda from the king probably by purchase. It is stated that there was a family belonging to the Vaisya community and the Datta (wrong for Danta according to Pandit Somasekhara Sarma) götra, in which a person named Madhava was born. Madhava's son was Sömana-grēshthin, whose wife was Erayapā. Sõmana's son from Erayapā was Mallaya-brēshthin to whom the Ganga king Vajrahasta III gave the village in question with libation of water by means of the copper-plate charter under study. The king requests the future rulers of the area to be so good as to approve of this gift and protect it. But the Vaiấya Mallaya-srēshthin obtained the village from the king for the purpose of giving away the major part of it as an agrahāra in favour of a large number of Brāhmaṇas, This is made clear by the concluding part of the record in lines 49-56. Another instance of this kind is offered by the Kailan (Kailain) plater of Sridharanarata, according to which an officer of the king obtained a big plot of land from his master probably by purchase and retained a small part of it for himself after having allotted the rest in favour of a number of Brāhmanas and a Buddhist religious establishment.
It is stated in lines 49 ff. that, after having obtained the charter from the king, the donee Mallaya-Sreshthin kept a part of the village for himself and made over the rest to three hundred Brāhmaṇas. His share consisted of a house-site, a garden-site and an area of cultivable land
1 In the Annual Report of South Indian Epigraphy, 1924-25, p. 64, the date of the inscription under review has been equated with the 30th October 1060 A.D. taking the year as expired. But that day falls in Amanta Märgairaba and not in Karttika, either Aminta or Purnimanta.
For a number of such records, see JRAS, 1962, pp. 4 ff.
In the Annual Report on South Indian Epigraphy, 1924-25, p. 78, it is stated, "The donee reserved a portion of the vintage for himself and granted the rest to the Brahman Mapa-nayaka and fixed the rate of taxes to be paid annually to the king from the village. The granting of villages as agrahāras to people of communities other than Brahman is peculiar. But in the copper.charters of the Eastern Ganga dynasty cases in which villages were granted as agraharas to Vaibyas have been noticed already (Copper Plate No. 5 of 1918-19)." The name of the Brāhmans was, however, Mapaya-nayaks and not Mapa-nāyaks and he was one of the many Brahmapas in whose favour the agrahara was granted. The language of the epigraph doee not suggest the creation of s Vaidyagrahara. Mallaya-brenhthin reservod for himself only a small part of the village and agreed to pay annual rent in both cash and grains. The Vaisy-agrahāra mentioned in C. P. No. 5 of 1918-19 acons to have been orested on the condition that rent shonld be paid at the rate of 150 silver coins per year.
• 180, Vol. XXIII, PP. 234-36. .. above, Vol. XXIX, p. 51.