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 382

No. 51] NOTE ON RATNAGIRI PLATES OF SOMAVAMSI KARNA
271 successor Naghusha (Nahusha, probably called Mahābhavagupta III). Verse 8 mentions Yayāti (i.e. Chapdihara Yayati III Mähäbivagupta III) as the anuja of Naghusha (Nahusha), the word anuja being used here in the sense of a younger ccusin, since the Brahmēsvara temple (Bhubaneswar) inscription represents Chandihara as the son of Abhimanyu, grandson of Vichitravira and great-grandson of Janamējaya I Mahābhavagupta I.
The following stanza (verse 9) on the obverse of the second plate of the set suggests that this Yayāti, who was the father of Udyotakēsarin, established his rule over both the Kosala and Utkala countries, although his predecessors were very probably rulers of Kösala only. When the early Sõmavamsis were ruling over Kõsala, Utkala was under the rule of the Bhauma-Karas. The Bhauma-Kara queen Dandi-mahādēvi was ruling over Utkala at least down to the year 187 of the Bhauma-Kara era, probably corresponding to 1018 A.D., and she is known to have been succeeded on the throne by two other rulers, viz. her step-mother Vakula-mahādēvi and her aunt Dharmamabādēvi. One of the predecessors of Dandi-mahādēvi was Prithvi-mahādēvt who was the daughter of the Sõmavamsi king Svabhāvatunga of Kõsala (i.e. Yayāti I Mahäsivagupta I) and was ruling in the Bhauma-Kara year 158 corresponding probably to 989 A.D. Another fact of chronological importance is that Naghusha (Nahusha or Mahābhavagupta IIT) seems to be the same as the ruler named Indraratha defeated by Paramāra Bhöja (c. 1010-55 A.D.) as well as the king of the same name who belonged to the family of the Moon and was captured by the generals of Rajēndra-chola I at Adinagara (i.e. Yayātinagara) sometime before 1023 A.D.' It is not im possible that verse 9 of the inscription really refers to the subjugation of the Kösala and Utkala countries by the Chola army among others and to their reconquest by Yayāti III. It seems that, while Naghusha (Nahusha) was struggling with the Choļa occupants of Kösala, Yayāti III, who was probably related to the Bhauma-Karas either through his mother or by marriage and may have been passing his days at the Bhauma-Kara court, was fighting with the Cholas in Utkala and that ultimately Yayāti III succeeded in consolidating his position in both the countries, his cousin Naghusha (Nahusha) having died (cr killed by the Chöļas) in the meantime. Yayāti III thus ruled about the second quarter of the eleventh century A.D. (c. 1025-55 A.D.).
Besides the importance of the Ratnagiri plates discussed by Mrs. Mitra, there are a few points requiring elucidation. Udyota kēsarin, son and successor of Yayati IIT, ruled about the third quarter of the eleventh century (c. 1055-80 A.D.). The Kelga plates suggest that he made over Kösala to a prince named Abhimanyu and was himself ruling over Utkala, while the inscriptions of the Telugu-Chōdas indicate that the successors of Udyotakēsarin in Utkala had nothing to do with Kösala which passed into the possession of the rulers of the Telugu-Choda dynasty. Karna or Karnakēsarin, grandson of Udyöta kësarin, seems to have ended his rule over Utkala before the conquest of that country by the Ganga king Anantavarman Chödaganga probably before 1112 A.D. The issue of the present charter from Yayātinagara is thus interesting. The city of Yayātinagara (modern Binka in the former Sonepur Btate in ancient Kõsala), built by and named after Yayāti I, was originally the capital of the Sõmavamsis of Kosala. It appears that, after the expansion of Somavamál power over Utkala, their capital in Utkala was also given the name
1 Cf. JRA8B, Letters, Vol. XIII, p. 69, text linos 7-8 (vorse 7). . See The Struggle for Empire, pp. 209 ff.
. Cf. verse 7 of the Brahmēsvara temple inscription which refers to a Somavamót prince who was staying away from the country when Dharmaratha died without leaving an issue.
* See above, Vol. XXVIII, pp. 323-24,
Cf. ibid., pp. 286 #. • Cf. The Struggle for Empire, p. 212.