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 441

318 EPIGRAPHIA INDICA
[VOL. XXXI successful encounter with the GAhadavālas of U. P., who are known to have enjoyed the title. It has to be pointed out that verse 12 of our inscription refers to the victories of Visvarūpasēna (Lakshmanasēns after the correction) at Banāras and Allahabad which formed parts of the dominions of the Gahadavālas before their overthrow by the Turkish Muhammadans. Since Visvarūpasēns's reign of about fourteen years has to be assigned to o. 1206-20 A. D., i.e. after the Turkish conquest of Eastern India, his exploits at Banaras and Allahābād have to be assigned to the period when his father Lakshmanasēna was ruling. The Mädhāinagar plate represents Lakshmanasēna as having conquered the king of Kābi (Banāras), i.e. the Gähadavāla king, and having obtained success in Kalinga and otber countries. Visvarūpasēna must bave commanded the Sēna forces against the Gähadavālas as his father's general.
The list of subordinates and officers, whom the donor addressed in respect of the grant, is quoted in lines 38-41. This is similar to auch lists quoted in other Sëna charters. The said list of addressees is followed in lines 41 ff. by the declaration regarding the grant. Lines 41-43 state that the gift land was situated in a village in the Vikramapura bhāga (division) of Vanga forming & part of the bhukti (province of Pundravardhana and that it was bounded in the east by an embankment and a plot of land belonging to the village of Athayāga-grāma (or Athapāga-grāma), in the south by a piece of land belonging to Vārayipada-grāma, in the west by a plot of land belonging to Uñchokāțţi-grāms and in the north by an embankment belonging to the locality called Virakāțţi. The expression vārayi-paļā in the name of one of the boundary villages is interesting as it means the habitation of the Bărayis (betelvine-growers)'..
The actual description of the gift land in lines 43-46 is entirely written on an erasure, clear traces of the original writing being visible under many of the aksharas. The gift land is stated to have been situated in the village called Piñjākāshthi or Piñjöthiya which is the modern Piñjāri near Madanapada, the findspot of the record. A portion of the village yielding an annual income of 132 Puranas or Chūrnis was excluded and the remainder yielding 500 [Puranas or Chūrnis) per annum was made the subject of the grant. In this connection, the contraction sāṁ stands for sāṁwatsarika 'annual', and sāṁ-bhu-hi for sāmvatsarika-bhūmi-hiranya, 'annual revenue of the land in cash', while bahih has been used to indicate 'excluded'. The smaller part of the village, yielding 132 Purāņas per year, was called Padāti-Sāpāmārka apparently after a Pāik named Sāpāmärka, and belonged to the asrama of Kandarpasankara probably a deity named after Arirāja-mailanakankara Lakshmanasēna, the expressions kandarpa-sankara and madana-sarikara being synonymous. It is further stated that the donee also received another plot of land yielding 127 Puranas or Chūrnis annually (sä-hiasāmvatsarika-hiranya) and situated in the village of Närandapa-grāma belonging to the share of the said asrama of Kandarpašarkara. It was the property of a dependant of the king (svakiya-pálya-sva), that is to say, it formed part of a jāgir in the possession of one of the king's dependants. The two plots of gift land is now mentioned as Piñjothiya-grāma. It appears that, in the original grant, the whole village of Piñjākāshthi was granted in favour of the donee of the charter and that, sometime later when it was brought to the notice of the authorities that a part of the village belonged to the Kandarpasankara asrama, the necessity of making & readjustment was felt. The donee's loss of 132 Puranas or Chürnis per year was then compensated by the gift of another piece of land yielding 127 Puranas or Chürnis. The two plots of the gift land were situated in the villages of Piñjökāshthi and Närandapa, apparently abutting on each other; but they were now made one unit under the name Piñjothiya which appears to be a modified form of Piñjokáshthi. The dopee's privileges enumerated in lines 45-46 are similar to those found in the other charters of the Sēnas.
1 Ibid., p. 111.