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CHRONOLOGY OF GUJARAT
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Junaid, the Governor of Sindh under the sway of the Arab Khaliphat (Empire) sent forces to invade Marvad, North Gujarat, South Gujarat, Malwa, Saurāştra and Gurjara-deśa. The Navsāri grant, dated Kalcuri Era 490 ( 739 A.D.) states that the Muslim army which had afflicted the kingdoms of Saindhava, Kacchella, Saurāșțra, Cāvođaka, Maurya, Gurjara and others, met with disaster near Navasārikā, when it attempted to enter Mahārāșțra. Similar claim is also made by the Gurjara king Jayabhata IV of Nandipuri (736 A.D.). He is said to have gone to Valabhi to help its ruler against the Tajjikas.(Bom. Gaz. Vol. I, p. 109; EI. XXIII, 151 ).
Avanijanāśraya Pulakeśirāja, successor of Jayāśraya Mangalarāja gave a village (Padraka) in Kārmaņeya Ahāra-Vişaya in gift to Brāhmaṇa Angada of Vatsa gotra, an emigrant from Vanavāsi. The grant was composed by Samanta Bappa and issued on Kārtika śuddha 5, (Cedi ) year 490 (739 A.D.).-(Navsari Plates; VOC, Aryan Section, 230 ).
Bappabhatti Sūri was born in 743 according to Jaina tradition and died in 838 A.D. He is the author of the 'Sarasvatistotra'. According to Rajasekhara Sūri's Prabandhakośa, Bappabhatti converted Amarāja, son and successor of Yasovarman of Kanauj ( 725 A.D.; V. Sam. 800 ). These dates of his birth and death are, however, doubtful.-( Peterson Report, IV, Ind. lxxxii).
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ANTIQUITIES
Archaeology : Gupta-Maitraka Periods : Our knowledge of the Pre-historic and Historic archaeology of Gujarat has fortunately been enhanced by a series of excavations carried out since 1930. The explorations in the river-valleys of Sabarmati, Mahi, Orsang, Narmadā and Tāpi were first started since 1891 by Foote, and the excavations at Valā (1930-34), Rangpur ( 1932 ), Amreli (1935), Kāmrej (1938),Kodinār ( 1936 ), Bet (1939), Sopārā (1940), Intwă ( 1949 ), Akoțā ( 1952 ), Vadnagara (1935), Timbervā (1954), Lothal ( 1955 ), Somanātha, Prābhāsa (1956), Maheśvara ( 1957-58 ), Rosadi (1959), Devani Mori (1960) and at a number of other minor sites (not to mention the earlier small-scale excavations by Dr. Princep at Boria Stupa on Mt. Girnar and by Dr. Bhagvanlal Indraji at Sopārā ), followed in succession, in the wake of studies in Ancient Indian Culture introduced in the University Curricula. Yet the material relics and their bearing on the cultural life of Gujarat during the Gupta-Maitraka Periods have still got to be systematically studied.
The age of the Imperial Guptas ( 300-600 A.D.) was an age of great cultural activity and evolution in art and literature. The centre of origin of the new art-traditions in the Gupta Age is not known, but it could be imagined to be near Avanti-Malwa or Ujjayini, the capital city of Candragupta II. Before one can locate this centre of art, a chronological study of art-specimens of the Gupta and post-Gupta periods for the dating of
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