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No. 19.)
INSCRIPTIONS FROM BASTAR STATE.
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it also fell on Sunday. In the Narayanpål inscription it is stated that the grant of Narayanapura Was made in Saks 1033, in the reign of Kanharadeva, who had succeeded his father Sömbbvaradevs on his death. And as there is nothing to show at present that there were two Samgevarna,' the date 1030 fits in very well. It, however, seems somewhat extraordinary that such a palpable mistake should have been allowed to remain when it could be corrected by joining together with a curved line the two ends of the Telugu l which is like an egg half-cut (at least it is so in the inscription) thus transforming easily the second 1 of 1130 into & zero. I am very reluctant to suppose that the engraver committed a mistake, but that he did is patent enough in this case whether we read 1030 or 1130. The village Kéramaruka may be identified with Ködmalnar, which is situated quite close to Barstir and is said to have been mu'aft or exempt from the paynent of taxes for a long time.
m.-Kuruspál inscription of Dharana-mahadevi, second queen() of somešvara.
Karuspal is a village about a mile off from Narayanpål. The inscription was found built ppide down into the steps of a small tank, which shows that it did not belong to the tank itself, but was brought away from some ruina, possibly the temple built in the centre of the tank, and was atilised without regard to what was engraved on it. It is in the Nagari character, the language being Sanskrit with very bad spellings. The object of the inscription is to record a grant of land situated near Kalamba by Dharana-mahadevi, who seems to have been the Abcond queen of 8ômesvaradêve. The inscription belongs to the victorious reign of Maharajadhirija Som svaradeva (Mahardjádhiraja-8rf-8ômdfodraddva-pádánu kalyána-vijaya-rajya ... frimat-sd (mach-chhá)sana-mahadevi doitiya Dharana-mahddåvi tayedchamya Kalanmuasamipastha bhúmi dattan(a)). The same long birudas as in the Narayanpal and Barsør insoriptions are attached to Somálvaradáva's name. The inscription also mentions the name of Narayanapura. It is dated in the Baumya samvatsara.
IV.- Sunárpal stone inscription of Mahadevi, queen of Jayasimhadeva. Sunárpal is about 10 miles from Nariyanpil. The stone is partially broken, and a part of the inscription is gone. It is undated. It records the grant of land, or, more properly, an improcation against the resumption of granted land, and gives the names of witnesses before whom the gift was made, but it is not stated where. The gift was apparently made by. Mahadevi, the chief queen of Jayasimhadeva of the Naga race, the supreme lord of Bhögkvati, having the tiger with a calf as his crest. He is called Rajadhiraja Maharaja Sri Jayasinhadøya.
V.-The Dantesvari gadi inscription of Narasimhaddva. This is another stone inscription in Telaga character found in the temple of the goddess Dante vari at Dantdward. It is dated in the dark fortnight of the month Jyoshtha in the Baka year 1140 (expired). In this year there was an eclipse of the sun, and the month of Jyeshtha was intercalary. At that time Maharaja Narasimhadeva, the ornament of the race of the best of serpents, was taling (Sri-bhujaga-edra-bhashana-Mahdrajulaging Sriman-Naraminhaddoa-Maharajula rajyams). The inscription is only a fragment.
Since I wrote the above, Prof. Kielhorn has kindly calculated the date for me and Anda that fata 1080 PhAlguna Sadi 19 Sunday regularly corresponds to Sunday, 14th Feb. A.D. 1109.
11 do not think that much importance can be attached to the diferent Birudos used in the Barsdrand Nariyanpil inscriptions. The Somêsvar of the former has the title jagad kab -malardy, which doo not occur in the latter. But then the dirudas arod in the Bastar inscriptlons are not always the same.
Por reading this I am indebted to Mr. Sitaramayys, one of the Superintendente in the Comptroller's office, Central Provinces
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