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No. 13.]
(Paramesvara, v. 12). His son was Kōkalla (v. 13), whose son, again, was Gangeyadeva, the conqueror of the kings of Kira, Aiga, Kuntala, and Utkala (v. 17). His son was Karna (vv. 19, 30), king of Chedi (vv. 25, 29). It will be observed that the panegyrical portion of the inscription contains nothing of historical interest besides the bare names of a few Kalachuri kings who are already known to us from other sources.
GOHARWA PLATES OF KARNADEVA.
The prose portion of the inscription (1. 33 ff.) records a grant of land made by "this Paramabhaṭṭaraka Maharajadhiraja Paramesvara, the devout worshipper of Mahēsvara (Śiva), the lord of Trikalinga, the glorious Karṇadēva, who meditated at the feet of the P. M. P., the glorious Vamadēva, the glorious Karṇadeva who has acquired by his own arm the sovereignty of the triad of kings, (viz.) of the Aśvapati, the Gajapati, and the Narapati,-being in good health (and residing) at the camp of victory pitched at the holy Karna-tirtha."
Among the officers to whom the king's order was addressed, the following are specified: mahādēvī, mahārājaputra, mahamantrin, mahāsardhirigrahika, mahamatya, mahādharmadhikaranika, mahāpratihāra, mahakshapaṭalika, makabhāṇḍāgārika, mahāsāmanta, mahāpramattavara, and mahāśvasadhanika (11. 35-37).
The object granted was the village Chandapaha in Kosamba-pattala (1.. 37). The donee was "the Brahmana Pandita-sri-Säntisarman, son of Avasathika-Malhu, grandson of Upādhyāya-Silu, (residing at) Vidabhi, of the Kaunḍinya-gotra, with the three pravaras Angirasa, Ambarisha, and Yauvanāśva, (and) studying the Vajasaneya-sakhā" (1. 39 f.).
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The date of the grant was "during the administration (vyavaharana) renowned by the glorious Karna, in the seventh year, in the month Karttika, on the Kärttiki full moon tithi of the bright fortnight, on Thursday" (1. 41 f.). These details answer quite regularly to Thursday, 5th November, A.D. 1047: see Dr. Fleet's remarks, p. 146 below.
Before making the grant, the king had "bathed in the Ganga at the holy Argha-tirtha and worshipped the divine lord Siva" (1.42).
Ll. 45-49 contain six of the usual benedictory and imprecatory verses. At the end we are informed that "this (edict) was written by Karanika-sri-Sarvananda and engraved by Vidyananda" (1.49).
Among the geographical names mentioned in the grant, I cannot localise any besides Kosamba-pattala, which is a valgar form of Kausamba-pattala, 'the district of Kansambi.' The same term occurs as Kosamba-pattala in a grant of Jayachchandra of Kanauj, and the Karra inscription of Yasaḥpälat refers to a village in the Kausamba-maṇḍala, the province of Kausambi.' Manjhanpur, the headquarters of the tahsil in which the Gobarwa plates were found, lies west of Allahabad. The same remark applies to Kosam, which used to be identified, without hesitation, with the ancient city of Kausambi. Mr. V. A. Smith has proposed to locate Kansambi further south, near Bharhut; while Major Vost would place it at Gärgi. But the finding of the present record at Goharwa in the Manjhanpur tahsil is another item of evidence showing that the country west-north-west of Allahabad between the Ganga and Yamuna rivers must have formed part of the province of Kausambi. Regarding Goharwa Mr. Blunt states that there are several temples, Jaina and others, inside the fort in which the plates were found. I would suggest that this site might be carefully examined by one of the officers of the Archeological Department.
1 Compare Professor Kielborn's remarks above, Vol. II. p. 298 f. I.e., apparently, 'during the reign of king Karna.'
Colebrooke's Misc. Essays, Vol. II. p. 246, J. R. A. S. 1898, p. 511.
Id. 1904, p. 262.
Ind. Ant, Vol, XVIII. p. 137,
