Epigraphia Indica Vol 11

Author(s): E Hultzsch
Publisher: Archaeological Survey of India

Page 78

No. 4.]
THE CHAHAMANAS OF MARWAR.
61
by a certain Gunadhara, who is called a saighapati and was a resident of Suvarnagiri itself A list of the members of his family is also given, as well as a genealogy of them. The father of Narapati was the söni Mahanasiha, who was a son of the thakura Jasa, who again was a son of the thakura Ambada. Mahapasiba had two wives, named Målhani and Tihupa. From the first he had the sons Ratanasiha, Ņakhi, Malhapa and Gajasiha, who are called sonis and from the second, Narapati, Jayata and Vijayapāla, who are also called sõnis. Narapati had two wives named Niyakadēvi and Jalhapadēvi. His sons from the former only are mentioned, vis. Lakhamidhara, Bhuvapapāla, and Suhadapala. This and the mention of the spiritual benefit (śrēyas) of Nayakadēvi as the object of the record perhaps show that, at the time of the donation, the latter was dead and the second wife had but recently been married and that he had no children from her. Of the members of his family, Narapati thus appears to have been joined, in making the gift, by bis second wife and bis sons from the first wife.
It is worthy of note that Narapati himself, his brothers and his father are called sānis. Soni cannot possibly mean a goldsmith here, as both the grandfather and the great-grandfather of Narapati are styled thakura. Now, Soni is a well-known clan amongst the three Bania classes of Mārwsr, viz. Osvāl, Sarāvgi, and M&hēsari. The last may be left out of account, because they are not Jainas. Saravgis, though they are Jainas, are, however, not found in the southern parts of Marwăr. Narapati and others were consequently, in all likelihood, Osval Sonie. Of the Mahdsarl Sonis it is stated that their nakh or original tribe was Sonigara. What is true of the Mahesari Sonis is, in all probability, true of other Sonis also. It is a well-known fact that many Rajput tribes, for avoiding Muhammadan oppression and so forth, became Jainas, and merged themselves into the Banis classes. Sonigari appears to be the name of one of such tribes. It is the name of a celebrated clan of the Chohans, and is commonly but correctly derived from Bongar, i.e. Suvarnagiri, the hill of the Jalor fort itself. Narapati's inscription was doubtless engraved in some temple on this fort, though the pillar, on which it is incised, seems to have been taken away to serve as material for the construction of the mosque, now called topkhánā, in the city of Jalor. When Narapati, his father, and brothers are called Sonis, what is meant is that they were Osvāl Sõnis, but that they were perhaps originally Sonigaris, and that amongst them Mahanasiha first became a Jaina, as he is called a Soni and his father and grandfather, thakuras.
TEXT.1 1 d oll [d]ara 8842 [ma] 2 [nl]Cafe [HA] - 3 varefoot 'gor RET4 राजकुलश्रीसामतसिंह B olufiorica
6 meurtustafa () 7 (T]#1117364118 [aliha - 9 व वास्तव्यसंघपतिगुणध. 10 169 targyar1 From the original stone.
· Expressed by a symbol. • The sandhi in hore omitted ; such omissions need not be further noticed. • Bend amia.
. Read fuper
. Read agr.