Epigraphia Indica Vol 12

Author(s): Sten Konow
Publisher: Archaeological Survey of India

Page 37

EPIGRAPHIA INDICA.
[Vol. XII.
The inscription covers a spade of 2' l' broad by 1'71" high, and contains 33 lines of writing to which may be added the two lines incised on each side of the stone, thus making a total of 85. The average size of the letters is ". The characters are of the northern class of alphabets which were prevalent in those days. It is curious that the number of the first verse alone has been engraved in the sixth part, while those of the following two have been omitted. It may also be noted that the 8th verse of the second part is written half only. The language is Sanskrit and is grammatically inaccurate in some places. Rules of etymology and syntax have been violated, e.g. wrong sandhi in =2894 Alavadino (1. 12); wrong parasmaipada in virajati (L 22), the correct form virajatē not suiting the metre, eto. Instances of wrong metre are also not wanting, 6.9., ubhaya-kula-vifuddhëna (1. 23). Here are nine letters instead of eight as required for each pada of an Anushtabh verse. The text is in verse excepting four lines, vis, Il. 30 and 31 in the body of the inscription, wherein the date is given, and the two lines in the margin. The prafasts is composed up to verse 35 by dikshita Kamachandra, apparently a Jaina, (1. 29), and the latter portion by a Gauda Kayastha Dándă (line on the left margin). The following orthographical peculiarities may be noticed. Rules of para-savarna have not at all been observed. Letters following have not been doubled in all places, e.g. sarvvärtha- (1.3) where v has been doubled but not th; tõmurair-bhukta (1. 7), bere bh has not been doubled ; -shir=nripa- (1.9), Karnata- (1. 11), etc. The palatal & has been confounded with the dental .; v has been used for b throughout, and p has sometimes wrongly been engraved for y, e.g. rampa for ramya (1. 5).
The inscription is divied into six parts, and it is worthy of notice that the letter chha has been engraved at the end of each to indicate the conclusion of the subject. The numbering of verses has also been changed after each subject, which bas been introduced with a heading given in the beginning of each part. There are 5 verses in the frst part, 8 in the second, 6 in the third, 2 in the fourth, 11 in the fifth, and 3 in the sixth. Four headings have been given, for the second, third, fourth and fifth parts, vis. Rajāvali-varnanan in 1, 7, Varsavarnanan in 1. 14, Matri-vanka in 1. 19, and Suasura-vansah in 1. 21. With respect to the last, i.e. Suaturavania, attention may be drawn to the fact that although the subject of the genealogy of the father-in-law has been closed in three verses only, neither has a new heading been given, nor has a new numbering been introduced for the following verses.
The first part consists of 5 verses, as noted above, of which the first three are in praise of Ganapati (v. 1), the goddess Sarasvati (v. 2) and Varuņa, the god of water (v. 3). Then in verse 4 we are introduced to the subject of the inscription and informed that in the country known as Haritana or modern Hariyana there is a town named Dhilli or Delhi, which is extolled in verse 5.
The second part, in which is given the genealogy of the Mohammadan Emperors of Delhi, extends from verse 6 to 13. The town of Dhilli which was first ruled by the Tomaras and then by the Chahamâna kings, is now ruled by the Saks kings who are possessed of elephants, horses and men, i.e. foot soldiers (v. 6). The following genealogy of 9 Emperors is given in the following two verses. There was a great king named (1) Sahavvadina (Shihab-ud-din Ghorro), who was succeeded' by (2) Kutvudira (Qutb-ud-din Aibak), (8) Samarudding (Shams-ud-din Aįtamish), (4) Pēroja-sähi (Rukn-ud-din Firoz Shah 1), (5) Allvadina (All-ud-din Mas'ud), (6) Maujading (Mu'izz-ud-din Bahram Shah), (7) Nasaraddina (Nāsir-ud-din Mahmod) (v.7), (8) Gayāsadina (Ghiyās-ud-din Balban), and (9) Kuddr Aldvadins (Alā-ud-din Khilji) who was then ruling over Delhi (v. 8).
1 This god has also been invoked in the Bhädünd inscription of the Paramära Pärnapkla of V. S. 1102, on which I have written peper in the Bo. 41. Boe. Jour., VOL. XXIII, pp. 76 t.
The correct names are given within parentheses.