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112
EPIGRAPHIA INDICA.
(VOL. XIV.
That the family of the Maukberis is a very ancient one is proved, as Dr. Fleet has already pointed out, by the legend Mokhaliņam written in Mauryan Brahmi characters on a clay seal which was secured by General Cunningham at Gayā. Evidently this is a Prakrit equivalent of the Sanskrit word Maukhariniin, which is a derivative of Mukhara and signifies * of the Mankharis." From the scholia referred to above it would appear that the term was possibly known to Pāṇini and also to Patañjali. That the Maukharis were potent rulers in the sixth and seventh centuries is evidenced by several inscriptions that have already been published. The same inference can be drawn from the accounts found in the work of Bāna, the well-known author of the Harshacharita, the historical romance of the 7th century A.D. The high esteem they commanded about the time of Harsha can be estimated from the manner in which Bāņa speaks of them. While praising Avantivarman, the brother-in-law of Harsha, he says, "at the head of all royal houses stand the Mukharas, worshipped like Siva's foot-print by all the world." This would go to indicate that these princes were not upstarts, but of good descent. That they were enterprising rulers would be seen not only from their description given in the commencement of our inscription, but from the fact that there was more than one branch of the family. The Maukharis, for instance, of the Barābar Hill cave inscription, as is clear from the line of desoont given, were different from those of the Abirgaph copper seal and of the present inscription. This surmise is supported by the references which have already been noticed.
As has already been remarked, the historical identity of the founder of the dynasty is not known. But the epigraphs that have so far come to light, while giving the line of descent, start witb Harivarman. From Harivarman to īsānavarman it runs as follows:
The Mahārāja Harivarman, his son from Bhattārikā Dēvi Jayasvăminit the Maharaja Adityavarman ; his son from Bhattărikā Dēvi Harghaguptă the Maharaja Isvaravarman; his son, begotten on the Bhattārika Dévi Upagupta, was the Mahārājādbirāja Isänavarman.
Beyond giving ordinary praises of the first three princes, namely, Harivarman, who is said to have had the surname Jvālāmukha, Adityavarman and IẾvaravarman, our inscription does not speak of any historical event which might have taken place in their reigns. Coming to İsõnavarman, however, it alludes to some of his exploits which appear to be historical. They are three, namely, first his conquest over the Lord of the Andhras with their troops of elephants," secondly, his routing the Sülikas "possessed of an innumerable cavalry," and thirdly, his " driving away or victory over the Gaudas." The first of these is evidently mentioned in the Jaunpur stone inscription, which has been attributed to īśvaravarman, and which men. tions the Andhras in the latter portion, but which is incomplete.
Salika appears to be a new name, and I am not aware of any other epigraphic reference to it. Possibly it is identical with the Saulika of the Brihatsamhita and the Mārkandēyapurānas and is to be located in the south-east along with Kalinga, Vidarbba, Chēdi, etc. Unfortu. nately none of the hostile kings is named in this record; otherwise it would have been very valuable for chronological purposes.
1 Corp. Ins. Ind., Vol. III, p. 14.
· The Scholiasts give only three illustrations, Paunikya, Bhaunikya and Paukharya, under the spborism (Pån. IV. I. 79) which explains the formation of the words in the shyak suffix.
Loc. cit., p. 122. • The natnes of the queens are given in the Akirgah copper seal inscription, but omitted in this epigraph. . See Fleet, Corp. Ins. Ind., No. 51, p. 229.
. On this account it will be perhaps inore appropriate to ascribe that inscription of Jaunpur to Lanavarman and not to Ikvaravarman, as has been done by Dr. Floet. 1 XIV, 8.
LV. . Dr. Fleet's remarks on the Jaunpur inscription, loc. cit., No. 51, p. 229.
