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No. 29.]
FOUR BHANJA COPPER-PLATE GRANTS.
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pregeny became the founder of a new dynasty. A Magurki, literally pea-hen, lags eggs and, therefore, her offspring must be andajah or born of an egg. The peacock became the family totem and that is why there is still a strict prohibition against killing peacocks in the Mayirabhañja State.
Postscript. It was after I had sent my article to the Government Epigraphist on 6th May 1923 that I received a letter from Mr. McLeod Smith, Dewan of Mayürabhañja State, dated 21st May 1923, in which, besides giving certain local information in reply to my queries, he was good enough to add that in 1916 a copper-plate grant was found at Khandadouli in Pargang Khảnta Pir of the Bāmanghāti sub-division, and was published in the 4th volume of the Journal of the Bihar anu Orissa Research Society which I had not consulted at all. This led to a research which brought to light as many as three other grants of the Bhañja family, published by Mr. B. C. Mazumdar in Vol. II of the Journal, and a genealogy of the same dynasty as given by Mr. R. D. Banerji in the 3rd volume of the same Journal. Had these been before me when I was drafting the above article, the discussion in it would have asenmed a somewhat different form, but it is now too late to recast it. I would, therefore, note here the salient points after inserting new names of kings in the genealogical table on page 286 above, and some geographical names in the Appendix, which deals with identification of places. For facility of reference letters L., M., N., O. and P. have been given to these records as follows:
L. Tasapaikeră grant of Raņabhañjadēva by Mazumdar, J. B. 0. R. S., Volume II, pp. 167 et seq.
M. Baudh grant of Kanakabhañjadēva by Mazumdar, J. B. O. R. S., Volume II, pp. 356 et seq.
N. Kumrukelä grant of Satrabhañjadēva by Mazumdar, J. B.O. R. S., Volume II, pp. 429 et seq.
0. Khandadeuli grant of Raņabhañjadeva ? (Narēndrabhañadova) by Haraprasad Śástri, J. B. 0. R. 8., Volume IV, pp. 172 et seq.
P. Patna Museum grant of Ranabhaħjadēva of the 21st year by R. D. Banerji, Ep. Ind. (awaiting publication).
Only two records, M. and O., give new names of kings; M. gives Kanakabhañja, son of Durjayabhañja, who was son of Solanabhañja. They belonged to the Bhañja branch ruling at Baudh and were possibly connected with Satrabhaña II and his son Raņabbañja II of A., B., C., L., N. and P. The Plate 0. gives Narendrabhañja, son of Přithvibhañja, son of Ranabhañja I, son of Kottabhañja, descended from Virabhadra, the original ancestor of the Bhañjas.
In dealing with Plate M., Mr. Mazumdar has given a lengthy discussion on the dates of the Bhañja grants in general, and has come to the following conclusions :
(1) The present chiefs of Mayorabhañja and Keonjhar States have no connection with the inscriptional Bhañjas.
(2) There were several offshoots of the early Bhañjas, of which one ruled at Baudh and had under its away the Baudh and Kimidi tracts during the times of Satrubhañja II. These split up during the reign of his son Raṇabhañja II, who remained a fendatory at Baudh, while a descendant of Nötribbañjadeva established a new line of rulers at Kimidi.
(3) Kanakabhañja flourished about 1475 A.D. His line was independent of Ranabhapja II.
1 [That would be Mayuri or Mäyürikā, but not Máyurki. The latter, if connected with Mäyüraka, will have a different connotation for which see Monier-Williams' Eanskrit-English Dict. under Máyüraka.-Ed.]
The two Bhanja grants from Daspalla which Mr. B. Bhattacharyya bas edited in the same journal (Vol. VI, pp. 266 ff.) are also to be added to this list.-E.]
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