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No. 62.) BHADAVANA GRANT OR GOVINDACHANDRADEVA OF KANAUS.
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No. 52.-THE BHADAVANA GRANT OP GOVINDACH ANDRADEVA OF KANAOJ.
BY N. C. MAETA, I.C.S. The Gābadavāla dynasty of Kanauj has left abundant inscriptional material during its short period of glory- circa 1000-1193 A.D. Twenty five copper-plates were discovered at Kamanli near the confluence of the Berna and the Ganges at Benares in October 1892 which have been fully described by Kielhorn in Volume IV of this Journal. Another copper-plate of this dynasty was presented to me by the Teluqdar of Tālā, 6 miles from Partābgarh, United Provinces, who found it in the possession of one of his tenants, the latter having got it in exchange from a village woman for new utensils. The place where the plate was actually discovered is not known. The plate measures 17.5 inches by 13 inches and weighs 349 tolds. 91 inches of the plate are covered with inscription on one side only. The writing is well preserved. A small space, left blank in the centre at the top, was probably intended for perforating the uual ring-hole. The ADSBDOP of the perforation seems to indioate that the plate was never issued from the royal record room.
The inscription is written in Sanskrit language and engraved in the Nāgarf script. Regarding the orthographical peculiarities it is to be noted that it is sometimes used for ' '. as in '(-1) and that the letters ta, 1. and vin some places appear very much alike in form. The distinction between the different sibilants is not adhered to. The medial vowel '3' is sometimes indicated by merely a stroke attached below the consonant, as, for instance, in qua in line 19. The name of the writer of the grant is not given.
Like all the published grants of this family the plate recites the genealogy from the time of Yabovigraha. After describing the prowess of king Govindachandradava (11. 1-8) it goes on to say that the village of Bhadavapā together with the bamlets of Bhagavall and Laghu-Bhadayana in the pattala of Mahāvisa was granted by the king to two Brahmans by the name of Kumārafarman, son of Vāchha and grandson of Thakkura Sri-Pītha of the Kabayapa-gðtra. and Silasarman, son of Tingula and grandson of Thakkura Sri-Vāvana of the Bharadvāja-gotra While the three pravaras of Silašarman are clear, thome of Kumārašarman of the Kafyapa-gotra are not quite so explicit Govindachandradēva says that the grant was made by him after he had bathed (probably) at Prayāga (Allahābād) according to the sacred rights, holding water and the sacred darbha grass in the palm of the band and having worshipped (god) Vāsudēvathe protector of the three worlds-and having made oblations to the fire. The object of the grant is said to be the acquisition of merit and renown for the donor and his parents. The grant was formally announced in the presence of the queen, the heir-apparent. the minister, the priest, the commander-in-chief, the treasurer, the keeper of the legal documents, the astrologer, the chamberlain, the officer called Düsa-Pattanākara and the officer-in-charge of agricultural stock. The village was given subject to the payment of taxes fixed and customary but inclusive of the rights of mining, salt, waste-land and the enjoyment of the fruits of mahuā, mangoes, wood, natural growth, other trees, grass pūli and pasture. The exact meaning of the technical terms such as dūsapattanākara, puli, and the
1 See below, p. 294, . 2.
Disa' is evidently a clerical mistake for data and adhikari is to be taken with pallam and akarasto The expression datao would in that case signify the Düla, the City Magistrate and the officers to change oi mines and of herds of kine.--Ed.]
[As in the other grants of this ruler, the word roada y asi and not pili. Püti siga fios partiouler groot Ed.]
