Book Title: Epigraphia Indica Vol 22
Author(s): Hirananda Shastri
Publisher: Archaeological Survey of India

View full book text
Previous | Next

Page 222
________________ No. 27.] TIRODI PLATES OF PRAVARASENA II. 175 tāja Rudrasēna (I) of the Vākāțakas, who was the son of Gautamiputra, who was intensely devoted to the god) Svāmi-Mahābhairava, who was the daughter's son of the illustrious Maharāja Bhavanāga of the Bhārasivas whose royal family was created by Siva who was greatly pleased by their) carrying the linga of Siva like a load placed on (their) shoulder and who were besprinkled on their head with the pure water of the (river) Bhāgirathi (Ganges) that had been acquired by their prowess, and whol was the son of the son of the illustrious Mahārāja Pravarasēna (I) of the Vākā takas, the Samrāt (Emperor) who performed Agnishtöma, Aptoryyāma, Ukthya, Shodasin, Atirätra, Vājapèya, Brihaspatisava, Sadyaskra and four Asvamëdhas and who was of the Vishnu vriddha-gotra. (Lines 13-14)-Our officials of noble birth, who are employed by the order of the General Superintendent and who exercise their authority by (our) command, (our) soldiers and umbrella-bearers in the western division (aparapatta) of the district) Bënnäkața should be directed by the following command which is already well-known to them (Lines 15-19)-Be it known to you that in order to increase our religious merit, life, power and prosperity, to secure our well-being in this world and the next and also to augment the religious merit of (our) mother, the village named Köśambakhanda which lies to the west of Jamali, to the north of Varddhamanaka, to the east of Mrigasima and to the south of Mallakapēdhaka is bestowed here with (a libation of water as a grant not previously made upon Varuņāryya of the Atharvavēda and the Harkkari-götra, who has (mastered) the three Vēdas and is a resident of Chäddha(? Chāṁdra)pura. (Lines 19-26)-And we granto the following exemptions from restrictions as (are) "customary and (are) incident to a village belonging to Brahmins proficient in the four Vidyās, (as) approved by former kings, riz. (it is) not to pay taxes; (it is) not to be entered by soldiers and umbrellabearers; (it does) not'entitle (the State) to the customary cows and bulls;' (it does) not (also entitle it) to (the royalties on) flowers and milking, to pasturage, hides and charcoal, to the purchase and digging of salt and fermenting drugs; (it is) to be exempt from forced labour; (it carries) with it the right to hidden treasures and deposits, to major and minor taxes (klipta and upaklipta); (it 11.e., Rudras na I. This is how all previous editors and historians have taken these expressions. The construction in that one seems to be faulty; for Gautamiputrasya should have been placed aftor Pravarantasya sinoh and the word putranya following Gautamiputrasya should have been dropped. Again the epithet atyantasvami-Mahabhairava-bhaktasya should have followed dauhitrasya. (See the position of atyanta-mahestarasya below.) As the expressions stand, they seem to qualify Gautamiputrasya. But in that case the successor of Pravarasēna I. would be his great-grandson as Gautamiputra did not evidently come to the throne. (Note the absence of the expression Vakafakānām-maharajasya in his case.) Besides, there is no reason why the name of Pravansna's son should bave been omitted: This Sarvidhyaksha seems to be the same as Rajyadhikrita mentioned at the end of this record. • Lit. who move about, etc. I have followed Fleet in the translation of chhatras but they seem to correspond to the charas in later records and may be a class of irregalar soldiers. See above, text, p. 172, note 20. . Lit. cenfer. 7 The right to demand the first calf of a cow is perhaps referred to here. The next three expressions exempt the grantee from certain taxes in kind which were paid to the State. Cf. Manusmriti, Adhyâya VII, . 130-132. There is no reason why these rights should be reserved for the villagers against the grante as supposed by Fleet (0.1. I., Vol. III, p. 242, ft. note 1). • Kutilya Arthajästra (second ed. by Shama Sastry, P: 60) gives klipta in the sense of fixed assessment. The expresastot klipta and spakjupta correspond to the worms bhaga and bhoga which occur in the almost contemporary records of the kings of Barsbhaputs and sudranga and uparikara in those of later kings (cf. AltekarThe Rashtraktas and their Times, pp. 213-216). Klipta may therefore be taken to mean land tax and upallipta to 80 me petty taxes in kind.

Loading...

Page Navigation
1 ... 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 288 289 290 291 292 293 294 295 296 297 298 299 300 301 302 303 304 305 306 307 308 309 310 311 312 313 314 315 316 317 318 319 320 321 322 323 324 325 326 327 328 329 330 331 332 333 334 335 336 337 338 339 340 341 342 343 344 345 346 347 348 349 350 351 352 353 354 355 356 357 358 359 360 361 362 363 364 365 366 367 368 369 370 371 372 373 374 375 376 377 378 379 380 381 382 383 384 385 386 387 388 389 390 391 392 393 394 395 396 397 398 399 400 401 402 403 404 405 406 407 408