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

View full book text
Previous | Next

Page 53
________________ 32 EPIGRAPHIA INDICA. [VOL. XXII. gotras except Bhrigu. She could not have come of the Bhrigu, because her husband, being a Vatsa, was a Bhsigu. Let us in this connection discuss the significance of the Vedic metronymics which occur in cave and such early inscriptions. Bühler says in one place that "numerous instances in the northern and southern inscriptions show that the queens and princesses were frequently called by the Vedic götra-names, such as the Gautami, the Vātsi, the Vásishthi, the Gārgi, etc.". The remark is true so far as it goes, but he forgets that the Brāhman women also had such götra-names. One such instance is of course furnished by our inscriptions which call Mūladēva's mother Maudgali; another, by a Nāsik Cave record which speaks of a Brahman Asvibhūti as Värähiputra"; and a third by & Maļavalli pillar inscription in Monumental Prākrit which mentions the Brāhmaṇ grantee Nāgadatta as not only of the Kauņdinya-gotra but also as Kausikiputra. Now, the first question that here arises is: what was the use of these metronymics at all? There can be but one reply. When and where polygamy is in vogue, it is absolutely necessary to distinguish the sons of one wife from those of another. The practice is still prevalent in Rājputānā. If a Rajpūt prince marries more than one princess, they are always distinguished one from the other, according as she is a Hādi-ji, Rāņāvat-ji and so forth. Such must have been the case in Ancient India also. Kings certainly married more than one queen who were therefore known by the family names of their fathers. But it is worthy of note that this polygamy was present in Ancient India not only among the Kshatriyas but also among the Brāhmaṇg as the three instances adduced above clearly show, The second question that now arises is this. If the Brāhmans have metronymics derived from the Vedic Götras, that is just what might be expected. But why should such gotras be in vogue among the Kshatriyas, at any rate among the members of the ruling class ? Let us take for example the Sātavāhana family, whose inscriptions have been found in the Näsik, Kärle and Kaņheri Caves. The earliest of them is called Gautamiputra; his son, Väsishthiputra; and one of their successors, Mādhariputra. These metronymics are clearly formed from the Brahmanic götras, and the wonder of it is how they are found in a ruling dynasty. In explanation of this fact it has been argued by some that the Sātavāhanas were of the Brāhman caste,' and in support of this position our attention has been drawn to two passages from Näsik Cave Ingcription 2. The first, which is from 1.5, is khatiya-dapa-mina-madanasa," of (Gautamiputra), who humbled the pride and arrogance of the Kshatriyas". From this it is inferred that Gautamiputra could not have been a Kshatriya. For, if he had been a Kshatriya, there would have been no propriety in his saying that he put down the pride and conceit of the Kshatriyas. What was he then by caste? Is there anything in that inscription which throws light upon the subject? We are thus referred to a second passage in the Násik Inscription, namely, ekabamhanaea, which has been rendered by Senart as "the unique Brāhmaṇa". Some scholars are thus of opinion that the Sātavāhanas were undoubtedly Brāhman by caste. It is true that in this translation of the passage Senart practically follows Bühler, who renders it by " of him who alone (was worthy of the name of) a Brāhmaṇa"? But it is forgotten that the word bamhana of the Prākrit original can be equated not only with the Sanskrit Brāhmana as was done by Bühler and Senart but also with brahmanya as was first suggested by R. G. Bhandarkar, who 1 Ibid., p. 33, 1. 10. . Above, Vol. I, p. 394. • Lüders, loc. cit., No. 1131. • Thid., No. 1196. H. Rayohaudhuri's Political History of Ancient India, pp. 280-2. . Above, Vol. VIII, p. 60. Arch. Surv. West. Ind., Vol. IV, p. 110. W

Loading...

Page Navigation
1 ... 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 288 289 290 291 292 293 294 295 296 297 298 299 300 301 302 303 304 305 306 307 308 309 310 311 312 313 314 315 316 317 318 319 320 321 322 323 324 325 326 327 328 329 330 331 332 333 334 335 336 337 338 339 340 341 342 343 344 345 346 347 348 349 350 351 352 353 354 355 356 357 358 359 360 361 362 363 364 365 366 367 368 369 370 371 372 373 374 375 376 377 378 379 380 381 382 383 384 385 386 387 388 389 390 391 392 393 394 395 396 397 398 399 400 401 402 403 404 405 406 407 408