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146
EPIGRAPHIA INDICA
No. 27-DAIKONI PLATES OF PRITHVIDEVA II: YEAR 890
(1 Plate)
M. VENKATARAMAYYA, OOTACAMUND
This is a set of two thick oblong copper plates1 discovered at the village of Daikoni, near Akaltara, District Bilaspur, Central Provinces (Madhya Pradesh). The copper plates were in the . possession of the Malguzar of Daikoni and the information about the existence of the charter was conveyed to the Government Epigraphist in 1944 by Pt. L. P. Pandeya. With the help of the Deputy Commissioner, Bilaspur District, the originals were secured by Dr. B. Ch. Chhabra, the Government Epigraphist for India, with whose kind permission I edit the record here.
[VOL. XXVIII
The plates have slightly raised rims to protect the writing. Each of them measures about 11.8 inches in length and 7 inches in height. They are strung together by a circular ring passing through a hole about 6 inch in diameter, which is bored in the middle of the length-side of the plates at the top. The ring is about 1-5 inches in diameter. To this is soldered a circular seal of about 2.5 inches in diameter. The seal contains at the top the emblem of the Gajalakshmi which covers about half its space. Below this is engraved the legend, 1 Raja-śrimat-Prithvidē- 2 vaḥ engraved in two lines and in the Nagari script of about the 12th century A. C. Both the plates are engraved on the inner side only, the first plate containing 13 lines and the second 14 lines of writing. The set weighs 257 tolas, the ring alone weighing 33 tolas.
The characters of the inscription are Nagari and are well engraved. There have been practically no mistakes in engraving and no erasures. The language of the record is Sanskrit. Except for the opening words which contain the salutation to Brahman and the last words recording the date, the whole inscription is in verse. There are in all eighteen verses, including the imprecatory verses, and they are all numbered. The dandas are marked for the halves as well as at the ends of the verses. As regards orthography, the writing shows the same peculiarities that are found in almost all the records of the period, i.e., 12th century A. C. They are the following; (i) use of v for b except in two cases: babhuvur, line 8 and babhuva, line 14; (ii) use of dental s for the palatal & (iii) the duplication of the consonant after r. The avagraha sign is employed wherever necessary. The form of b may be noted as it has little difference from p except that its box is absolutely square and hence angular at the left bottom instead of being rounded off as for p.
The object of the charter is to record a gift made by king Prithvidēva II, a Kalachuri king of Ratanpur, whose genealogy is traced from the sun, from whom was first born king Manu, the adirāja. From Manu was descended Karttavirya, in whose family were born a number of kings called the Haihayas. Among them was Kōkkala, who obtained fame as a noble and philanthropic king. He had eighteen sons of whom the eldest became the lord of Tripuri. He made his brothers lords of mandalas. In the progeny of one of these younger brothers was born Kalingaraja. His son was Kamalarāja to whom was born Ratnarāja (I). From Ratnarāja (I) was born through Nōnalla a son called Prithvidēva (I). Prithvidēva (I)'s son by Rajalladevi was Jājalladeva. His son was Ratnadeva (II) who secured the wealth (i.e., was the lord) of the entire Kōsala country. Prithvidēva II, the donor of the present charter, was his son. He is stated to have granted the
1 C. P. No. 2 of A. R. 8. I. E., for 1944-45.
The text of the record at this place reads pārsvē(évē) cha mamdala-patin sa chakāra va(ba)andhun. In the Ratanpur inscription of Jäjalladeva I (above, Vol. I, p. 34, text line 6) the corresponding passage reads bëshāmé cha mamdala-patin sa chakara va(ba)ndhun.
In the Amodă plates of Prithvidēva I (above, Vol. XIX, p. 79, text line 16) her name is given as Nōnnală.
