Epigraphia Indica Vol 28

Author(s): Hirananda Shastri
Publisher: Archaeological Survey of India

Page 91

EPIGRAPHIA INDICA
(Vol. XXVIII,
Ling 13-17 say that the village was offered as a kraya-säsana with the consent of Mahäsămanta Karthi, of Sõnapa who was the son of Mahäsämanta Aicharã, of Khätävädämaya,' of Thakura Bahula and of Kadukullinga. Lines 17-18 appear to contain the names of the following witnesses : Bhātaputra Amkara, Bhātaputra Våghada, Bhataputra Kaüddiya, Bhātaputra Heu and Māhā (s.e., Mahā or 'senior,' or Māhāsāmanta for Mahāsāmanta) Kuddapõlu. In lines 18-28 are quoted some of the usual imprecatory verses in Sanskrit, although they contain all sorts of mistakes." Line 28 also contains the mangala :Let there be peace to the cow, the Brahmana and the world as well as to the king'. In lines 28-29 there is a passage which seems to mean the village is) to be enjoyed according to the custom prevalent in the country in succession by grandfathers, fathers and sons'. Another interesting passage in lines 29-30 says that, even if there are passages in the deed which are short of letters or in excess of them, they should be regarded as genuine.' Lines 31-32 say that the deed was engraved by Padmanabha who was the son of the merchant Pandi and was an inhabitant of Gandhatapāti.
The name of king Narendradhavala is very interesting, as the name-ending dhavala seems to suggest the existence of a ruling family called Dhavala in ancient Orissa side by side with the families of the Bhanja kings whose names end with the word bhanja. It is also interesting to note in this connection that there is a tract of land in the Singhbhum District of Bihar still known as Dhalbhüm or Dhavalabhūmi, the land of the Dhavalas'. This name of the territory is associated with a line of kings whose names end with the word dhavala. Indeed some late-medieval rulers of Dhalbhūm, such as Gopinathadhavals and his son Anantadhavala who was the patron of the poet Jagannatha Sena, author of the Hitopadèba Panchali, are famous in the history of Bengali literature. These Dhavala kings were neighbours of the Bhañjas of Orissa. As a matter of fact, part of the Singhbhum District containing Dhalbhūmgarh lies immediately to the north of Mayurbhañj ruled by . Bhañja royal family up till today. There is, however, another Dhavala ruling family in the heart of Orissa. Mr. P. Acharya of Baripada (Mayurbhanj State) informs me that the Räjás of Dompan in the Cattack District of Orissa belong to a Dhala or Dhavala family. What relation may have existed in former times between the Dhavalas of Dompare and those of Dhalbhüm cannot be determined. It is, however, not improbable that both these families are offshoots of an ansiont royal family of Orissa to which king Narēndradhavala of the record under discussion belonged. It is also possible to suggest that both the Bhañjas and Dhavalas were originally fendatories of the Bhauma-Karas and that they began to rule more or less independently only after the decline of the latter.
Of the geographical names mentioned in the charter, the location of only one place is certain. Gandhatapáti, mentioned also in several other Orissan records, is undoubtedly modern Gandhadadi in th Bandh tate. I am unable to identify Khindarasingha, Gõmundamandale or Mõmunds-, Dharanimphs or Dharanaio and Tadēsvaragrama. The localities mentioned in the description of the boundaries of Tadevaragrams also cannot be identified. The kingdom of the Dhavalas, however, appears to have been contiguous to that of the Bhañjas of the Koonjhar
1 This expression may represent more than one personal name. Whether they wore also the sons of Alohar cannot be determined.
The vores were apparently inported in order to represent the sale of land as a gift. cf. Mitakahand on the Ydjlavalky-empiti, II, 114 : Whaparatya pikraya-pratishedhat...dana-prasangkok-cha vikraye=pi karlavyö so hirap youndabor dattva dana-ripina shavara-vikrayah kuryal. Soe Kane, History of Dharmasastra, Vol. III, p. 147.
For the same pasaugo in other early Orissan records, cf. the Dhenkanal prate of Jayastam bha, JBORS, Vol. II, p. 407. [See also abovo, Vol. XII, pp. 203, 265, etc.)
8. Bon, Vangala Ad Milyer Itikana, Vol. I, nooond edition, p. 869. These Dhavala ohiofs are said to have lived at Ambikinagart and enjoyed the title 8háhgäda. MGIPC-81-40 DGA-10-1-62—450.