Epigraphia Indica Vol 31

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

Page 47

20
EPIGRAPHIA INDICA
[Vol. XXXI
the god Bhuvanesvara worshipped at Dharapura. The remaining land measured, according to the samākrānta-nala, 29 tā tikās, 5 mūnas and 12 gunthas. In Oriya, the word samākrānta means * endowed with boundaries' and nala measurement of area'. It seems that the recognised area of the piece of land was quoted in this case without fresh measurement. Out of the above area, 13 vātikās and 15 münas, which covered tanks, bhithas and mandapris in the occupation of gods and Brahmanas, was subtracted leaving, according to the document under review, a total of 16 vãţikūs. There is, however, strictly speaking, a mistake in the calculation, as the remainder was actually 15 tāfikūs, 5 manas and 12 gunthas and not exactly 16 vātikās.
The document goes on to say that the total area of the five plots measuring 100 vī tikās was granted as a revenue-free gift together with the right to enjoy both land and water as well as fish and tortoise. The actual total area of the five plots, however, was slightly less than 100 vãţikas. It was 99 väsikūs, 4 mīnas and 16 gunthas, although, if the wrong calculation of the area of the fifth plot as quoted in the documeat is taken into account it would come up to 99 vātikās, 19 mūnas and 4 gunthas.
Sēnā pati (general) Allālinātha, who was a Brāhmana of the Pūtimasha götra and a student of the Sakala branch of the Kigoda, was the Sasanidhikarin, i.e. the hend of the record deartment who was responsible for writing the sāsana or charter. He received, apparently as his perquisite, two vāļikās of land consisting partly of homestead land and partly of land under water. The engraver of the plates, whose name was Pannāļi-raņā, similarly received two vāţikäs of land, half of which was homestead land, the other half being under water. He was apparently the same as Pannādi, mentioned in the Kendapatna plates, and Pannadi-mahāraņā who engraved the Puri platest of Bhinu II, son of the issuer of the present charter. Raņā and Maharană indicate family names among the artisans of Orissa.
- A number of rent-paying subjects were also attached to the present gift land which was styled Allāla pura-säsana. The later Ganga monarchs often gave a particular name to the land granted by a charter. Why the present charter was called Allalapura-sisana is not clear: but it seems to have been named after the Sāsanihikarin Senapati Allalanātha. The practice of allotting a number of rent-payers to a sisana is also known from other records of the king. The subjects attached to the present charter were: (1) Asāti who was the son of the gudika (manufacturer or seller of sugar) Nárāyana and belonged to the Uchabhäpada hafta (market); (2) Madhi-Srēshthin who was the grandson of Bhrati-srështhin and was a potter of the Yaîtra padā hata ;(3) Kaliya who was the gransdon of Gopāladānu and belonged to the Saragadā navā(va)-hafta ; (4) Parukhsśrēshțhin who was the son of Jūguli-érēshțhin and was an oilman of Võirõā-gõpāpa ; (5) Punakara who was the grandson of Pratosve and a grower or seller of betel leaves attached to the JankhēraJayapura hala; (6) Dharmm.u-srishthin who was the grandson of Kukāmāchanda and was a relation of the oilman Gabhu-rani of Uthali, and (7) Moikraã, the grandson of Mårttanda and a goldsmith of the Vijayalakshmipura hata ; he was made a substitute for Utjās-adhyaksha who was the grandson of the goldsmith Visu-mahalāka and belonged to the Váranga hatta and who had been attached to the būsana of Khadgngrihi-Mahāpatra Yügūnanda of Ghatavata; and Utjās-ādhyaksha was attached to the present charter.
The last line of the charter says that it was written by the Sāsanālhikärin Allalaetho-sonāpati and that the plates were udghāçita (probably meaning kirga or engraved) by the copper-smith Pannādi-ranā.
of the geographical names mentioned in the charter, Allalapura is, of course, modern Alalpur near Bhubaneswar. It is, however, difficult to determine as to which of the gist villages has to be
TJRASB, Iutters, Vol. XVII, pp. 19-26; JBRS, Vol. XXXVIII, part ii, pp. 225-29,
? The word is mahallaka, the same as muhallika or makallaka meaning ' guard of the royal harem! Visumahullika was a goldsmith by carto. The word udhyaksha attached to the name of his grandson may suggest that the latter had some executive function in the market to which he belonged.