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No. 26]
NELKUNDA GRANT OF CHALUKYA ABHINAVADITYA
son Abhinavaditya issued the charter under study. Abhinavaditya who was also called Satyairaya-prithivivallabha, evidently after his grandfather Pulakesin II, is known for the first time through our record. It is noteworthy that like his father Adityavarman, Abhinavaditya also claimed the imperial titles, Mahārājādhirāja and Paramèsvara, which imply his right over the Chalukya empire. As it is reasonable to assume that no other prince of the Chalukya house claiming sovereign status was permitted to rule in any part of the kingdom after the accession of Vikramaditya I in 655 A.D., we may assign the rules both of Adityavarman and his son Abhinavāditya within the span of 13 years, 642 to 655 A.D. With the ascendancy of Vikramaditya I, Abhinavāditya, a rival as he was, might have been dislodged from his position and reduced to a state of nonentity.
Only two geographical names are mentioned in the record. Uchoha ringa-vishaya wherein the gift village was situated, must evidently have taken the name after its chief town Uchchasringa. This place is identical with the present village of Uchchangidurga in the Harapanhalli Taluk, Bellary District. On account of its well-fortified and strategic situation, it played a conspicuous role in the history of the region during the early and medieval period. A copperplate charter of the Early Kadamba king Harivarman was issued in the fourth year of his reign from Uchcha ringi. This place appears to have been made their headquarters by a few more members of the Early Kadamba line. It was one of the capitals of the Nolamba-Pallava rulers." A later line of the Kadamba feudatories and chiefs of Pandya extraction also ruled here." It was one of the strongholds subjugated by Hoysala Vishnuvardhana in the course of his northern expedition."
An inscription at Uchchangidurga itself, dated 1064 A.D., describes the place as having been situated in the district of Kadambavadi. Indulging in a legendary account of its different names, it further states that it was known as Meghanada, Vira-Kanakagiri, Uttunga-parvata and Uchohangi-parvata, respectively in the Krita, Trētā, Dvapara and Kali ages. The gift village Nekunda has to be identified with the modern village of Nalkunda situated in the Davanagere Taluk, Chitradurg District. It thus appears that Uchchasringa-vishaya embraced areas in the adjacent Districts of Bellary and Chitradurg.
TEXT
First Plate
1 Svasti || Jayaty-abhinav-adi1otya-ruchi pada-tala[m] Hareḥ [*] 2 uditam-mātum=avani[m*] sur-ārāti-tamō-paha[m*] |11 [1*] Śrīma
3 ta[m] sakala-bhuvana-samstuyamana-Manavya-sagō
4 traņām Häriti-putrāņām sapta-lōka
5 matribhiḥ Sapta-matṛibhir-abhivarddhitānām Kārttikë
6 ya-parirakshana-prapta-kalyaṇa-parampară
215
Ind. Ant., Vol. VI, p. 30.
2 Cf. Kadamba Kula, p. 36.
Historical Inscriptions of Southern India, p. 371.
4 Cf. Kadamba Kula, pp. 232 ff.
Hist. Ins., S. Ind. op. cit., p. 373.
Bomb. Gaz., Vol. 1, Part ii, p. 496.
7 SII, Vol. IX, Part i, Ins. No. 126.
From impressions.
Metre: Anushṭubh.
10 On account of defect in the engraving, the medial i sign on the top of this letter is detached.
11 This punctuation mark is shown by two curves, one above the other, the upper one looking like the top matra. 10 This anuseara is shifted to the top of the following sa.
