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No. 41] MALGA PLATES OP RAMANTA INDRARAJA
211 be seems to have been the ruler of a small territory in the Shahdol region in the former Rewa State. The area was under the kings of Kausāmbi in the 2nd and 3rd centuries A. D. and later came under the possession of the Imperial Guptas. In the 6th century, the Mankharis of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, whose dominions are known to have comprised the neighbouring Kālañjara region of Bundelkhand,' may have extended their power over the Rewa area. It is, therefore, not impossible that Indrarāja originally owed allegiance to the Maukharis and ruled semiindependently for sometime between the death of Maukhari Grahavarman about 605 A. D. and the establishment of Harshavardhana's power over the former, Maukhari empire shortly afterwards. The semi-independent period of Indraraja's rule may possibly also be assigned to a date following Harsha's death in 647 A. D. In such cases, the record under study may be assigned roughly to the second decade or the middle of the 7th century.
Among the geographical names mentioned in the record, Mandaka whence the giant was issued seems to have been the capital of Samanta Indraraja. It is difficult to say whether the name of Malga, the findspot of the inscription, is a modification of that of ancient Mandaka. The gift village is called Salagråmåmantamaraka or Sālagrămamantamaraka which is apparently made out of the names of two localities, viz. Salagrama and Amantamaraka or Mantamaraka. These two localities forming one unit was a part of the village called Gula-grāmaks which was situated in a rashtra or subdivision called Akāśa within the vishaya or district called Chhēndaparanga. Nono of these can be identified.
TEXT
[Metres : verse 1 Sardūlavikridita ; verse 2 Sragdhara ; verses 3-9 Anushţubh.]
First Plate
1 Siddham svasti [II] Asi(si)d=Indra-samaḥ kshitau Kabita(ti)pati[h*) lakty, ktriskri)
yábhiragupair=u2 tphull-āmala-chāju-vimva(mba)-vadanã ya[n*] Bri[h*) sadā sēvatē | yo dēva-dvija-sädha
[pa)3 odita-janasy=ādhāra-bh[ū]to ha vā' siddh-[A]dhyäsita-hēma-tunga-sikharah Sailai(lē)ndra
rājā(jo) yathā (11 *] 4 Jāta[s=ta*]sy=ātmajā(jā)=pi. prakața-gha(ga)ja-ghata(tā)-ghattanaḥ(na)&=ch[á]ru-mürtti
[re=nitya[m] dát-abhima* Seo above, Vol. XXXI, pp. 187 ff.
An inscription of kandagupta has been found in the forinar Howa State, while Gapta supremacy was acknowledged in Chattisgarh. See ibid., pp. 287-88 ; below, pp. 300 ff.
Bhandarkar's List, No. 28; above, Vol. XVII, pp. 18 ff. From photographs and impressions. Expressed by symbol. • The lotter dha is written above the lino. Better road bhut-bhavat.
