Indian Antiquary Vol 09

Author(s): Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 56

46
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
ruling at Thana were also feudatories of the Chalukyas. And possibly, Anantapâla's calling himself Chakravartio of the Konkan coupled with A parâditya's despatch of an ambassador to Kâśmir might be taken as some index that the later Silâras treated themselves as independent sovereigns. On this view the expressions Mahamandalesvar 11 and so forth, would be explicable on the theory suggested by Mr. Newton regarding the term satrap that "in common with other similar titles, it must have come to be looked on as indicating authority only and not subordination." 113 In Marco Polo's time the Konkan was still under Hindu princes were they Silaras ?-whcm Polo describes as being tributary to nobody." The point is one, however, which cannot, I think, be settled finally in the present state of our materials.
From the numerous references to Siva in the Silåra inscriptions, the family may well be inferred to have been devotees of Siva.115 Jimûtavahana's name, however, certainly suggests Buddhist associations.110 Probably the creed of the princes was not of a narrow sort, and the evidence is daily accumulating, which shows that in days so late even as the 10th and 11th centuries of the Christian era, sundry Hindu Princes showed considerable catholicity of spirit as between Hindu, Bauddha, and Jaina. The branch of the Silaras, whose inscriptions are noted in Major Graham's volume on Kolhapur, seems to have made grants alike to Brahmans and to Jainas. And it may be remarked that the Inscription regarding the grant of the Konkan to Kapardi II. is engraved on a Bauddha
cave.
Tolls-which form the subject of the exemption recorded in the plate before us-appear to have been not an uncommon source of revenue in
110 Aparáditya also calls himself "chakravartt of the Konkan." J. B.B.R. A. S. vol. XII. p. 333. I may perhaps, observe here in passing, that Aparáditya, in both the Parel and the Thana stone slab inscriptions, is described as Srimat Aparåditya, which clears up a difficulty suggested by Prof. Bhandarkar with regard to the Gurjara kings (J. B. B. R. A. 8. vol. X. p. 20 note). The same expression also occurs in the unpublished plate before referred to, in the present plate, and in other documents (e. g. Ind. Ant. vol. V. p. 136). It is, however, undoubtedly, of rare occurrence. 11 J. B. B. R. A. S. vol. XII. (Extra No.) p. 51.
118 As to which cf. Ind. Ant. vol. V. p. 145. Our plate, however, has also the expression is which can hardly be treated as a "title" only.
113 J. B. B. R. A. S. vol. IX. p. 19. Cf. J. R. A. 8. vol. II. p. 384. Upon this point the remark of Mill cited by
[FEBRUARY, 1880.
former times. Among the Inscriptions collected by Major Graham11s too, there are several which record grants of tolls. As the trade at Thânâ, Chemulya, and Supârâ appears to have been considerable,110 the exemption granted by our plate cannot have been quite insignificant.
The names of the grantees and of some of the ministry are also remarkable. They all seem to be southerners. These "southerners" are also to be noticed in Dr. Bühler's plate, and in the Ambarnath Inscription, as well as in the plate in the Asiatic Researches, and in Dr. Bühler's plate of the Rashtrakâta Govinda III. It is evident, therefore, that the "ayya" community occupied a position of considerable influence in those days even at the courts of princes, who were not directly ruling in the south. Upon the name of Ananta Pai Prabhu, which occurs in the Parel inscription, Mr. Wathen remarks as follows:
"It is singular, however, and in support of the pretensions and traditions of the Kayastha Prabhus, that they seem to have been ministers under this Raja, viz., Aparaditya." I am not quite so sure that Prabhu there does indicate the Prabhu caste, and I do not understand that Mr. Wathen bas any other basis for his suggestion. 10 Against it we have to remember that in No. 8 of Mr. Wathen's own Inscriptions, a Brahman is mentioned as bearing the name Kesav Prabhu, and there are persons named in our own plate as "Prabhus" who do not appear to belong to the Prabhu caste. Even in our own days, Prabhu is a Brahman surname, and I am inclined to interpret the word in the various plates before us as indicating only a surname and not a name of a caste. The name A nan tapai also seems to indicate that that man was not of the Prabhu caste but a "southerner."
Nairne (p. 21) about the grandiloquence of these princes is undoubtedly entitled to considerable weight.
11 Yale's Marco Polo vol. II. p. 330; Nairne, Konkan p. 11; see also J. R. A. 8. vol. II. p. 395.
115 Conf. J. R. A. S. vol. IV. p. 114; J. B. B. R. A. 8. vol. XII. pp. 321-335; Ind. Ant. vol. III. p. 317 ff.; and vol. V. p. 278.
fe The seal would seem to point in the same direction: cf. J. B. B. R. A. s. vol. I. pp. 210, 216.
111 Vide pp. 326-334 Dr. Taylor's grant is to Bråhmans and begins with an invocation to Vishnu. See too J. B. B. R. A. 8. vol. XIII. p. 10; and J. R. A. 8. vol. II. p. 387 and of. Cunningham's Arch. Surv. Rep. vol. VII. p. 198; vol. VIII. p. 16; Ind. Ant. vol. VII. p. 2.
118 P. 327ff. Nos. 3, 13, &c.; see too J.R.A.S. vol. III. p. 98. 119 Cathay, vol. II. p. 99; Marco Polo, vol. II. p. 330.
130
As to which, see also Journ. Bomb. Geog. Soc. vol. VII. p. 139.