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SEPTEMBER, 1883.]
THE LICHPUR GRANT.
239
THE ILICHPUR GRANT OF PRAVARASENA II OF VÅKATAKA.
BY DR. G. BÜHLER, C.I.E. THE subjoined grant of the Vákata ka king, portion, it might be expected that the publica
Pravarasena II, was made over to metion of the Ilichpur Sâsana, would not, throw for translation by Dr. J. Burgess. A transcript much new light on the history of the Vakataka of it, prepared by Pandit Bhagvânlal Indraji, kings. That would, also, undoubtedly be th has been published in Dr. Burgess' Notes case if the Seoni grant had been edited careon the Bauddha Rock Temples of Ajanta, fully and translated correctly. But Prinsep's (Bombay 1879) p. 54, as well as some informa- Pandits have unfortunately done their task in tion regarding the place where it was found. & very slovenly manner, and press of work
The grant is incised on seven small plates, seems to have prevented the illustrious epimeasuring 7.5 inches by 3-6, which are held graphist from checking them. Consequently together by one ring with a plain round seal the transcript abounds in misreadings, which sliding on the ring. The first and last plates seriously distort the historical information are inscribed on one side only, the blank side furnished by the grant, and it is not even quite being turned outwards. Plates III and IVa complete. The translation is not better than have six lines each, plate IVb four lines, and the transcript. This circumstance, as well as the remainder five each. The execution of the the fact that very unsatisfactory attempts have inscription is good, though the engraver has been made to harmonise the information regardleft ont a few syllables. The preservation, ing the Vákatakas furnished by the Ajantâ too, is very fair. The alphabet resembles that Inscription in Cave XVI, with the statements of the Seoni grant (Jour. As. Soc. Beng. vol. of the two grants, induce me to give here a V, p. 729 seqq.) and of the Ajanta inscrip- short summary of the historical facts known tions. The little hollow square at the top of about the V & kåta kas. the letters which is so characteristic of the Vá kâta ka, a word which unfortunately does Vákataka alphabet and of those used in other not admit easily of an etymological explanation, parts of the Central Provinces, is frequently is both the name of a country and of the Rajrepresented in the Ilichpur grant by a regular pût tribe governing it. In the latter sense it is nail-head.' To judge from the style of the used in the frequently recurring phrase of the letters the document belongs to the beginning two grants, "the great king of the Vå katakas of the fifth century A.D.
(Vdkátalandm mahárája), in the epithet 'the The language is not very grammatical Sans- ornament or chief of the VAkatakas,' given to krit. Half a dozen bad grammatical mistakes Pravarasena II, on the seal of the two grants, occur in the middle of the document, and and in the expression the banner of the Vâkatowards the end in the list of names, the use taka race' (vákátakavarnsaketu, Ajanta inscr. of the case terminations is scant and irregular. 1. 3). It denotes & place in the compound The spelling is sometimes faulty, e.g. in Sakli. Pavarajja-Vákdtaka, the name of a village to the ptopakliptah (IVa, 1. 3) and the Sandhi rules north of Brahmapúra (read pura), mentioned in receive little attention. The omissions and the Seoni grant. The position of the kingdom of mistakes can, however, nearly all be supplied the Vákatakas is fixed partly by the sites where or corrected with the help of the Seoni plates the two grants have been found and partly by which were engraved only & few months geographical names mentioned in the inscripearlier, and copied from the same model form. tions. The Ilichpur grant was found seven Down to Pl. III, 1. 4 the text of both grants or eight miles south of Ilichpar,' in the northern is almost literally the same.
corner of the Berars. It is quite clear that the On account of the close agreement of the modern village of Chammak is the repretwo documenta, especially in the historical sentative of the ancient Charmanka, con
Jour. Bo. Bv. R. As. Soc. vol. VI, p. 53 segg, and by Dr. Burgesa, Cave Templo Inscriptions (Bombey, 1880, p. 60). See Archaological Reports, vol. IV -The Bauddha Temples and their Inscriptions, pp. 1944, and platou. This paper will also be found in the same
volume, pp. 118-194. .
• The square' has been out out with small chisel, and the copper driven down from it partially overlays the apper part of the stem of the letter, rendering it very alioult to obtain satisfactory faosimile. -ED. I. A.
