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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[MARCH, 1884.
A NEW GURJARA COPPER-PLATE GRANT.
BY PANDIT BHAGWÅNLÅL INDRAJI, PHILOL. D. (LEIDEN): Hon. M.B.A.S. The inscription which forms the subject of been found to bear attestations in the same this paper is from a grant which, with several Någari characters, and that inscriptions of others,' has been entrusted to use for publication dates later than the seventh century, from the by Mr. Sheriârji Dadhbhai Bharuch, Assistant same parts, are engraved in characters from Master in the Sir Kawasji Jahangir Ready- which the modern Någari characters have money Madrassa at Nausâri. They were found certainly been derived. And the reason why in excavating some foundations at Nausäri. characters of the South Indian type were used
The present grant consists of two plates, each in grants up to the seventh century, is, I about 12'' broad by 9" high. The edges of the think, to be sought in the facts-that the plates are for the most part fashioned slightly kings of the south from time to time invaded, thicker, with a depression running along inside and established their power in, Mahậrashtra and them, so as to serve as rims to protect the Kathiâwâd, and brought with them men who writing. A small piece, containing the first did the work of engraving their grants accordakshara and part of the second, is broken away ing to their own alphabets; and that the and lost at the commencement of the second practice thus introduced was afterwards conplate. And, lower down on the same side of tinued, and so, side by side with the currentthe same plate, a large triangular piece, its sides hand characters of the country, there remained measuring about 4", 3 and 41", bas similarly in use, for a considerable time, a totally distinct been broken away and lost; but almost all the alphabet for formal official purposes. Even the missing letters can be supplied. When the plates characters used in the Valabhi grants are first came into my hands, they were covered distinctly of South Indian origin. with a coating of rust almost as thick as the The present inscription furnishes the folplates themselves, and hardly a letter could any- lowing short genealogywhere be deciphered ; but I have succeeded in
Dadda. removing this entirely, and in making the inscription quite legible throughout. The in
Jayabhata. Acription runs across the breadth of the plates. There are holes for two rings; but the rings,
Dadda, or Båhusahâya. and the seal that must have been on one of them, have been lost. The language is San
Jayabhata. skrit throughout. The characters, with the It does not specify the dynasty to which exception of the attestation in the last line, are they belonged. But, as we have, whether for like those of the Chalukya and Rashtrakuta the same or different individuals, precisely the grants of the seventh century that have been same names of Dadda and Jayabhata in the found in Gujarât. This type of characters is | Kaira, Umétâ, and Ilâð grants, coupled with derived from the South Indian alphabets of specific mention of the Gurjara dynasty, the fourth century, and differs considerably and as the same names have not been met with from the old Nagari characters of the same in the case of any other dynasty,—there can period. The characters of the attestation, hardly be any doubt as to the persons named however, in line 44, differ entirely from those in the present inscription being of the same of the body of the grant, and are the Nagari dynasty. And here the dynasty is said, for characters of the seventh century, which must the first time, to be derived originally from probably have been the current-hand characters the Mahdbharata hero Karna, the elder halfused in Gujarat at that time. We are led to brother of the Pandavas. this conclusion,- for Maharashtra and Kathiê- In respect of the first Dadda, this inscripwad, as well as Gajarât, -by the facts, that tion furnishes an interesting item of informaseveral other grants from the same parts have tion, the full importance of which I shall show
Another of them is the Nausari grant of the year 421 of Siladitya-Sryksraya, of the Chalukyas of Gujarat;
published by me in the Jour. Bo. Br. R. 48. Soc., VOL XVI. pp. lff.
