________________
MAY, 1910.)
COPPER-PLATES BELONGING TO PALITANA STATE.
129
ACCOUNT OF A COLLECTION OF COPPER-PLATES
BELONGING TO PALITANA STATE.
BY THE LATE A. M. T. JACKSON, I.C.S.
LARLY in 1909 I received from Mr. W.0. Tudor Owen, I.C.S., Administrator of Palitâna,
a collection of twelve copper-plates and a seal, as to which Mr. Tudor Oven writes, “I am told that the twelve plates were found fastened together by it (the seai) and suspendel by it from the roof of a small underground chamber adjoining a tank in the city (Palitana) underneath a large stone. They were found some 40 years ago, but kept secretly in the Palace here. It is said an old Brahman told the Chief of their existence and that he dug them up."
The twelve plates make up five complete grants and the first halves of two others. The most interesting is the Grant numbered I, below, which belongs to a hitherto unknown dynasty, the Gārulakas. All the rest, including the two fragments, belong to the Valabhi dynasty and all but one of them (the fragment marked VII ) follow the earlier form of Valabhi grants, in which the genealogy is given in full. In the later grants of this family (from Siltāditya I, downwards) all the successions between Bhatārka and Guhasena are omitted,
The standard forms are printed as Nos. 38 and 39 of Fleet's Gupta inscriptions,
I hope to publish elsewhere the full text of No. I, together with a collation of the others with the standard Valabhi grants. The chief points of interest as regards each grant are noted below:
No.I.--Two plates 7' X 9' carefully engraved on one side only in 6th century characters of the southern type, measuring about *. Each plate bears fourteen lines of writing. Dated in figures the year 255 of an unspecified era (doubtless the Valahhi) on the 13th day of the bright half of Abvayaja. The thing granted is (the field) Bhondaka Badhira Kuțumbi with a well in Darbhacara village. The recipient is the Brahman Bappasvāmi, Maitrāyaniya student of the Krişnātreya gotra, and a resident of the village of Valāpadra. The grantor is Sāmanta-Mahārāja Sinihāuitya, son of Sāmanta-Mahārāja Varāhadāsa, who was younger brother of Sämanta. Mabātāja Bhattisūra who was son of Senāpati Varāhadāsa of the warlike Gārulaka family. The grant is made from Phankapusuvarna (?) and there is no dutaka. The general scheme and phraseology are very similar to those of Valabhi grants, and no definite historical information is given except as to Varāhadāsa II, who is compared to Krisna in that he attacked with irresistible valour the lord of Dvärakā, and is descrited as a great builder. There is no seal or ring.
No. II.-Two plates 7 x 10 engraved on one side only in 6th century characters of the southern type, measuring. There are fifteen lines of writing on the first plate and sixteen on the second. Dated in figures the year 205 of an unspecified era (the Valabhi) on the 10th day of the bright hall of Bhādrapada. The things granted are:-(a) 110 pädávarttas (of land) in Madkana village of Hastavapra (Hathab) district: (6) 140 pādīvarttas in Tāpasiya village : 'and (0) 100 pādāvarttas in Tinishaka village. The grantees are Kumāraśarman and Jarabhajyi, two Brahman students of the Sāmaveda and Sandilya gotra, living at Sankara Vataka. The grantor is the Mahāsā manta and Mahārāja Dhruvaseña, younger brother of Mahārāja Dronasinha, who was younger brother of Senapati Dharasena, who was son of Senapati Bhatakka of the Maitraks family. The grant is made from Valabhi. The dataku is the chamberlain Mammaka and the writer is Kikkaka. There is no seal or ring.
