Indian Antiquary Vol 40

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 26

20
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
(JANUARY, 1911.
This is seen from the fact that the formal preambles of their records always style them " lord of Kalañjara, the best of tows." Kalajara is unquestionably the celebrated hill-fort Kaliñjar in the Banda District, Bandelkhand, in the United Provinced, in the very heart of the territory of these Kalachuris. Bat the earliest Kalachari family, of which records have been found and wbich appears to be the imperial dynasty, was that ruling over the Násik and Khandesh districts, Gujarat and Malw&, and reigning in all likelihood at Mahishmati. One copper-plate grant of this dynasty has been found at Abhon in the Nasik district, and is dated in the year 3 17 (595 A.D.) in the reiga of Katachchâri king Sankaragana.53 The grant was issued by the Kalacburi prince when he was at Ujjayant. Another was discovered at Sarsavn63 in the Padrá sub-division of the Baroda State, is dated in the year 361 ( 609-10 A.D.), and refers itaulf to the reign of Baldbaråja, who is no doubt the same as the Kalatsitri prince of that name represented in the Mabákůta pillar inscription to have been defeated by the Chalukya prince Mangaleba. Besides the Kalacharis, there appear to be some chieftains, at any rate in southern India, who were known simply as Haibayas. Thas in the time of the late Chalakya prince Somesvara I., one of his feudatories, was the Mahdmandalesvara Revarasa, with the title of " lord of Mabishmati, the best of towns," and described as belonging to the family of Kärtavirya. During the regime of the Châlukya king Vikramaditya VI., a portion of the Nizam's Dominions round about Kammarawidi was governed by his feudatory Yâdemarasa, with the title of " lord of Mahishmatt, the best of towns," and belonging to the Abibaya-vanía.66 Similarly, a fendatory of the Chilukys sovereign, Perme - Jagadekamalla II, was one Revarasa with the same title and pertaining to the same family." The Ahihaya vamsa here referred to must undoubtedlf be the same as Haihaya, as is clearly proved by the mention of Mühishmati, the old capital of the Haibayas.
All the records of the Kalachuri dynasties, whether of Chedi, Hatanpûr or GujaratMAlwâ, are dated in an era of their own. This era is also employed by princes of other dynasties such as the Uchebhakalpa, Traikutaka 68 and so forth, who were in all probability their feudatories. The epoch of this era is A.D. 249, when, therefore, the power of the Haibayas must be supposed to have been firmly established. The legends of Parasurama freeing the earth of the Kshatriyas are too well-known to be repeated here. But if we read between the lines, we find that he bore a grudge only against the Haibayas, with whose slaughter he was chiefly ooncerned. Parasurama is, in the Mahdbhdrata, represented as residing in the Mahendra mountain, and in the Harivania in the Sahya. And if there is a grain of truth in the legends, what they perhaps imply is that Parasurama, or some Brühmapa hero in the south, pat an effectual stop to the farther incursions and encroachments of the Haibayas, who wanted to occupy southern India.
Traces of the name Kalachuri are still found amongst the Marathaste and Rajpûts of the Central Provinces. The Kiyastha Prabhugof Maharashtra at any rate claim descent from Sahasrûrjuna. There is a sept of the Suryavansi Rûjpûts in Bihar called Harihobans, who appear to be the same as Haibayavans. There are Hayobansas also in the United Provinces.62
After the power of the Kashanas was overthrown and that of the Guptas established, India enjoyed respite for about two centuries. It was during the first half of the 6th century that the Hunas penetrated into India with the allied tribes Gurjaras, Maitrakas and so forth,
01 Ep. Ind., Vol. IX., p. 297 ff. Ibid Vol. VI., P. 397 ff.
Ante, Vol. XIX. pp. 17-18. 56 Bombay Gasettes, Vol. I., Pt. II., p. 489.
Joid. p. 451.
0716d., p. 457. » The Traikutakas were probably not feudatories, as they seem to have struck coins ; but were a rept of the Baibayas, like the Kalachuris. ** Birje's Who are the Kardphas ? p. 108.
** Bombay Garetter, Vol. XIII., Pt. I, p. 87. & Risley's The Tribe and Caster of Bengal, Vol. T., p. 317. #1 Elliot's The Races of the N. W. Provinces of India, Vol. I, p. 188.