Indian Antiquary Vol 47

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

Page 258

242
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
As none of these inscriptions mentioned the family name of the kings or supplied any clue to the identification thereof, Cunningham contented himself by calling the dynasty Rajputs of Narwar.' And this vague appellation or its eqiuvalent "princes of Narwar" has been given to this dynasty in books on chronology, numismatics and history published
since.
[SEPTEMBER, 1918
Recently however, five more inscriptions of this dynasty have been discovered by me, two of which are valuable as supplying the hitherto unknown name of the dynasty and further as clearing away certain misconceptions about Châhada of Narwar, the founder of the dynasty.
A stone 3 inscription on a Jaina Temple at Bhimpur about 3 miles from Narwar dated in V. S. 1319 in the reign of Asala Deva contains the following verses :
पाल इति सार्थकनामा संबभूव वसुधाधववंशः ॥ सर्वतः कलितकीर्तिषुकूल छत्रमेकमसृजद् भुवने यः ॥
कुले किलास्मिन जनिष्ट वीरचूडामणिः श्रीय ( प ? ) रमाडिराजः | [[]] सितारक भी कंपि नासि येन साम्यम् || wwwwyafhenwegfewafiquniwcepfer
चाहडः प्रतिनरेंद्र कान नप्तोषदावशिखिमूर्तिरुथयो | etc., etc.
The facts of historical importance gleaned from this passage are that there was a race of kings named Yajvapâla; that in that race was born Sri Ya (pa)rdmâḍirâja; and that he was succeeded by Chihaḍa.
In another stone3 inscription found in the kacheri at Narwar, dated in V. S. 1339 in the reign of Gopala, occurs the following text:
गम्यो म विद्वेषिमनोरथानां रथस्वदं भानुमतो निरुंधन् । वासः सतामस्ति विभूतिपात्रं रम्योदयो रत्नागिरिगिरींद्रः ॥ तत्र सौर्यमयः कश्चिन्निर्मितो महरूंडवा |
जयपालो भवन्नाम्ना विद्विषां दुरतिक्रमः ॥
maar gewytrend: fretkeit: | Cestnentes sinemikku: viqueninda: || सचाभवनृपतिरुपतरप्रताप श्रीमानकीर्तिः ।
दोईडचंडिमभरैण पुरः परेभ्यो येनाहृता नलगिरिप्रमुखा गरिष्ठाः || etc. etc.
This passage tells us that Châhada of Narwar was born in a noble family which was called after a legendary hero named Jayapâla; that the current popular form of the family-name was Jajapella; and that Châha la captured from enemies Nalagiri, i.e., Narwar, and other big towns.
On combining the information supplied by these two records we learn that the family name of the kings of Narwar hitherto known by the rather vague title 'Rajputs of Narwar' was Jajapella. The alternative form 'Yajvapâla' specified in the Bhimpur inscription appears to be a learned Sanskritised form of the popular Jajapella. We further learn that Châhada's immediate ancestor was Sri Yaramâḍirâja or Paramâdiraja and not Malaya Varmma as supposed by Cunningham (Coins of M. India, p. 90). Yaramâḍiraja however does not appear to haveruled over Narwar for we learn from the Narwar kacheri inscription that it was Châhada who conquered Narwar from enemies.
5 These stones have now been deposited in the State Museum at Gwalior.
A copper-plate inscription of this Malaya Varmma dated V. S. 1277 has been lately discovered at Kuretha in Gwalior State, from which it is clear that Malaya Varmma did not belong to the Jajapella mily of Narwar but was a Pratihâra.