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JUNE, 1925]
ANCIENT TOWNS AND CITIES IN GUJARAT AND KATHIAWAD
During the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, it became one of the most important cities in Gujarat and an important centre of financial transactions. 101 Under Vaghela rule, the importance of the town still more increased, for the Vaghelâ dominions at first consisted only of the territories around Dhandhuka and Dholka or Dhavalakka. It became their capital. The tank at Dholka was built by Mianaldevi, mother of Siddharaja.
The identity of ancient Dhavalakka with modern. Dholka is too bvious to need explanation.
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26. Dhandalpur.
Dhandalpur, 12 miles east of Chothia, is one of the places which claim the honour of being the birthplace of Siddharaja Jayasimha. The queen had stopped there to see a 'Siddha', and she there gave birth to the illustrious monarch. Siddharaja converted the place into a fort and constructed a tank now known as Adalu.
27. Navasarika.
The identity of ancient NavasArika with modern Naosari, 20 miles south of Surat, is obvious; Dr. D. R. Bhandarkar further points out103 that an unpublished grant with the Bombay Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society mentions a river Pârâvi as being in the vicinity of Navasarika, a river which is the same as modern Pûrnâ near Naosari.
Modern Naosari is a town of great antiquity. It was known to the Greeks as one of the ports of Western India, for Ptolemy mentions103 it as a port between Bharoch and Sopara. He spells the name as Nousaripa; but there can be no doubt that Nousaripa is the same as Navasarika.
Not being, like Bharoch, a port for the extensive commerce of Northern India, not being also a suitable outlet-as was the case with Kalyan-for the export and import trade of the Deccan, it is doubtful whether Navasarika ever carried extensive trade with foreign countries. It was probably a port of only coastal trade.
There are no inscriptional or literary references to Navasarika during the first five centuries of the Christian era, to enable us to obtain information about the town during that period.
During Chalukya rule in Gujarat, Navasarika became a place of importance. Dr. Bhagwanlal Indraji thinks that it was the capital of the Gurjara Chalukyas. 104 With due deference to the learned doctor we must state that his conjecture does not seem to be true. The famous Begumrå plates of 738 A.D. mention Navasarika only as a 'vishaya' or district, 106 at most a division; were Navasarika the capital, the reference would have been made in a different way. From the Navasari grant of Śryasraya Siladitya Yuvaraja, dated 421 G.E. [740 A.D.], it is clear 10s that Navasarika then was the head-quarters of the heir-apparent; the king must be residing somewhere elso. He had appointed his son the Viceroy of a province of which Navasarika was the head-quarters. His capital must obviously have been else. where.
Naosari was the scene of a decisive battle in 739 A.D. Abdul-i-Rahman, Governor of Sindh, overran Saurashtra, Northern Gujarat and Malwa in 738 A.D., and then made a foray towards Bharoch. Avanijanasraya Pulukesin, a feudatory Chalukya prince, met and repulsed him at Navasarika, probably with the aid of his uncle Vikrama I. The famous Begumr & plates give a detailed description of the incident. Cf. तरलसरतारतरवारिहारितोदित सैन्धवकच्छेल Augendamträvskafterest Praderafemefanantafenfreiwar...wwska wwanfenfregungenaet..... समरशिरसि विजिते ताजिकानीके ..
101 Of. for instance the following passage in the Girnar inser. of 1232 A.D. Bigscieò qoLUSCO नगरेषु मुद्रा व्यापारान् व्यापृण्वता तेजःपालेन... मुद्रा व्यापार of course meanis saraf business.
103 P. 38.
104 B. G., 1. p. 107.
109 Ep. Ind., VI. 286.
106 प्रथममेव नवसारिकाविषयप्रसाधनाचाय...
100 स्वाभवः शिलादित्वयुवराजो नवसारिकामधिवसन... |
