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AUGUST, 1926]
THE CAPITAL OF NAHAPANA
143
THE CAPITAL OF NAHAPANA
By V. S. BAKHLE, M.A., LL.B. The date of Nahapana, the Kshaharâta Kshatrapa, who ruled over Northern Mahârâshtra, Gujarat and other adjoining provinces is still disputed. There is, however, a question of no less importance, viz., the capital of his kingdom ; and scholars are not agreed on this question also. We propose in this article to show that the capital of the kingdom of Nahapana was situated at Junnar, a view which was first put forward by the late Sir Ramkrishna Bhandarkar.1
The controversy about the capital of Naha pâna was, to all appearances, finally set at rest by Mr. D. R. Bhandarkar in the pages of this journal ? where he stated, relying mainly on the Periplus of the Erythræan Sea and the Geography of Ptolemy, that the capital of the kingdom of Nahapana was Dashapura or the modern Mandasor. The Periplus mentions Minnagara as the metropolis of the kingdom of Mambaros and of all India, and Ptolemy in his geography mentions a Minnagara, which lies 2° N. and 2° E. of Broach, a place which roughly corresponds with the modern Mandasor, known in ancient times also as Dashapura. The mention of this place, in Mr. Bhandarkar's opinion, as one of the places of Ushavadata's benefactions fully corroborates this view. "I have often thought it was impossible for Usbavadata not to have made any benefactions at the capital town of Nahapana, and con. sequently one of the four cities (Dashapura, Sopâraga, Govardhana and Bharukachchha) must have been his capital. But Ptolemy's Geography no longer leaves the point in doubt."9
Before we proceed to discuss this identification, it is necessary to ascertain the extent of the dominions of Nahapana. Nahapana, we know, had a daughter named Dakshamitra, who was married to Shaka Ushavadata, son of Dinika. We have inscriptions of this Ushavadata at Karli and Nasik, in which he records his benefactions at various places. Some of these benefactions are grants of land and villages, construction of rest-houses, erection of drinking places, etc. The nature of these benefactions and especially his land grants show that Ushavadata was not an ordinary donor. We could hardly expect a private person to grant lands and villages and to arrange for the comforts of people in so many different places. It is obvious, therefore, that Ushavadata exercised some authority over the provinces, in which the places of his benefactions are situated, "The localities at which the benefactions were made," observes Rapson, "may be supposed to lie within the province of which Ushavadata had special charge. They indicate generally the extent of that part of Nahapana's dominions to which the political influence of Ushavadata was restricted." 3 From the enumeration in his inscriptions of the places of benefactions we may infer that the provinces under Ushavadata included Ajmer, Kathiawar, Gujarat, Western Malva, North Konkan, from Broach to Sopara, and the Nasik District. But this is not all." The place names in the inscription of Balashri seem undoub. tedly to indicate the provinces which her son Gautamiputra wrested from the Kshaharatas." 4 Of these Suratha, Kukura, Avanti, and Aparanta were provinces under Ushavadata. There only remain Akara, Asaka, Mulaka and Vidarbha. It seems highly probable that Nahapana himself ruled over these provinces. The generally accepted view, however, is that his rule stretched as far as Ajmer in Rajputana, and included Kathiawar, South Gujarat, Western Malva, North Konkan, and Nasik and Poona Districts. But these were mainly the provinces to which the political influence of Ushavadata was restricted. Over what province or provinces then did Naha pâna rule? Or had he consigned all his territory to the charge of his son-inlaw? Naha pâna, we think, must himself have ruled over Akara, Vidarbha, Asaka and Mulaka. The mention of these countries in the inscription of Båldshri at Nasik implies that they were wrested from the Kshaharâtas by Gautamiputra ; it is not in the least probable that 1 Bom. Gareteer, vol. 1, pt. ii, p. 160.
Indian Antiquary, 1918, pp. 77-78. a Catalogue of Andhru Coins in Br. Museum, 'p. cx. Ibid., p. cxi.
