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182
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
OCTOBER, 1928
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that Karkara ja, in order to protect (the king of) Malava, made his arm to be a door-bar to the lord of the Gurjara-country (Gurjareśvara), who had become evilly inflamed by his victories over the kings of Gauda and Vanga. From these inscriptions it appears that Vatsarâja, the Imperial Pratihåra, who is referred to in the Baroda inscription also, was the lord of the Gurjara-country and ruled in Marwar about the end of the eighth century A.D. The capital of the early Imperial Pratiháras too sooms to have been Bhînmål, since it was the capital of their predecessors, namely, the Gurjaras and the Châvadas respectively. The Gurjaras were different13 from the Châvadas, as is described in Pulakesi's grant of Kalachuri Samvat 490 (A.D. 738-9). From the Brahmasphutasiddhantal4 of Brahmagupta, a resident of Bhinmal, composed in Saka Samvat 550 (A.D. 628), it is known that Vyâghramukha of the Chåpa (Chåpôtkata, Châvođaka, Châvada) dynasty was ruling at Bhînmâl at the period of composition of the book. The reign of the Chåvadas lasted there up to Kalachuri Samvat 490 (A.D. 738-9), as appears from the above grant16 of Pulakési, which says that the decline of the Châvõtaka (Chavada) kingdom was brought about by the Arab invasion. After the Châvadås, it appears, their reign over the Gurjara country in Marwar passed into the hands of the Imperial Pratihåras between K.S. 490 (A.D. 738-9) and s.s. 730 (A.D. 808), 3.e., between the periods of mention of the destruction of the Châp kingdom in the Pulakesi's grant and of Vatsaraja's rule in Marwår as inferred from the Radhanpur and Waņi inscriptions. The Chavadås were ruling at Bhînmâl at that time and their rule elsewhere16 had not yet been established.
Before the Chavadås, Bhinmal was being ruled over by the Gurjaras. The Kalañjara17 inscription of about the eighth century A.D., as also the inscription18, dated v.9. 900 (A.D. 843), of Bhojadêva (I) respectively record the name of Mangalánaka (modern Mangalana, about 28 miles N.N.E. of Didwânâ), Siwa (modern Sewa, seven miles from Didwana in the N.E. of Jodhpur) and of Dendavânaka (Didwana), as situated in the Gurjaramandala and Gurjaratra-bhumi, i.e., in Gurjara country. Hiuen Tsiang in his visit to Marwar in about v.s. 697 (A.D. 641) describes the Gurjara country and speaks of Pi-lo-mo-lo (Bhillamala, Bhîn. mål) as its capitalt9. It is most likely that Bhinmal was at the time of the pilgrim's visit being ruled over by the Chapo (Chåvada) dynasty, for, between $.s. 650 (A.D. 628) and K.s. 490 (A.D. 738-9), the Chivadas were the rulers at Bhinmal and other parts of Marwar, as may be inferred from the above. From the Kalañjara inscription and that of Bhojadeva, it
19 Gurjarébvara here moans the lord of the Gurjara country. Cf, apareg Aar
: 1 ...) a I T var: $71019 11 90 Som kvara's Kirtikaumudi, canto II. 18 Ep. Ind., vol. V, Appendix, No. 404.
Bombay Gazetteer, vol. I, pt. I, p. 109. 14 श्रीचापवंशतिलके श्रीव्याघ्रमुखे नृपे शकनृपाणां । पंचाशत्संयुक्तवर्षशतः पंचभिरतीतैः ॥ ७॥ A zrecta: stanowatarie I osat faoghata II C Il Canto 24.
See also Ind. Ant., vol. XVII, p. 192. 15 Transactions of the Vienna Oriental Congress, Arian Section, p. 231.
Also Bombay Gazetteer, vol. I, pt. I. p. 109. शरज्ञसीरमदरोद्धारिणि तरलतरतारतरवारिदारितोदितसैन्धवकच्छेलसौराष्ट्रचावोटकमौर्यगुजेरादिराज्ये PACITETE raagafertigar fara ......
16 The Chap dynasty had also its kingdoms at Anhilavada (Patana) and Vadhavana (Kathiâwar) founded later on in the eighth and ninth century A.D., respectively.
17 Ep. Ind., vol. V, p. 210, noto 3.
18 Ibid. p. 211. The date given in the text on p. 212 is wrong. The correct date is taken from the original plate preserved in the Rajpatana Museum, Ajmer.
19 Beal: Buddhist Records of the Western World, vol. II, p. 270. On this page in note 81, P1-lo-mo-lo is wrongly identified with Balmor in Rajputâna. The same is done in Cunningham's Archaological Survey of India, vol. II., p. 70. 20 Ind. Ant., vol. XVII, p. 192.
For Dr. R. C. Majumdar's views, see Ep. Ind., vol. 18, p. 92.
