Indian Antiquary Vol 60

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, S Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarka
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 275

DECEMBER, 1931 ]
PADIHARS
fragile in the sixth and seventh centuries A.D. He says that "the inscriptions of the Guptas and even of Harsha's father show that kings were particular in preserving the purity of caste (see Varnavyavasthapanapara applied to Prabhakara Vardhana, Ep. Ind., Vol. V, p. 200)."15 In the first place, the reference given here by Mr. Vaidya is wrong. It is not Ep. Ind., Vol. V, p. 200, but Ep. Ind., Vol. IV, p. 210. Secondly, what we find there is the transcript of the Banskhera plate of Harsha. Mr. Vaidya, however, thinks that it is an inscription, not of Harsha hut of his father, of whom no record is yet known to any epigraphist or historian. Thirdly, he most strangely overlooks the fact that the word vyavasthapana means 'cstablishment' and not rakshana, 'preserving,' as translated by him. Unless there was unsettlement, was there any necessity for settlement? This argument of his, far from establishing his case, goes to disprove it. That this state of unsettlement prevailed even to the end of the eighth century is evident from the inscriptions of Devapâla of Bengal and Subhakara of Orissa. 17
"The existence of a Gûjar Karhada Brahmin family," says Mr. Vaidya, "is also of no importance as it may have got that name by even residence in Gûjar country as the addition of the surname Patavardhana suggests."18 Is there any evidence to show that this family ever resided in Gujar country? On the other hand, Campbell writes that the Navasârî Gujar Karhades in south Gujarât came from the south with some Maratha conquerors, 19 It is again not understood how the surname of Gujar Patavardhana can disprove the fact that the family was originally of Gûjar origin. Can it not be that they were Gûjar by race and held the post of patavardhana as, for example, the Gûjar Pancholi cited by Mr. Ojhâ. Besides Gûjars among the Karhâde Brahmans, there are Gûjars among the Marâthâs, Kolis and other castes in Maharashtra. This also shows that Gûjar here is the name of a race which was settled in this province and absorbed into its various castes.
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The Mahamahopadhyaya says that the Mandor Pratihâras and the Pratihâras of Mahodaya, or Kanauj, are not of one stock. He calls the latter Raghuvamsi. Dr. R. C. Majumdar, on the other hand, writes: "As the available evidence goes, Harichandra must be looked upon as the earliest Pratihara chief. The verse 5 of our inscription says that the sons that were born of Harichandra and Bhadra were known as Pratihâras and wore wine-drinkers. This might imply a common origin for all the Pratihâra ruling class, and it is not impossible that the Imperial Pratihâras of Kanauj also branched off from this family, The two following grounds may be urged in support of this view, although the question cannot be finally settled till fresh evidence is available:
(1) The common mythical tradition about the origin of the name Pratihâra, both tracing it to Lakshmana, the brother and door-keeper of Rama.
(2) The community of names in the two families, such as those of Kakkuka, Nagabhata and Bhoja."
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Although we do not agree with him in all the details, we must say that there is much force in his argument.
Mr. Ojha says that Rajpût clans are called after their originator, but Pratihâra is named after the designation of the founder. Many Rajpût families or clans must, like Pancholi, have thus been called Pratihâra. This being the case, there should be no bar to marriage among these different families or clans falling under Pratihâra. Do the modern Pratihâras, however, marry among themselves? If not, it shows that they are of the same stock, and Mr. Ojha's theory of the origin of the name of Pratihâra falls to the ground.
In the Ghatiyâlâ inscriptions, Kakkuka was satisfied with being a descendant of Pratihára vamia-guru sad-dvija Harichandra and also with his Pratihára-játi. But his brother Bâuka's ambition could not remain satisfied with simply tracing his descent from Harichandra. Some explanation was considered necessary of their clan or játi-name Padihâr, which has been sanskritized into Pratihâra. As the word pratihára indicates servitude, it has been hinted that their forefather was not an ordinary door-keeper of an ordinary person, but a door-keeper of no less a personage than Râmabhadra, who was his brother. Here no
15 Hist. Mcd. Hindu Ind., Vol. I, p. 85. 17 Ep. Ind., Vol. XV, p. 3, 1. 2.
19 Bomb. Gazr., Vol. IX, Pt. I, p. 497, n. 8.
16 Ind. Ant., Vol. XXI, p. 254.
18 Hist. Med. Hindu Ind., Vol. I, p. 85. 20 Ep. Ind., Vol. XVIII, p. 88,