Indian Antiquary Vol 61

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

Page 216

192
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
(OCTOBER, 1932
would explain why the inscriptions give no information about the consecration or how the relic was obtained. If the Manichetiya did exist prior to the second century A.D., the fact that it contained corporeal remains of the Great Teacher would have been known throughout India and Ceylon, thus making it unnecessary to record this information in inscriptions added to the monument in later times.
We know from the inscriptions recovered from Sanchi, Sârnâth and Amaravati that the great stit pas that existed at these three famous sites were all rebuilt in later times. These inscriptions give the names of some of the pious donors who found the money for the additions to these monuments, but, like the Nagarjunakonda inscriptions, they give no information concerning the purpose for which the stúpas were built, or when they were erected, just the very points which we should so much like to know. The Amaravatî inscriptions show that the stone casing, ayaka-pillars and stone railing were added to the Great Stapa at that place in the second or third century A.D., that is, at the same period as that in which Châmtisiri set up the pillars and rebuilt the Mahachetiya at Nagarjunakonda. Originally, the Amaravati Stapa seems to have been a plain brick and plaster stúpa similar to the Maha. chetiya, and it must have been a particularly holy shrine, else it would never have been enlarged and decorated in so costly a fashion. Perhaps when Ch&mtisiri learned what was taking place at Amaravati, she felt it incumbent upon herself, as the leading devotee of the Buddha at Nagarjunakonda, to redecorate and improve the Mahachetiya.
Personally, like Dr. Hîrânanda Sastri, I do not think there can be any doubt that the Mahdchetiya was originally built to enshrine some corporeal remains of the Buddha, and that the fragment of bone found in the gold reliquary represents a genuine dhátu, or relic, of the Great Teacher. There is no reason why such a relic could not have been obtained from Northern India long before the days of Châmtisiri.
THE HISTORY OF THE PARAMÁRA MAHAKUMARAS.
BY D. C. GANGULY. The Paramaras of Malwa rose to the highest pitch of their glory during the reign of Bhoja (circa 1000-1055 A.D.). Bhoja was succeeded by Jayasimha, Udayaditya, Laksma. deva, Naravarman (1094-1133 A.D.) and Yasovarman (1134 A.D.). During the reign of Naravarman the long protracted war between the Caulukyas of Gujarat and the Paramâras broke out. This finally resulted into the overthrow of the Paramâra government in Malwa during the reign of Yasovarman. Jayavarman, the son of Yasovarman, succeeded in regaining his ancestral throne sometime between 1138 and 1144 A.D. But shortly afterwards he was overthrown by Ballala, apparently a scion of the Hoysala family of Dvarasamudra and the leader of the Caulukya army of Karnata. Balála, within a very short time after this victory, met his death at the hand of the Caulukya Kumara påla of Gujarat, who thereafter brought the whole of Malwa under his suzerainty.
Kumarapala, after the annexation of Malwa, turned his attention to its internal administration. He seems to have divided the country into a number of provinces, which he ad. ministered through his governors. The charge of the eastern division was entrusted to the MahAsadhanika Rajyapala, whose headquarter was Udayapur in Bhilasa.1 In 1163 A.D., when this chief was in office, & certain personage named Vasantapâla made some donations for the maintenance of the temple of Udalesvara at the town of Udayapur. Kumarapala died in 1172 A.D., and was succeeded by Ajayapala (1172-1176 A.D.). During his reign
1 1.A., vol. XVIII, p. 343.
2 Ibid., pp. 342-43.