Defence Architecture in Early North Karnataka c11.s3.4

c11.s3.4

Although many inscriptions now are known from the site, none of them gives any clear indication regarding the political supremacy in that area. Inscriptions from the well known sites like Nāgārjunakoṇḍa, Amarāvati to the east of this site, and from Banavāsi to the west, also do not incidentally refer to this place as political centre. Moreover, all the inscriptions known so far are mostly donative records and a few commemorative, pertaining to the Mahā-Chaitya at the place. Thus, it appears that this area was essentially religious centre and perhaps not a capital of even a chieftain, let alone a king. However, the inscriptions from the site mention the names of ladies, who donated to the religious and constructional activities there, had official designations of the dignitaries of the state, such as Amātya, Rāja Amātya. For example, two ladies named as Yakhanika (Yakshanika) and Saghanika (Sanghanika) bore the epithet Amatya. Another lady, Ganganika was having the designation wife of 'Rājāmātya'. These indicate that there were some local chiefs here and near administrating the region, (Desai,P.B., 1968, pp.158-163).