Indian Epigraphy: A Guide to the Study of Inscriptions in Sanskrit, Prakrit, and the Other Indo-Aryan Languages c9.s2.t6: 4.3.4 Inscriptions of the Gupta era (fourth to mid-sixth centuries A.D.)

Indian Epigraphy: A Guide to the Study of Inscriptions in Sanskrit, Prakrit, and the Other Indo-Aryan Languages c9.s2.t6

Language: English

4.3.4 Inscriptions of the Gupta era (fourth to mid-sixth centuries A.D.)

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4.3.4.1 Inscriptions of the imperial Guptas

The inscriptions of the Gupta emperors of northern India, nearly all in Sanskrit language and late Brāhmī script, are compiled in J. F. Fleet's *Inscriptions of the Early Gupta Kings* (CII 3, 1888) and in D. R. Bhandarkar's revised edition of CII 3 (1981).⁹⁰ The majority of the Gupta inscriptions are stone records on rocks, pillars, and cave walls, but there are also several copper plate, clay seal, and miscellaneous inscriptions. Many of the Gupta inscriptions, especially those on rocks and pillars, are of the *praśasti* class (see 2.1.1), while others are purely dedicatory, recording Brahmanical, Buddhist, or Jaina donations and mentioning the ruler only in connection with the date. Several royal seal inscriptions provide detailed dynastic genealogies and are of great value for historical reconstruction.

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⁹⁰ For details, see section 8.1.2.

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The outstanding historical and literary record of the Gupta period is the Allahabad pillar inscription of Samudragupta (SI I.262–8), recording the king's exploits and conquests in elaborate mixed verse and prose. Another important record of the *praśasti* type is the Junāgaḍh rock inscription of Skandagupta (SI I.307–16), inscribed on the same stone as Aśoka's Girnār rock edicts and the Rudradāman inscription, documenting the reconstruction of Lake Sudarśana.

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Among recent discoveries of Gupta inscriptions, the Vidiśā image inscriptions of the time of Rāmagupta (CII 3, rev. ed., 231–4) are extremely important in supporting the historicity of Rāmagupta, previously known only from literary sources as the elder brother of Candragupta II. Other recent finds include new inscriptions from the reign of the late Gupta king Budhagupta from Mathurā (JESI 9, 6–11) and Śaṅkarpur (JESI 4, 62–66).

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4.3.4.2 Inscriptions of the contemporaries and successors of the Guptas in northern and central India

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Sanskrit eral dynastic and geographical groupings. Lists of the inscriptions of many of the dynasties are available in various sources; for

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4.3.5.3 Eastern India

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The inscriptions of the Pāla kings of Bihar and Bengal, comprising a few ing section, the inscriptions can be discussed only in broad terms; for bibliographical information and lists of inscriptions see the general bibliography (795–822) in R. C. Majumdar, ed., *The Struggle for Empire*, and the sources mentioned in the preceding section.

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The Indo-Aryan inscriptions of this period are generally in Sanskrit, but the NIA languages were coming into use gradually at different times and places (see 3.4). During the early and middle phases of this period, the various local scripts (used for both Sanskrit and vernacular inscriptions) took on fully developed and independent forms which in most cases are similar to those of the modern Indic scripts.

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With the consolidation of Islamic rule over much of India from the late twelfth century onward, Sanskritic inscriptions became gradually less common, though they continued to be recorded in good numbers well into the fourteenth century, especially in central and southern India. From the fifteenth century on, Sanskrit inscriptions became still rarer, being largely supplanted by those in Persian, Arabic, Dravidian, and NIA languages (see 3.5.2). Bilingual inscriptions are quite common in this period, especially in the south (Sanskrit plus Tamil, Kannada, or Telugu) but sometimes in the north as well (Sanskrit plus NIA languages such as Marathi, Hindi, etc., or Islamic languages such as Persian or Arabic).

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Sanskrit inscriptions nevertheless did continue to be written into the eighteenth and occasionally the nineteenth centuries,⁹³ and while many of the later examples are inferior in both quality and historical significance, there are still some significant records, for example, the Udaipur *Rājapraśasti* (cf. 4.1.8 and 7.2.2.2.1). In general inscriptions of the Islamic era, and especially the later examples, are less extensively studied and documented than those of earlier times, but they are nonetheless of considerable interest and importance as literary, historical, and social documents.

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⁹³ See, e.g., D. R. Bhandarkar's *List of the Inscriptions of Northern India*, nos. 1061–76.

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Typical stone *praśastis* of this period are the Deopāṛā stone inscription of Vijayasena (SI II.115–22) and the Nāgpur Museum stone inscription of Naravarman (SI II.391–401). A good specimen of the elaborate southern Indian copper plates of this era are the bilingual (Sanskrit and Tamil) Leiden plates (twenty-one in number) of Rājendra I Coḷa (EI 22, 213–66).

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The principal dynasties under whose rule Sanskrit inscriptions were issued during the Islamic era include:

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Western India: Cālukyas of Gujarat, Cāhamānas (Chauhans), Guhilas, Paramāras,⁹⁴ Rathoḍas, Śilāhāras⁹⁵

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⁹⁴ Collected in CII 7.2 (H. V. Trivedi, *Inscriptions of the Paramāras*) and A. C. Mittal, *The Inscriptions of Imperial Paramāras*.

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⁹⁵ Collected in CII 6 (V. V. Mirashi, *Inscriptions of the Śilāhāras*).

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Northern India: Gāhaḍavālas, Kacchapaghātas, Tomaras Central India: Candellas, Kalacuris Eastern India: Bhañjas, Candras, Khaḍgas, Pālas, Senas, Varmas, (Bengal); Bhauma-Karas, Eastern Gaṅgas, Gaṅgas, Śailodbhavas, Somavamśīs, Sūryavamśīs (Orissa); Bhaumas (Assam) The Deccan: Cālukyas of Kalyāṇa, Eastern Cālukyas of Veṅgī, Eastern Gaṅgas, Kākatīyas, the kingdoms of Vijayanagara, Yādavas of Devagiri The far south: Coḷas, Hoysaḷas, Pāṇḍyas Inscriptions in Sanskrit issued by or under Muslim rulers are also found in some numbers, for instance, the Burhānpūr inscription of ʻĀdil Shāh (Appendix, no. 14), recording the dedication of a mosque. Often these are bilingual (Sanskrit and Arabic or Persian).⁹⁶ Nondynastic Sanskrit inscriptions of various sorts, mostly private donative records, are also found in good numbers throughout this period; especially common are Jaina temple dedications and image inscriptions.

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⁹⁶ Several inss. of this type have been published in *Epigraphia Indo-Moslemica* and *Epigraphia Indica: Arabic and Persian Supplement* (see 8.1.1), e.g., the Bīdar inscription (EI, *Arabic and Persian Supplement*, 1962, 81–4) in Sanskrit and Persian.

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Significant new discoveries from this era include the Siyan stone inscription of Nayapāla (EI 39, 39–56) and the Udaipur stone slab with a eulogy of the sun god (JESI 8, 97–100). From southern India, the Karandai Tamil Sangam plates (discovered in 1950 but not published until 1984; K. G. Krishnan, MASI 79) provide another specimen of the huge and elaborate (fifty-seven plates weighing a total of 111.73 kilograms) bilingual (Tamil and Sanskrit) Cōḷa land charters.

Linked texts (1)

Deopara Stone Inscription of Vijayasena — Sanskrit