History of Orissa from the Earliest Times to the British Period v1.c20.2

v1.c20.2

Pt. Tārakeśwar Gānguli kindly gave me five sets of charters recently discovered in the Baudh State for decipherment. One of these five bears the charter of a new king of the Bhañja dynasty named Neṭṭabhañja. This charter is the oldest inscription of the dynasty. It is incised on thin plates of copper and its characters are the oldest used on any known charters of the Bhañja family. The genealogy of Neṭṭabhañja is not given and the charter is dated in regnal years only. It does not mention the descent of the Bhañja from the egg of a pea-hen or the goddess Stambheśvarī or even the Bhañja family. I have assigned this Neṭṭabhañja to the Bhañja dynasty on account of the affix Bhañja. The date of this grant is *Samvat* 18 *Kārttika* Vadi Vri 3. As the relationship of this Neṭṭabhañja to Śatrubhañja and Śīlabhañja is not known, his name is not given in the genealogy printed above; but Neṭribhañja, the son of Raṇabhañja I, has been styled Neṭribhañja II, and Neṭṭabhañja, son of Vidyādharabhañja, Neṭṭabhañja III.