Early History of the Dekkan down to the Mahomedan Conquest c15.12

c15.12

It is not possible to ascertain the names of all the towns in the inland country that were in a flourishing condition during the time we have been speaking of Besides Paıṭhaṇ and Tagara there was Nâsık, which is mentioned in an inscription in one of the caves at the place and also at Beḍsâ The dıstrict about the town was called Govardhana Junnar was another flourishing town, as is attested by the number of cave-temples at the place But what its name was we do not know The name Junnar, Junanara, Jûrnanagara, or Jîrṇanagara, which means the old town, must have been given to it after it had lost its importance I have already expressed my belief that it was the capital of Nahapâna Puḷumâyı, who overthrew the dynasty of Nahapâna, is in one of the Nâsık inscriptions styled "lord of Navanara," meant probably for Navanagara or the new town That he reigned at Paıṭhaṇ we know from Ptolemy, and also from the many traditions about Sâlıvâhana which locate the person or persons bearing that name at that city The Navanara, then, of the inscription was probably another name given to the town when Puḷumâyı re-established his dynasty, and, in contrast with it, Nahapâna's capital was called the "Old Town" Or perhaps Puḷumâyı wındened the old town of Paıṭhaṇ and called the new extension Navanara What town existed near the group of caves at Kârlı and the adjoining places, we do not know But the place spoken of in connection with the monastic establishment is in an inscription named Valuraka,⁷ and the district in which it was situated is called Mâmalâhâra,⁸ or the district of Mâmala, the modern Mâval. Further south there was the town of Karahâṭaka, the modern Karhâḍ, which is mentioned in an inscription at Kuḍeṁ⁹ and also in the Mahâbhârata.¹⁰ Kolhâpur also must have been a flourishing town in those days, since a Buddhistic stûpa containing the coins [44] we have already noticed and other remains of antiquity have been found there. The old name of the place is unknown. Either Karhâḍ or Kolhâpur must be the Hippocura of Ptolemy in which he locates Baleocuros whom we have identified with the Viḷivâyakura of the Kolhâpur coins.