Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency, Vol. I, Part I: History of Gujarat c8.59

c8.59

The explanation that Kūṭa the second half of Rāshṭrakūṭa, means chief, has been accepted in the text. This is probably correct. At the same time the rival theory deserves notice that the name Rāshṭrakūṭa is formed from two tribal names, one representing the early widespread tribe allied to the Gonds known as Koṭṭas and Koṭṭas in the Central Provinces North Konkan and Delhi (Thana Gazetteer, XII. Part II. 414). In support of this view it may be noticed that Abhimanyu’s fifth century Rāshṭrakūṭa inscription (J. Bo. Br. As. XVI. 92) refers to the Koṭṭas though as enemies not allies of the Rāshṭrakūṭas. At the same time certain details in Abhimanyu’s grants favour an early Rāshṭrakūṭa settlement in the Central Provinces, the possible head-quarters of the Koṭṭas. The grant is dated from Manapura and is made to Dakshina Sira of Peṭhanapārakā which may be the Great Siva shrine in the Mahadeo hills in Hoshangabad, as this shrine is under the management of a petty chief of a place called Pagara, and as Manpur in the Vindhya hills is not far off. Against the tribal origin of the word Kūṭa is to be set the fact that the southern Raṭṭas are also called Rāshṭrakūṭas though any connection between them and the Koṭṭa tribe seems unlikely.