The Dynastic History of Northern India (Early Mediaeval Period) v1.c19.2

v1.c19.2

The late Dr. Burnell was inclined to look upon the Rāṣṭrakūṭas as Dravidian in origin. 'He gave the word *rāṣṭra* as a mythological perversion of *raṭṭa* which he held to be equivalent to the Kanarese or Telegu *Raddi* or *reḍḍi*,' denoting 'the caste of aboriginal Teligu farmers.'¹ Fleet, however, maintained the view that *raṭṭa* is an abbreviation of Rāṣṭrakūṭa, rather than Rāṣṭrakūṭa an amplified form of *raṭṭa*. According to this theory, *raṭṭa* is a Prakrit form of the Sanskrit *rāṣṭra*, meaning a province. Without entering into the complicated question of the ethnic origin of the various families who called themselves *Rāṣṭrakūṭas*, *Raṭṭas*, *Rāṣṭikas*, *Raṭrakas*, *Rāṣṭrauḍas*, *Rāṣṭroḍas*, *Rāṭhaḍās*, and *Rāthoṛs*, we may now hold that these designations are all derived from the word *rāṣṭra*. From very ancient times officers who were in charge of provinces were known as *Rāṣṭriyas*. The Girnar inscription of Rudradāman mentions the *Rāṣṭriya* Puṣyagupta of the Vaiśya caste, who was an officer of the Maurya emperor Candragupta in Kathiawar. Kielhorn, while editing the record, took the word *Rāṣṭriya* in the sense of 'a provincial governor.'² Since then it has been pointed out that the *Rāṣṭrapālas* of the *Arthaśāstra* of Kauṭilya and the *Rāṣṭriyas* were synonymous terms.³ The fact that the former used to receive a salary equal to that of the *Kumāras* or princely viceroys, makes it very probable that the *Rāṣṭrapālas* were viceroys of non-royal families. In the land-grants of the 10th and 11th centuries A.D. the word *Rāṣṭrapati*¹ and *Rāṣṭrakūṭa*² frequently occur in the list of officers addressed by the royal donor before making the grant. The fact that the *Rāṣṭriya* Puṣyagupta was a Vaiśya, while the *Rāṣṭrakūṭas* of Mānyakheṭa claimed to be Kṣatriyas of the lunar race, supports the conclusion that all the above words had a professional rather than an ethnic significance. Like the Bengali titles *Mazumdār*, *Cāklādār*, or *Tālūkdār*, these official names may have become in certain areas crystallised into family, caste, or tribal names. It will therefore probably be futile to connect all the families bearing names derived from *rāṣṭra* with one family or tribe. Though some of the *Rāṣṭrakūṭa* families of Northern India were undoubtedly connected with the great dynasty of Mānyakheṭa (*c.* 743-974 A.D.), it will perhaps be safer to assume that the other Rāṣṭrakūṭa houses whose connection with Mānyakheṭa is not apparent had an independent origin. In the following pages I shall try to give short accounts of the Rāṣṭrakūṭa families of Northern India, with the exception of the Gujarat branch of the Rāṣṭrakūṭas (*c.* 743-974 A.D.). These latter were descended from the Mānyakheṭa dynasty, and with the exception of a short period of about 80 years (*c.* 808-888 A.D.) were dependent on the main branch. Their history therefore belongs properly to the history of the Deccan.³