History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v1.c14.s5.21

v1.c14.s5.21

Having thus dispelled the clouds that have gathered about Bhatārka’s family and race, we proceed to sketch in short the history of the family onwards which can be gathered from the inscriptions in a continuous stream down to about the middle of the 8th century. This history is undisputed and we copy it from the Bombay Gazetteer Gujarat Volume. It may be added that the Valabhī copperplate grants use invariably the Gupta era, so much so, that it has come to be called also the Valabhi era (see Alberuni). They were originally subjects of the Guptas or they use this era because it was then prevalent in Saurāṣṭra. Secondly the seal of all these grants is the same, viz. a bull with the legend under it Śrī Bhaṭārka (in Prakrit) showing that the family never lost its respect for its founder Bhaṭārka.