History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v1.c15.s1.8

v1.c15.s1.8

We may add that this early Pallava family was undoubtedly Kshatriya. As we have said one great proof of it is that the records of both the early and late Pallavas always mention that they were of the Bhāradvāja gotra. The mention of gotra was always deemed particularly important by Kshatriya kings. We have already seen that the Chālukyas similarly insisted on being called Mānavya-sagotra. They also gave the gotra of the mother to show their descent from a Kshatriya mother also. We have already alluded to the meaning of the epithets Gautamīputra and Vasisthīputra recorded in the mention of Sātavāhana kings. They clearly show that the Kshatriyas took pride in mentioning their gotra. We may add one more instance of this from the same Nasik cave inscriptions. Bhavagopa Senāpati is in one mentioned as of the Kauśika gotra. It is here alone that we have the mention of the gotra and the name-ending "gopa" makes it similar to Vishnugopa and shows that the Senāpati was a Kshatriya. These name-endings (gopa = protector of the earth) usually taken for indicating caste are of great importance and the gotra mention is still more important. An inscription in Prakrit about this very time, king and place not yet recognised, mentions the gotra of the king as Brihatphalāyana (see inscription of Jayavarman for grant of a village in Kndurāhāra Ep. Ind. Vol. VI p. 316. In this grant also we have Āhāra, northern Sanskrit name for a Taluka and not "nādu" the Dravidian name). As the earliest grants of the Pallavas insist on mentioninig their gotra as Bhāradvāja we conclude that the Pallavas were really Kshatriyas as Hiuen Tsang describes them.