History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v1.c16.s5.7

v1.c16.s5.7

This view of Mr. Krishnasvami Aiyangar is supported by epigraphic evidence. We find inscriptions in this part of the country recorded in Prakrit not only down to the first century A. D., but even to the third and the country was ruled by Kshatriyas who professed the Vedic religion. These kingdoms are given by Mr. Dubreuil in his work "Ancient History of the Deccan" just published. The first inscription on a stupa at Jagayyapetha (Krishna District) gives the name of a king called Mā-dhariputra Śrī Vīra Purushadatta of the Ikshvakus, in an alphabet which points to the 3rd century A. D." (p. 86). The inscription (Ind. Ant. XI p. 256) is in Prakrit. 2. The Dāvaṇagere inscription (Ep. Kar. Vol. XI No. 161) mentions a people called Kekayas who intermarried with the Ikshvākus. 3. The Bṛihatphalāyanas mentioned in an inscription of Jayavarman who ruled in Kudura (Krishna District again) are also Vedic Aryans. This inscription is in archaic Prakrit. "The language and phraseology of the inscription is so similar to the Nasik inscriptions of Gautamiputra Śātakarṇi and of Vashishtiputra Puḷamāyi that Jayavarman's date cannot have been distant from the date of these two Āndhra kings." (Ep. Ind. Vol. VII p. 315). 4. The next people are the Salankāyanas also a gotra name mentioned in an inscription found at Peddaveggi (Vengi). The plates of king Vīra Devavarman are in Prakrit also. (Ep. Ind. Vol. IX page 56). 5. The Viṣṇu Kundims are mentioned in the Ramatirtham grant (Ep. Ind. XI p. 134) and other records. This name is also a gotra name which has now disappeared from the list of gotras. (Gotras it is said in Dharmaśāstra are innumerable and many gotras have disappeared.) 6. The early Pallavas also have left records in Prakrit as we have shown in the body of the book. Lastly 7. the Kadambas of Vanavāsi have also left early records which are in Prakrit. These records prove that Kshatriya Aryans ruled in the frontier of the Tamil land and spoke an Aryan language viz. Prakrit at least in the higher ranks, viz. the Brahmins, Kshatriyas and Vaiśyas.