History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v3.c34.s6.39

v3.c34.s6.39

Having given this short sketch of the Sena kings so far as their history has been made out, we will conclude with noticing the disputed question as to who these kings were by caste. The other disputed question as to how Lakhnauti fell we will, as stated before, discuss in our last chapter. It is maintained by Dr. D. R. Bhandarkar that these Sena kings belonged to the Brahmakshatra caste which is even now found all over India. But it is clear that these Sena kings were Aryan Kshatriyas belonging to the lunar race. They were neither Brahmakshatra by caste as Dr. Bhandarkar maintains nor Vaidya as the modern Vaidyas of Bengal believe. For the Deopara inscription noted above distinctly begins with the statement that Sāmantasena was born in the lunar vaṃśa. Now this statement can only be made about a Rajput, for neither Brahmakshatras nor Vaidyas have any solar race or lunar race distinction. Dr. R. Bhandarkar, obsessed with the bias noted in the beginning, directs his attention only to the word ‘Brahmakshatriyāṇam’ in the verse about Sāmantasena and omits to notice that in the very preceding verse, these kings are said to be born in the lunar race. The word Brahmakshatriyāṇām requires to be construed consistent with the above statement so as only to apply to Rajputs. We have already noted in Vol. II that the word is often used in connection with Rajputs of the orthodox faith and mode of living. It is true that the translation given by Kielhorn is wrong as Brahmins cannot be brought into this epithet which really means “the head garland of the families (not of Brahmins and Kshatriyas but of Kshatriyas alone) who are endowed with Brahma or Vedic greatness (Brahmopeta-Kshatriyāṇām). In fact the epithet ‘Brahmavādin’ in the preceding line applied to Sāmantasena leads to the same meaning. The orthodox Kshatriyas, as opposed to the Buddhists or other Kshatriyas, often prided themselves upon being called Brahma-Kshatriya.