Epigraphia Indica Vol 29

SR No.: 032583
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Hirananda Shastri
Publisher: Archaeological Survey of India
Publication Year: 1951
Total Pages: 432
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 21 MB

Page 298

No. 22] PURI PLATE OF KULASTAMBHA
165 Eastern Chalukya dynasty and of Kulastambha with Gunaka-Vijayāditya III or Kulottunga I has generally been discarded. On the strength of other inscriptions of the family, since discovered, we have suggested, while editing the Hindol plate of Kulastamtha in this journal,' that Chakravarti's Kodalo-Kachchhadēva of the Sulki family never existed as the intended reading of the pasgege in question is un loubtedly Kodalokāt sa eva (or, dēva").
Recently we had an opportunity to examine the second (B) of the two platos, of which a few lines only were transcribed and translated by Cakravarti. A careful examination, however, enabled us to trace numerous mistakes in Chakravarti's views on the inscription. In the grant por tion of the record, he read a passage as karastaru pla 10 and translated it as "with Karaba tree worth (or rent ?) teil pals". The actual reading of the passage is, however, kara-sāsna ru-pla 10 which shows that the inscription, like those mentioned in connection with the plates of Narēndradhavala, records a kara-säsana (i.6. & grant liable to pay a fixed revenue) for which the rent, apparently annual, was fixed at ten Palas of silver. Chakravarti therefore could not realise the nature of the document. It was also noticed that a large number of errors that crept in his transoript and interpretation of the other plate (A), which he fully transcribed and translated, could be rasily eradicated with the help of the inscription under review. It will be seen that most of his suggestions (including the one relating to the mention of Kalinga) in regard to the two records, whicl Aave so long been troubling scholars, can quite easily be proved to be wrong.
This is a single plate measuring about 9 inches in height, 5 inches in breadth and 0-1 inch in thickness. A circular lump of metal (nearly 2 inches in diameter and 0-4 inch in thickness), soldered on a semi-circular projection in the middle of the top side of the plate represents the seal, on which are counter-sunk the usual emblems of the Sulki family of Orissa. These emblems are much corroded, although the crescent above, the legend in the middle and the standing boar to proper right below can be made out. The legend seems to read either Sri-Kulastambhadeva or fri-Ranastambhadēva. The preservation of the plate and of the writing on it (especially on its reverse) is not quite satisfactory. There is a break in the plate affecting the writing on lines 5-7 on the obverse and lines 24-26 on the reverse. The weight of the plate is 90 tolas.
In point of palacography, language and orthography, the charter closely resembles other grants of the family including the Hindol plate (which belongs, as will be seen below, to the issuer of the charter under review), edited above. Although nothing requires special mention in these respoota, a word has to be said now in regard to the date of this record as well as of other inscriptions of the Sulki family. It has been shown in our paper on the Hindol plate that the Sulkis owed allegiance to the Bhauma-Karas and that the Talcher plate of Ranastambha (grandfather of the issuer of the Hindol plato and of the present charter as well) is dated in the year 103 of the Bhauma-Kara era. But relying on the suggested identification of the era of the Bhauma-Karas with the Harsha era, en earlier dato was thun assigned to Ranastambha and his grandson. It has, however, been shown recently that the beginning of the Bhauma-Kara era falls somewhere about the middle of the first half of the ninth century A.C. The Talcher plate should therefore be ascribed to a date about the middle of the first half of the tenth century and the inscription under review about the end of that century.
The charter begins with the Siddham symbol and the word svasti, which are followed by seven verses forming the introductory part of the document. All the seven verses are found exactly in
1 Abovo, Vol. XXVIII, pp. 107 3 Ibid., PP. 44 ff. Soe also JRAS, 1952, pp. 4 ff. . Cf. Ray, DHNI, Vol. I, pp. 439-40. Seo below, p. 191, note 2.
As the era in question probably started from 831 A. O., the data of the l'aluber plate (year 103) may sotually correspond to 034 A.O. See lho, Vol. XXIX, pp. 148 ff.