Inscriptions upon Rocks, in South Bihr

Author(s): Buchanan Hamilton and Henry Thomas Colebrooke

Source: Transactions of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, Vol. 1, No. 2
(1826), pp. 201-206
Published by: Cambridge University Press
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XL

in

South

upon Rocks,

Inscriptions

Buchanan

C 201

and explained byHenry

Hamilton,

described by Dr.
Bihar,
Thomas Colebrooke, Es&

Director.

Read December

4, 1824.

Dr. Buchanan.

while engaged:in statistical researches in the

Hamilton,
provinces, subject to the government of Bengal, gave attention to the anti
quities of the countryi as to other scientific objects, which he had the op
His reports, comprising, the result of his in
portunity of investigating.
are
quiries,
deposited in the Library and Museum of the East India Company:
and,

at his

instance,

the

Court

of Directors

have.

.a liberal

sanctioned

com

munication

of the information contained in them, to this Society.. Among

the antiquities collected by him, there are many fac similes of inscriptions.
I purpose submitting to the Society explanations of such among ihem, as are
and I now present the translation of one, which appears
interesting:,

curious.

It is an inscription upon a rock, denominated, from an idol delineated on it,

in the vicinity of Saliasram, in South Bihdr;
and contains the
Tdrdchandi,
protest of a chieftain, named Pratapa dhavala deva, bearing the title of
and that of Raja of Japila, against an usurpation of two villages, by
Ndyaca,
certain

Brdhmanas

in his
neighbourhood,

under

colour

of

grant,

surrepti

tiously obtained through corruption of his officers, from the Raja of GddhU
Chandra
nagara or Canyacubja (Canoj) who was the celebrated Vuaya
Its date is 1229,
(Jaya-Chand).
In Dr.
Buchanan
Hamilton's

Samvat,
collection,

corresponding
are
there

to A.D.
copies

117S.
of

two

other

inscriptions upon rocks, in the neighbourhood, exhibiting the name of the

same chieftain, in conjunction with many of his kindred in the one; and
followed by a long series of his successors in the other.
I observe little else
interesting

The
Hamilton.

in them,

besides

site of the principal

"

In a narrow

the names

and

inscription
passage,

which

the dates.

is thus described
separates

by Dr. Buchanan

the northern

end

of

the

hills from the great mass, and through which the road leads from Sahasram
to Rautdsghar,
is a place where Tdrdchandi is worshipped.
The image is

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202Dr. B. Hamilton,

on Inscriptions

in South Bihar.

carved on a ledge of rock ; and is so small, and so besmeared with

red

I am

that

lead,

not

sure

of

its form.

It

seems,

oil and
a

to represent

however,

sitting on a man's knee; but not in the form usual in Bihar, which
is called Hara-gauri.
to the image, a cavity in the rock has been
Adjacent
enlarged by one or two pillars in front supporting a roof, so as to form a
shed, to which the priest, and a man who sells offerings and refreshments for

woman

votaries and passengers,

of Srdvan.

But

the

A few persons assemble

daily repair.

chief

profit

from

arises

who

passengers;

in the month
are

nu

very

: and all who can afford, give something.

The priest is a Sannydsu
in order to
have erected a small mosque,
Above
the shed, the Moslemans
show the triumph of the faith: but it is quite neglected.
The image is
usually attributed to the Cherds: and many small heaps between the place
and Sahasram, are said to be ruins of buildings erected by the same people.
But a long inscription, carved on the rock within the shed, refers to Vijaya
merous

Chandra,

of Canoj."

sovereign

by the Pandita attached to

inscription was strangely misinterpreted
The Pandita
the survey on which Dr. Buchanan Hamilton was engaged.
That

the

supposed

Pratapa

chieftain,

to

dhavala,

premise

an

intention

of com

his descendants;
and to proceed to the mention
of Vijaya
memorating
son
of
theMakdrdj: whence
Chandra, proprietor of Canoj ; and Satrughna,
Dr.

Hamilton

inferred,

Dr.

Hamilton

observes,

tation

considering

that Vijaya

Chandra

that others
indeed,
"
an advertisement
it as

was

son of Pratapa
a

gave
from

dhavala.

different
totally
interpre
Pratapa
that
dhavala,

he will not obey an order for giving up two villages, which, he alleges, had
been procured by corruption from the officers of Vijaya Chandra, King of
Canoj."

The
culty

oriental scholar, upon inspection of the fac simile, will have no diffi
in perceiving
that the latter was the right interpretation ; and it is

therefore
grossly

The
have

to

needless
erroneous

pursue

which

were

built

upon

the Pandita9s

translation.

style of the protest

thought

remarks

it very

is singular;

deserving

of

and, on that account alone, I should

notice.

It

serves,

however*

at the

same

time to show, that the paramount dominion of Canyacubja, extended to the

and it presents an instance of the characteristic
mountains of South Bihar:
turbulence of Indian feudatories.
The second inscription, bearing the name of the same chieftain, Ndyaca
dhavala
Pratapa
deva, with the date 1219, (A.D. 1163.) Saturday 4.

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on Inscriptions

Dr. B. Hamilton,

the

dhavala,

sons Lacshmyaditya

two

203

the name of his brother, the prince Tribhu

Jyaishtyha badi, and underneath

vana

in South Bihar.

wife
Sulhi
prince's
and Padmaditya

and

another

; exhibits

female
a rude

and

So'malI,

of a god

figure

dess Tbtali devi, attributed to the family priest Vis'warupa.

On the other
names
of five daughters, and, at the foot of it,
side of the figure, are the
sons

six

dhavala,
Cdyasfhas,
treasurer

of the Ndyaca.

These

Yami-carticeya

and

and

the

Satrughna,
deva.

Santa-yatna

and

Yajnyadhara,
Devaraja,

are Varcu,

sons

Vidyadhara,

door-keeper

(pratihdra)

Sahasa

Birabala,
are

Beneath
of

names

Cusuma-hara

of
; the

Tishala.

The site of this inscription is described by Dr. Buchanan Hamilton:

'
Where the Tutrahi, a branch of the Kudura river, falls down the hills of
is a holy place, sacred to the goddess Tbtald.
The recess, into
Tilofhu,
which this stream falls, is about half a mile deep; and terminates in a mag
nificent, abrupt rock, somewhat in the shape of a horseshoe, and from 180
to 250 feet high.
In the centre is a deep pool, at all times filled with water,
and which receives the stream, that falls from a gap in this immense precipice.
This gap may be 30 feet wide ; and the perpendicular height there, 180
feet.

6The

image is said to have been placed by the Cherbs, about eighteen cen
turies ago ; and, in fact, resembles one of the images very common in the
works attributed to that people in Bihar.
But this antiquity is by no means
confirmed by the inscription,
or A.D.

'

is evidently

Prata'pa

dess : alluding
neglected.
*
The
image

1389,

DHAyALA,

evidently
now

worshipped

it is said, that the family priest of a

neighbouring
had,

in A.D.

1158,

to a rude figure,
is, as usual,

made

the

* It
figures Mahishasura,

I.

image

of the
god

carved on rock, and now totally

a slab carved

in relief,

a female with many arms,

killing a man springing from the
It is placed on the highest ledge of the
sloping part of the
under the waterfall.
From two to three hundred votaries,
in the month of Srdvan, go to the place, to
pray/
The third inscription is upon a rock at Bandughdta,

Vol

in Samvat

1332.

In another inscription

prince,

the date of which

vulg. Bhainsdsur,

and represents

neck of a buffalo.*
rock, immediately
at different times
on the Sbne river

slain by Bhavdni.

2 E

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204

on Inscriptions

Dr. B. Hamilton,

was the chieftain's

opposite to Japila, which
to

(i.

Mahd-nripati

e. Maharaja)

Pratapa

in South Bihar.
The date assigned

principality.

the

besides

dhavala,

number

of

21 years (apparently the duration of his reign, as chief of Japila), is, in the
fac simile, written 2219 Samvat; but the first digit being clearly wrong,-it
must be corrected to 1219, or 1229 ; most likely the latter. No date is
to his

assigned

; nor

dhavala

Udaya

predecessor

to the

line

of his

succes

who is perhaps the same with Varcu

sors, beginning with Vicrama,
(the
first among his sons, named in the second inscription,) and who appears from
to have been the reigning prince,
the epithet of Vijayin, " victorious,"
when

his name

from time
perhaps

was

set down.

here

must

have

been

subsequently,

to time, added; and the first among them is Sahasa dhavala,

in the second
the fourth son of Pratapa
mentioned
dhavala,

inscription.
Above all this, there have, been
'
Mahdrdjd

viz.

names,

rest

The

rai

Nyunat

i.-e. the city of the gods)

{surapura,

hdrdjd Pratapa
1653 Samvat.9

or Pratapa

raya,

at a. much

inscribed,

went

or Nyunta

rAya,

in the year

1643 Samvat;'

who

to

went

who

rudra,

other

later period,

to heaven

*
Ma

and

in the year

heaven

In another part of the inscription, there occurs the name of Mahdrdjd

and lower down,
with the dates of 1652 and 1653 Samvat;
MAnasinha,
a

of
string
and Madana
1624

three

names,

sinha.

two

is interposed

there

last,

dhavala

Pratapa

CansarAja,

Mahdrdjd
the
Between

the

deva,
of

date

Samvat.

The

name

of Pratapa

appears

The family, which yet possesses

tative
claims

when

of which,

from

descent

Japila
Rdmas:har.

tended

visited

PratApa

is a large estate,
But

beyond

the

then

to have

Hamilton,

dhavala,

chief

south of Rautds

its present

of

limits,

the

recurrence.

frequent

was Rdjd

the represen

BHtjPANAT'HA

sa,

of Japila.

in the district

(Rohitdswa),

ancient

and

of

of Bilonja,

the principality

by Dr.

territories

been

seem

chieftain

to have

reached

to have

of
ex

the vicinity

of

Sahasram.
These

inscriptions

have

no

other

chronological

value,

but

as

they

corro

borate the date of one possessing more historical interest, noticed in the
It records a
Researches of the Asiatic Society of Bengal (vol. 9, p. 441).
chandua
same Rdjd of Canyacubja, Vijaya
; and, as
grant of land, by the
through no
usual, recites the names of his ancestors, tracing his genealogy

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on Inscriptions

Dr. B. Hamilton,

in South Bihar.

205

less than six generations.

The original was said to have been transmitted
to Great Britain by the late Sir John Murray
but I am unable
M'Gregor;
to say where it has been deposited.
It would be an acceptable communica
the history of a prince among the most
tion, as serving to authenticate
conspicuous in the annals of his country; on which he inflicted the-same
calamity which Count Julian did on Spain, by assisting aMusleman conquest
of it, in revenge for the abduction of his daughter.*
The analogy indeed
is not quite complete;
for it was seduction of a daughter which Count
Julian

sought

to revenge.

Concerning the inscription at Tdrdcliandi, of which a translation is here

it is to be remarked, that the denunciation
or protest which it
presented,
records,, is first, expressed in verse,t and is.then repeated in prose. This
of it and the correction of
repetition has much assisted the decyphering
some errors, either of the original, or of the copy. A few
explanatory
notes will be found annexed.

Translation

of the Inscription

at Tdrdchandi.

"

Pratapa
dhavala,
wholly divine (deva), possessor of happily risen
and celebrated glory, addresses his own race.
In these villages, contiguous
to Calahandi,t
that contemptible ill copper ? [grant], which has been ob
tained by fraud and bribery, from the thievish slaves of the
sovereign of
from
no
SuvalluJiala
is
there
:f
Gddhinagara,\\ by priests sprung
ground of

* See
p. 147 of this volume.
f

In

two

stanzas

of

Vasanta-tilaca

metre.

J Calahandli ; written CaJahandi, with a long vowel, in the prose paraphrase.

? The text exhibits, in two places, cutdmbra; which, I conjecture, should be
from

cu

ill and

tdmra,

copper;

alluding

to a

grant

inscribed,

as usual,

be an allusion to Cutdmba, the name of a district in that

vicinity.
the same with Gddhipura, is identified with
|| Gddhinagara,

upon

copper.

Canyacubja.?See

cu-tdmra,

There

may

As. Res.

ix. 441.

f SuvaUuhala ; written Swallu haniya in the prose paraphrase; it appears to be the designa
tion of the Brdhmanas, who had obtained the
grant of land in question.

2 E 2

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206Dr.

B. Hamilton,

on Inscriptions

in South Bihar.

faith to be put therein by the people around. Not a bit of land, so much
as a needle's point
might pierce, is theirs.
? Samvat
1229. Jyesht'ha badi 3d Wednesday.
"

The

Pratapa

feet of the sovereign of Japila,

dhavala

deva,

declare

the

truth

the great
to his

sons,

chieftain,
grandsons,

the fortunate
and

other

of the villages of
sprung of his race : this ill copper* [grant]
obtained by fraud and bribery, from the thievish
Calahandi and Badayitd,
the king, sovereign of Canya
chandra,
slaves of the fortunate Vijaya
no faith is to be put therein. Those
folks:
cubjai by SwalluJianiyat
Not so much land, as might be pierced by
priests are every way libertines.
a needle's point
is theirs. Knowing
this, you will take the share of pro
duce and other dues ; or destroy."
"
of the great Rdjaputra
(king's son), the fortunate
[Signature']
descendants

Satrughna."

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