Authorship of the Dahod Inscription of Mahmud, V.S. 1545
Summary
This historical inquiry investigates who composed the Dahod inscription commissioned by Sultan Mahmud Begada in the Vikram Samvat year 1545 (1488 CE). The inscription, written in polished Sanskrit verse, records the Sultan’s military conquests and charitable works. The author analyses linguistic style, metre and vocabulary to determine whether the text was penned by a court poet, a Brahmin scholar or Mahmud’s own scribe. Comparisons with other contemporary inscriptions and literary conventions suggest that a learned Sanskrit poet likely authored the verses, possibly under royal patronage. The study emphasises the cultural significance of a Muslim ruler employing Sanskrit to memorialise his deeds, illustrating the syncretic intellectual milieu of fifteenth-century Gujarat. By examining historical records and stylistic clues, the article sheds light on interactions between Islamic and Sanskritic traditions and contributes to the understanding of epigraphical practices under the Gujarat Sultanate.
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Conclusion
The article concludes that while the precise identity of the Dahod inscription’s composer remains uncertain, stylistic evidence points to a professional Sanskrit poet commissioned by Sultan Mahmud. The inscription exemplifies the cultural cross-pollination of the period, where political authority and literary artistry transcended religious boundaries.