The name of the Mahamatya in the Inscription of Tejasimha, dated V. 1317
Summary
This short communication examines the name of the Mahamatya (chief minister) in an inscription of Tejasimha of Mewar dated Samvat 1317. R. C. Agrawala’s published transcript of the newly discovered inscription reads the minister’s name as Maharaja‑Prasenadhara. However, a manuscript colophon written the same year and preserved in the Patan Bhandar records that on the fourth day of the bright fortnight of Magha in Tejasimha’s reign at Aghata, the Mahamatya Sri‑Samuddhara was supervising the minting of seals. The colophon thus names the minister as Sri‑Samuddhara. Comparing the two records, the author suggests that the epigraph may have been misread: in Nagari script the characters for “pra” and “sa” can be confused and “muddhara” and “ddhara” look similar. Consequently, the inscription’s “Prasenadhara” might actually be “Samuddhara.” Alternatively, if the inscription does indeed read Prasenadhara, the difference could reflect a change of office—Sri‑Samuddhara may have died within the six‑month interval between the dates and been succeeded by his son Prasenadhara. The author urges Dr. Agrawala to re‑examine the epigraph in light of this evidence and cautions scholars to cross‑check inscriptions against contemporary manuscripts.
Summary reviewed by a volunteer editor.
Conclusion
The conclusion drawn from the discussed inscription and manuscript colophon dating to Vikram Samvat 1317 suggests a possible misreading of the name of the Mahāmātya associated with Maharana Tejasimha of Mewar. While the inscription names the Mahāmātya as Prasenadhara, the closely dated manuscript colophon refers to him as Sri-Samuddhara, indicating that the latter might be the accurate name. The similarity in script may have caused the initial error in deciphering. The conclusion invites further re-examination of the inscription and proposes that, if the reading of Prasenadhara stands, Sri-Samuddhara likely died in the intervening months and was succeeded by Prasenadhara, possibly his son. This highlights the importance of meticulous epigraphic study and cross-referencing with contemporaneous manuscripts for accurate historical identification.