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King Mahendra of Allahabad Prasasti

By P. L. Mishra

Vol. 37 · No. 1March - 1961pp. 23–30English
Samudragupta Military Campaigns

Summary

King Mahendra of Allahabad Prasasti investigates the identity of ‘Mahendra’ mentioned among the southern rulers defeated by Samudragupta in the Allahabad Pillar inscription. P. L. Misra surveys archaeological and numismatic evidence to argue that this ruler should be identified with Mahendraditya of the Nala dynasty of South Kosala. The paper reviews epigraphic sources on the Nalas and notes the absence of a king named Mahendra. Recent finds of gold coins inscribed ‘Mahendraditya’, featuring Garuda, crescent moon, cakra and sun symbols, are examined in detail. Their weight, legend and iconography differ from Gupta coins and resemble Sarabhapuriyan issues, suggesting a local origin. The author dismisses earlier attributions of the coins to Kumaragupta and emphasises that Mahendraditya’s adoption of the epithet ‘Aditya’ predates its use by the Guptas. By comparing the chronological clues in the Allahabad inscription with the coin hoards, Misra dates Mahendra’s reign to around 330 CE and argues that he continued to rule after his defeat by Samudragupta, possibly under Gupta suzerainty. The paper discusses the religious implication of the coins: although earlier Nala kings were Saiva and used the bull symbol, Mahendra’s coins adopt Vishnu’s Garuda, which the author interprets as evidence of Vaishnava leanings influenced by Gupta overlordship. Through careful synthesis of inscriptions, Purāṇa genealogies and numismatics, the article situates Mahendraditya within the broader political landscape of early fourth‑century India.

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Conclusion

The study concludes that the elusive Mahendra of the Allahabad inscription is best identified with Mahendraditya of the Nala dynasty. Coin evidence and chronological analysis support this attribution and reveal a ruler who adopted Vaishnava symbols after contact with the Guptas. Recognising Mahendraditya clarifies the political dynamics of South Kosala in the fourth century and demonstrates the utility of numismatic data in resolving epigraphic puzzles.

Key passages

Chosen by AI from the article's text. Each one is checked word for word against the text before it is shown.

  • “The pras’asti' also makes 1t clear that . Mahendra was ““defeated, captured રતે liberated,” and hence Mahendra continued ६० rule over his domain.”
  • “Thus, now it 15 clear that the coins under discussion are local coins of S. Kosala, of a local king and also devised originally without any borrowing or whatsoever.”

Works cited in this article

  1. JNSI, vol. X, 1948 pp. 137-148
  2. The Vakataka-Gupta Age by R. C. Majumdar and Altekar, pp. 146-147
  3. CIL, vol. 111, page 1
  4. Purana Text of the Dynasties of the Kali Age, p. 51
  5. JNSL, 1939, pp. 25-35 by V. V. Mirashi

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In this issue

Vol. 37 · No. 1
1–7Architectural Affiliations of Early Saurashtra TemplesK. V. Soundara Rajan8–22Interesting Gleanings from Muzaffarpur Collectorate RecordsH. R. Ghosal23–30King Mahendra of Allahabad PrasastiP. L. MishraCurrent article31–37Some Numerical Vocables in PrakritS. N. Ghosal38–47A Study of the un-Paninian Verb-forms in the Critical Edition of the Adiparvan of the MahabharataHarendra Chandra Sil48–52A Newly Discovered Inscription of Maharana Tejasimha of MewarRatna Chandra Agrawala53–77Place-names in the Garuda PuranaSibadas Chaudhuri73–100Astronomical Evidence on the Age of the Rgveda78–80An Interesting Inscription of Cauhina SimharajaRatna Chandra Agrawala81–82A note on the Kharaparas mentioned in the Nabhinandana-jinoddhara-prabandhaSant Lal Katare83–84Studies in the Epics and Puranas (Review)Chintaharan Chakravarti84Some Problems of Sanskrit Poetics (Review)Chintaharan Chakravarti85–91Select Contents of Oriental Journals

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