Kotera Copper Plate Inscription of Malugideva: Saka Year 1106
Summary
The article discusses the Kotera copper plate inscription of Malugideva, discovered in 1882 by Thakur Buddhusingh in Kotera village, Balod tahsil, Durg district, Madhya Pradesh. The plate, now in the Mahant Ghasidas Memorial Museum in Raipur, is a business document from the reign of Maharinaka Malugideva, a parama-maheshvara. The inscription, in prose and corrupt Sanskrit with Nagari characters, records the sale of the village Kapasi by Niyaka Ramadeva (or Vimadeva) to Nayaka Sri-Varaka for 1200 achhus. Witnesses included Gainta Solaga and Thikura Vasudeva, with royal officers such as Store Keeper General Sri-Devasarman, Banker Savadhinta, and Hadapavala Pandita Kondu present. The inscription is dated to the Saka year 1106, corresponding to December 1184 or January 1185. The author argues that Malugideva was a feudatory chief under the Kalacuris of Ratnapura, likely acknowledging the suzerainty of Ratnadeva III, who ruled from Ratnapura in the Kalacuri Samvat 933 or A.D. 1181-82, as evidenced by a stone inscription at Khared in Bilaspur district. The author identifies Malugideva with a namesake in the Mandava Mahal inscription of V.S. 1406 or A.D. 1349, which records a Siva temple built by his grandson Ramacandra of the Phani or Naga varsha. This inscription also states that Malugideva was a grand-uncle of Bhoja, who was succeeded by his son Laksmana. The author notes that the Kotera plate was found with a copper plate of Maharinaka Bhojadeva dated to the Saka year 1126 (A.D. 1204), suggesting the Balod sub-division passed from Malugideva to Bhojadeva. The article further discusses the Phani or Naga dynasty of Kawardha, detailing the Mandava Mahal inscription, which mentions twenty-four kings, including Bhuvanatkamalla, an uncle of Malugideva and great-grandfather of Bhojadeva, who built the Bhoram Deo temple around 1140 A.D., not 1280 as Dr. Sant Lal suggested. The author questions the accuracy of the genealogy and date in the Mandava Mahal inscription given Malugideva's rule in A.D. 1184-85. The ancient village of Kapasi is identified with the present village in Patawari circle No. 11, Balod tahsil, five kilometers from Kotera and about twenty-five kilometers from Balod. The text of the inscription is provided with readings and corrections.
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Conclusion
The Kotera Copper Plate Inscription of Malugideva, dated Saka 1106 (A.D. 1184-85), is a crucial business document that sheds light on the socio-economic and political history of the region. It records the sale of the village of Kapasi by Nayaka Sri-Varaka to Niyaka Ramadeva for 1220 Achhus. The inscription establishes that Malugideva was a parama-maheshvara feudatory chief of the Kalachuris of Ratnapura, specifically identifying him with the Phani or Naga dynasty of Kawardha. By corroborating the Mandava Mahal inscription, the text helps reconstruct the genealogy of this lineage, linking Malugideva to his grandson Ramacandra. Furthermore, the document provides a corrected timeline for the construction of the Bhoram Deo temple, dating it to circa 1140 A.D. rather than 1280 A.D. Ultimately, this record is significant for mapping the territorial succession of the Naga kingdom and refining the historical chronology of central Indian dynasties.