Candella Grants in Bharat Kala Bhavan
Summary
The article examines four epigraphic records preserved at the Bharat Kala Bhavan museum at Varanasi. Three are copper-plate grants belonging to the Candella dynasty and one is a charter issued by a Pratihara king. The Candella grants are dated to the reigns of Madanavarman (circa 1129‑1163 CE) and his grandson and successor Paramardin (1166‑1203 CE), while the Pratihara charter is attributed to a king named Hariraja whose title and genealogy suggest membership of the Pratihara family. The study briefly describes the contents and palaeographic features of each record, stressing that the grants are fragmentary but nevertheless valuable for reconstructing the political history of central India during the twelfth century. The first inscription, a charter of Madanavarman, records a land grant to brahmins on the occasion of a religious festival. It begins with the traditional siddham symbol followed by benedictory verses that extol the Candella lineage and includes a genealogical list tracing the family back to the lunar dynasty. The charter provides a precise date corresponding to 24 March 1136 and exhibits carefully engraved devanagari letters. The next two records are grants of Paramardin that similarly bestow villages on learned brahmins. Genealogical sections place Paramardin in the Candella line and emphasise his legitimacy and piety. The Pratihara charter is written in a similar style and relates to a grant issued in Vikrama Samvat 1040 (983 CE). It preserves the genealogy of the donor’s family beginning with Nilakantha and lists rulers such as Bhimadeva, Ratnapala and Jaitravarman, indicating that Pratihara rulers exercised authority alongside the Candellas. The article notes that the Candella grants resemble previously published charters in respect of palaeography, orthography and style; the engraving of letters is careful and precise, though in some cases the forms of certain letters are so similar that names are difficult to read. The article further comments on the high quality of the calligraphy, noting that the letters are carefully and beautifully cut with only minor wear. The paleographic style is consistent with other Candella charters, providing an important basis for dating similar inscriptions. The discussion also raises the issue of distinguishing between similar consonantal signs, which sometimes hampers the reading of personal and place names. In addition to epigraphical analysis, the author situates the grants within the broader political history of the region, suggesting that the presence of a Pratihara charter among Candella records hints at overlapping spheres of influence and possibly conflict between these dynasties. By preserving genealogies and precise regnal dates, the inscriptions contribute significantly to the reconstruction of dynastic successions and highlight the importance of local museums in safeguarding early medieval documents.
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Conclusion
The four grants from Bharat Kala Bhavan offer a rare glimpse into the administrative and ritual practices of the Candella and Pratihara dynasties. Although fragmentary, they confirm the continuity of Candella rule from Madanavarman to Paramardin and show how rival families like the Pratiharas adopted similar epigraphic conventions. The charters provide precise dates, genealogies and descriptions of land grants, allowing historians to refine chronologies and understand the religious and political milieu of twelfth‑century Bundelkhand. Their careful execution illustrates the importance attached to record‑keeping and the enduring significance of copper‑plate grants in early medieval India.