A Note on the Kesaribeda Plates of Arthapati

This epigraphic note analyses the Kesaribeda copper‑plate charter issued by Śrī‑Maharāja Arthapati, a king of the Nala dynasty. The charter was issued from Puskari (modern Podagarh in Koraput district) and is one of the earliest records of the Nala rulers. The plate names Arthapati’s father or grandfather Bhavattavarman and mentions that the grant was made in the region of Kesaribeda to Brahmins. The author explains that this charter, together with the Rithapur grant of Bhavattavarman, shows that the Nalas were powerful enough to campaign into Vakataka territory. The presence of Vakataka‑style palaeography suggests a date in the fifth century CE. The article summarises the contents of the charter, noting that it records the donation of land to Brahmins and invokes Hindu deities such as Mahesvara (Shiva) and Mahāsena (Skanda). The king styles himself Mahesvara‑Mahāsena‑Atiśṛṣṭa‑Rājya‑Vibhava—“one upon whom the glory of royalty has been bestowed by Mahesvara and Mahāsena”—which implies that he dedicated his kingdom to these gods. The charter also bears the Nala emblem of a three‑pointed banner, attesting to dynastic symbolism. The author discusses the historical context. The Nala dynasty ruled parts of modern Odisha and Chhattisgarh during the fifth and sixth centuries CE. Coins from Edenga village attest to kings Varaharaja, Bhavadatta and Arthapati. Arthapati appears to have lost control of Vakataka territory; the fact that he issued his charter from Puskari rather than the usual capital suggests that he was retreating after defeat by the Vakataka ruler Prithvisena II. Later inscriptions of King Skandavarman indicate that the Nala line recovered some territory after Arthapati’s reign. The article concludes that the Kesaribeda plate provides valuable evidence about the political vicissitudes of the Nala dynasty, their religious affiliations and their administrative practices.

Summary reviewed by a volunteer editor.