The Prasasti Sections of the Candravati Grants of V.S. 1150 and 1156
By Roma Niyogi
Summary
This article examines the Prasasti (eulogistic) sections of two copperplate grants issued by the Gahadavala king Candradeva, dated to V.S. 1150 (A.D. 1093) and V.S. 1156 (A.D. 1100). Previous editions of these inscriptions published by D. R. Sahni omitted the Prasasti verses; the present paper aims to provide the missing portions and analyse their historical significance. The author begins with historical notes on the Gahadavala dynasty. Candradeva, reigning circa 1085-1100 A.D., founded the dynasty and issued several inscriptions from Ayodhya and Varanasi. The first grant under discussion was made on 23 October 1093 at the bathing ghat of Svargadvara in Ayodhya; the second on 14 April 1100 at the bathing ghat of Adi-Kesava on the Ganga. In both cases, the grant is recorded as following a royal gift of gold equal to the king’s weight and a thousand cows, reflecting the ceremonial piety of the Gahadavala court. Each inscription consists of a prose charter followed by verses praising the king. The author emphasises that these verses contain unique content not found in other Gahadavala records, such as explicit mention of Candradeva’s eastern campaign. The article analyses the thirteen verses of the 1150 inscription and the eight verses of the 1156 inscription. Early verses invoke the goddess Lakshmi and trace the royal genealogy. Later verses praise Candradeva’s virtues: his strength likened to Indra, his conquests over enemies, his establishment of new towns and temples, and his generosity toward Brahmins. Verse 11 (verse 7 in the second grant) refers to Candradeva’s expedition to the east; the author contextualises this by discussing the regional politics of North India, including the rise of the Pala king Ramapala and the Kaivarta rebellion in Bengal. He suggests that Candradeva’s eastern ambitions were thwarted and that the Pala general Bhimayashas (possibly Devaraksita) repelled the Gahadavala advance. The article also examines subsequent conflicts involving Candradeva’s son Govindachandra and the Pala dynasty, proposing that later marriage alliances (between Govindachandra and Mathanadeva’s granddaughter Kumari Devi) aimed to stabilise relations. The author notes that the concluding verses of the Prasasti hail Candradeva’s fame as spreading beyond mountains and seas and compare him to ancient solar and lunar kings. A transcription of the verses accompanies the discussion. The article concludes that the Prasasti sections enrich our understanding of Gahadavala history by providing new evidence of Candradeva’s campaigns and pious acts, and by highlighting literary conventions in eulogistic inscriptions.
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Conclusion
By editing and analysing the Prasasti sections omitted from earlier publications, the article demonstrates that the Candravati grants are not merely legal documents but rich historical narratives. The verses portray Candradeva as a devout and ambitious ruler, record his ceremonial gifts and a rare eastern campaign, and situate his dynasty within broader North Indian politics. The author suggests that conflict with the Pala dynasty limited Gahadavala expansion and that political marriages later eased tensions. The Prasastis thus provide valuable context for historians of the late 11th and early 12th centuries.