Baghaura Narayana Image-inscription of Mahipala
By H. C. Ray
Summary
The article analyses an inscription found under a Narayana image from the village of Baghaura in the Brahmanbaria subdivision of Tippera district, Bengal. The inscription, carved in the northeastern Kutila script (the precursor to modern Bengali), is dated to the third regnal year of a king named Mahipala. It records that the image was the meritorious work of Parama‑vṛṣṇi‑vaṇik Lokadatta of Bilakindaka in the region of Samataṭa. The article discusses controversies surrounding the identity of this Mahipala. With no lineage specified, scholars have variously identified him as: (1) a local, previously unknown Samataṭa king; (2) one of two Pala kings named Mahipala; or (3) the Gurjara‑Pratihara emperor Mahipala of Kanauj. The author cautions against duplicating kings on insufficient evidence but notes that duplication is common in Indian history. He cites examples of different princes bearing identical names ruling neighbouring regions. The article considers the possibility that the Gurjara‑Pratihara empire under Mahipala (c. 914–943 CE) extended to southeast Bengal. The Pratiharas controlled a vast territory from Eastern Punjab to north Bengal, and it is conceivable that they temporarily held Samataṭa. However, there is no direct evidence that the Candras of eastern Bengal were ever Pratihara feudatories. The author notes that some names of Candra kings have Mongoloid affinities, suggesting links to Arakan. He therefore favours identifying Mahipala as a Pala king of Bengal and Bihar, possibly Mahipala I (c. 988–1036 CE) or Mahipala II (short‑reigned), whose influence may have reached Samataṭa. The palaeography of the inscription places it around 975–1050 CE. By examining dynastic histories and analysing the script, the article argues that the Baghaura inscription most likely belongs to the Pala period. It highlights the need for caution when attributing inscriptions to imperial dynasties without clear evidence and shows how local epigraphy can refine our understanding of political control in Bengal.
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Conclusion
The article concludes that the Baghaura Narayana inscription probably dates from the late 10th or early 11th century and was issued by a Pala king named Mahipala, rather than a Gurjara‑Pratihara emperor or an otherwise unknown local ruler. The Kutila script and the absence of evidence for Pratihara rule in eastern Bengal support this identification. The inscription illustrates how merchants like Lokadatta commissioned religious images and recorded their piety. By carefully weighing epigraphic and historical evidence, the article cautions against unwarranted duplication of kings and emphasises the value of regional inscriptions for reconstructing Bengal’s political history.