The ‘written’ History of Vagada: Inscriptions from the Arthuna Group of Temples

By Swapna Joshi

The village of Arthuna, located in the Banswara district of Rajasthan, is home to over a dozen temples dedicated to Shaiva and Jaina worship. The Paramaras of Vagada, a dynasty that ruled the region during the eleventh and twelfth centuries CE, patronized several of these temples. In the field of art history, comprehending the period of temple construction necessitates taking into account stylistic parameters unique to a specific period and region. Alongside these parameters, epigraphical records inscribed on stone and written on copper plates also provide vital information regarding the temple buildings and the history of the region. Seven Paramara period inscriptions found in and around the temple structures complement the historicity of the temples in Arthuna. The Paramaras of Vagada ruled the region from the ninth through the twelfth centuries CE, initially as vassals and later as independent rulers. [1] These Paramaras were an offshoot branch of the Paramaras of Malwa. The rule of the Guhilas of Mewar supplanted them. Despite the lack of specific Guhila dynasty inscriptions from Arthuna, the Vagada region, including Talwara and Chhapa in the Banswara district, has records of their rule. [2]

Five inscriptions from Arthuna date back to the reign of Paramara King Chamundaraja, while two hail from the reign of Vijayaraja. All of these inscriptions date back to the last quarter of the eleventh century and the first quarter of the twelfth century. [3] In addition to these inscriptions, records of the Vagada branch of the Paramara dynasty were also found at Panaheda, near Baroda, in Gujarat.[4] These Paramaras' inscriptions document the construction of numerous temples in their capital, Utthunaka, identified as Arthuna. All inscriptions are in Sanskrit, written using the Nagari script and following a metric composition. The first verses of the inscriptions pay obeisance to either Shiva, Hanuman, or the first Jain Tirthankara Rishabnath, depending upon the religious inclination of the patron and the purpose of the inscription. For example, the first few lines of the inscription from Chamundaraja include 'Om namah Shivaya', and another from Vijayaraja opens with 'Om namah Hanumante'. Several inscriptions are eulogistic, mentioning the genealogies of the Paramaras and reiterating their greatness as rulers. Scholars found most of the inscriptions incised on loose stone slabs. Scholars such as Gaurishankar H. Ojha relocated these slabs from the vicinity of temples to the museum in Ajmer. Several studies have examined the inscriptions, with some findings published in journals such as Indian Antiquary, volumes of Epigraphia Indica, and Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum. [5]

Among the inscriptions attributed to Chamundaraja's rule, he issued one himself, while his officers issued others that referenced him as the sovereign. The Mandaleshwar Temple inscription, also the only in-situ inscription at present in Arthuna, records the temple's construction as initiated by Chamundaraja in honor of his predecessor and father, Mandanadeva, in 1079 (80) CE, giving the temple its name, Mandaleshwar. The names Mandala and Ishwar are derived from the names of the late king and the temple's dedication to Shiva. The inscription records the actual year in Vikram Samvat, a lunisolar calendar that began in 57 BCE and persisted throughout the mediaeval period. The scribe, Asaraja, penned this inscription in the last quarter of the eleventh century CE as a prashasti (eulogy) for Chamundaraja. It not only records the temple's construction, but also refers to several items dedicated to its upkeep. Chamundaraja made these endowments for the temple's upkeep, including land grants and taxable resources. [6] Among the items were barley, sugarcane, cotton, various types of oils, coconut, brazier products, and salt. This implies that when any of these goods were sold in the Arthuna market, a specific portion would be donated to the temple establishment. This also included imposts to the temple on occasion of various festivals, like the Chaitra festival. Such insights from the inscriptions are critical, as they not only elucidate religious practices and temple-building activities but also offer glimpses into Arthuna's economic dynamics. Late B.D. Chattopadhyaya collated data on the agricultural practices of the region and commented that Arthuna was an important trade centre where ‘varieties of resources converged’. [7]

Another inscription from 1079 (80) CE, belonging to Chamundaraja's reign, provides an intriguing account. Although not issued by the King, his officer, under his name, granted patronage to the temple's construction in honor of Hari (Vishnu). Consequently, the inscription also mentions repairs to a temple. Although there is currently no temple dedicated to Vishnu worship in Arthuna, the inscription records that such a religious practice existed at some point. Two inscriptions from Chamundaraja's reign, as well as one from Vijayaraja, mention the construction of Jain temples in Arthuna. All of these inscriptions begin with an obeisance to the Jain pontiff, Rishabhnatha. The exact number of Jain temples constructed in Arthuna remains unknown, despite the discovery of these inscriptions near their remains. However, the existence of three inscriptions—two dating to 1101 CE and the third from 1116 CE—indicates a strong presence of Jain worship in Arthuna. [8]

Another unique account is the Vikram Samvat 1165 inscription, which corresponds to the year 1115 CE when Vijayaraja, the son and successor of Chamundaraja, ruled the Vagada Paramaras. [9] This inscription, situated on the pedestal of a Hanuman statue, was written with the sole purpose of consecrating the statue. In the inscription, prayers are extended to ‘Maruti’, that is, Hanuman, which is currently housed in a small shrine in the Hanuman Garhi Temple complex at Arthuna. The inscription was composed by Narayana, written by Ananta, and engraved by Nanaka, who is also the statue's sculptor. Inscriptions often fail to record such detailed information about sculptures and their dedications. However, because the image is covered with vermillion, deciphering the other contents of the inscription has been difficult. [10]

In addition to these seven inscriptions, there are smaller inscriptions on the pedestal of Jain statues near the Jain Temple remains that contain one or two lines. These records have not surfaced in previous studies (Image 1). A cursory glance at the inscriptions' orthography and script indicates that they belong to the sixteenth century, probably recording the consecration of these statues (Image 2). According to Deborah Stein's research, Vagada was ruled by the Guhilas until the fifteenth century CE. [11] Local rulers who held power in the region are likely to have issued the records on these statues, either from this period or earlier. The extensive information on the architectural details of the temples, donations and patronage extended by the rulers, genealogies of the rulers, and details of the religious practices is essential for understanding the contemporary settlement at Arthuna. Written records and visual material unearthed at the site provide evidence of Arthuna's thriving capital, characterized by multi-religious practices and a richly thriving economy.

Footnotes:

[1] Trivedi, Art Traditions of the Paramaras of Vagada, 4–14.

[2] Stein, The Hegemony of Heritage, 141–42.

[3] Trivedi, Art Traditions of the Paramaras of Vagada, 201–11.

[4] Trivedi, Inscriptions of the Paramāras, Chandēllas, Kachchapaghātas, and Two Minor Dynasties, 278–80.

[5] Kielhorn, ‘Miscelleanea-A short account of six unpublished inscriptions’, 80–81; Trivedi, Inscriptions of the Paramāras, Chandēllas, Kachchapaghātas, and Two Minor Dynasties, 278–312; Archæological Survey of India, Epigraphia Indica and Record of the Archæological Survey of India, 295–310.

[6] Trivedi, Art Traditions of the Paramaras of Vagada, 204.

[7] Chattopadhyaya, The Making of Early Medieval India, 38, 106.

[8] Trivedi, Inscriptions of the Paramāras, Chandēllas, Kachchapaghātas, and Two Minor Dynasties, 300, 303, 312.

[9] Trivedi, Art Traditions of the Paramaras of Vagada, 20–24.

[10] Trivedi, Inscriptions of the Paramāras, Chandēllas, Kachchapaghātas, and Two Minor Dynasties, 309–11.

[11] Stein, The Hegemony of Heritage.

Bibliography:

Archæological Survey of India. Epigraphia Indica and Record of the Archæological Survey of India. Office of the Superintendent of Government Printing, India, 1918.

Chattopadhyaya, B. The Making of Early Medieval India. Oxford University Press, 1994.

Kielhorn, F. ‘Miscelleanea-A short account of six unpublished inscriptions’. Edited by Richard Carnac Temple. Oriental Research Institute Bombay, The Indian Antiquary A Journal of Oriental Research, no. XXII (1893): 80–81.

Stein, Deborah L. The Hegemony of Heritage. University of California Press, 2018. doi:10.1525/luminos.46.

Trivedi, H.V. Inscriptions of the Paramāras, Chandēllas, Kachchapaghātas, and Two Minor Dynasties. Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum. Archaeological Survey of India, 1900.

Trivedi, P. K. Art Traditions of the Paramaras of Vagada. Jaipur Publication Scheme, 1995.