Pṛthivīṣeṇa II

This set of 5 copper plates dating to the reign of Pṛithivīṣeṇa II, were discovered in June 1971 in a field during ploughing. The field was owned by Shri Borkar who, at that time, lived in the village. The village, according to V. B. Kolte (1972: 183), is an ancient site with many archaeological remains dating to the Vākāṭaka period. There are also stone circles which date as far back as 3000 years suggesting continued habitation throughout this period. This is one of the only known copper plate charters of Pṛithivīṣeṇa II which is complete. The charter was issued in the king’s 17th year of rule and records the grant of the village Jamalakheṭaka to the Brāhmaṇas Vishṇudatta and Bhavadatta, residents of Pṛithivīpura, from where the charter was issued.

This set of five copper plates were discovered during archaeological excavations undertaken at Māṇḍhaḷ by the Department of Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archaeology, Nagpur University. These plates were discovered with two other Vākāṭaka copper plate charters (IN00183 and IN00189). Each charter was complete with ring and seal attached. This charter, inscribed on four plates, records the donation of the village Govasāhikā to four Brāhmaṇas, including two – Maheśvarasvāmin and Brahmasvāmin – who are also mentioned in the Māṇḍhaḷ copper plate charter of Pṛithivīṣeṇa II, year 2 (IN00189). Shastri (1997: 99-103) argues that the three plates found at this site record donations by two Vākāṭaka kings to two generations of the same family.

The charter consists of four plates, which were found in an earthen vessel during excavations, along with two other Vākāṭaka period copper plate inscriptions. The charter was issued in the second year of Pṛithivīṣeṇa II’s reign and was found complete with ring and seal, providing the earliest known complete example of a copper plate charter from the reign of Pṛithivīṣeṇa II. The charter records the donation of the village Kurubhajjaka by its chief to three brothers, Maheśvarasvāmin, Agnisvāmin and Brahmasvāmin, sons of Māṭrisvāmin. Two of these brothers are also the benefactors of the Māṇḍhaḷ copper plate of Pṛithivīṣeṇa II, year 10 (IN00190) and Māṭrisvāmin was the donee of the Māṇḍhaḷ copper plate of Pravarasena II, year 17  (IN00183).

The charter consists of five plates, but only three bear inscription and the attached seal is also without inscription. According to Shastri 1997: 70, this indicates that the charter was left unfinished. Mirashi 1963: 79 also states that the charter was left incomplete as it does not specify the donation. It does however record the planned place of issue, Pṛthivīṣeṇa II’s temporary residence at Vembāra, which Mirashi 1963: 80 has identified with the modern village of Bembāl, 28 miles east of Chandrapur and 2 miles west of the Waingaṅhā river. Although incomplete, the importance of the inscription lies in its mention of Pṛthivīṣeṇa II and his father Narendrasena II. Prior to the discovery of this charter, neither ruler was known as only grants of Pravarasena II were known before 1893. Because of this, the description of both Narendrasena II, Pravarasena II’s son (?) and Pṛthivīṣeṇa II were new contributions to the known Vākāṭaka history.