DOCSLIB.ORG

IN00001 Allahabad Pillar Inscription of Samudragupta Fleet

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
IN00001 Allahabad Pillar Inscription of Samudragupta Fleet IN00001 Allahabad Pillar Inscription of Samudragupta Fleet, John F., Inscriptions of the Early Guptas (Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum, vol. 3) (Calcutta: Government of India, Central Publications Branch, 1888): 10-17. Prepared by Razieh B. Golzadeh 1) [Who]……by his own kinsmen………., ………;—whose……….; 2) [Who]……twanging (of the bow-string)……burst open and scattered……… disheveled………; 3) Whose mind is surcharged with happiness in consequence of his association with the wise, who is thus accustomed to retain the truth and purpose of (any) science;………fixed…… upraised…….who, removing impediments to the grace of good poetry, through the very injunction (ājñā) of (poetic) excellence (guṇa), clustered together (guṇita) by the experts, enjoys, in the literate world, in an attractive fashion, sovereignty, in consequence of fame for copious lucid poetry. 4) (Exclaiming) ‘Come, oh worthy (one),’ and embracing (him) with hair standing on end and indicating (his) feeling, (his) father, perceiving (him) with eyes overcome with affection, (and) laden with tears (of joy), (but) discerning the true state (of things), said to him ‘so protect (thou) the whole earth,’ while he was being looked up with sad faces by others of equal birth, (but) while the courtiers were breathing cheerfully. 5) Beholding whose many super-human actions, some felt the thrill of marvel and burst into a display of great joy, some relishing with feeling……., some afflicted with his prowess, sought (whose) protection after performing obeisance;……… 6) (Whose enemies), whose offence was always great, being conquered by his arm in battles ……. Day by day………pride………(develop) repentance, with their minds filled with delight (and) expanding with much evident pleasure and affection. 7) By whom, having (been) unassisted, with the force of the prowess of (his) arm, that rose up so as to pass all bounds, singly and in a moment, uprooted Acyuta and Nāgāsena and [Gaṇapati] come together in battle (against him) thereafter, causing, indeed, the scion of the Kota family to be captured by (his) armies, (while) amusing himself at (the city) named Puṣpa, while the sun……the banks…... 8) (Being) the enclosing structure of Dharma (Sacred Law), (his) multifarious sprouting fame is as bright as the rays of the moon, (his) erudition pierces down to truth……quiescence……, the course of (his) wise utterances is worthy of study, even (his) poetry, which out distances the greatness of the genius of (other) poets. What excellence is there which does not belong to him, who alone is a worthy subject of contemplation for those who can recognise merit and intellect? 17-18) Of him (who) was skillful in engaging in a hundred battles of various kinds; whose only ally was valour (parākrama), through the might of his own arm, and who (has thus) the epithet parākrama, whose most charming body was covered over with the plenteous beauty marks of hundreds of promiscuous scars, caused by battle-axes, arrows, spikes, spears, barbed darts, swords, iron clubs, javelins for throwing, barbed arrows, span-long arrows and many other weapons. 19-20) Whose magnanimity blended with valour was caused by (his) first capturing, and thereafter showing the favour of releasing, all the kings of Dakṣiṇāpatha such as Mahendra of Kosala, Vyāghrarāja of Mahākāntāra, Maṇṭarāja of Kurāḷa, Mahendragiṛ of Piṣṭapura, Svāmidatta of Koṭṭūra, Damana of Eraṇḍapalla, Viṣṇugopa of Kāñcī, Nīlarāja of Avamukta, Hastivarman of Veṅgī, Ugrasena of Pālakka, Kubera of Devarāṣṭra, and Dhanañjaya of Kusthalapura. 21) Whose extraordinary valour had been increased through the forcible extermination of many kings of Āryāvarta, such as, Rudradeva, Matila, Nāgadatta, Candravarman, Gaṇapatināga, Nāgasena, Ācyuta-Nandin, Balavarman—who made all the kings of the forest regions become (his) servants. 22-23) Whose imperious commands were fully gratified, with the payment of all tributes and execution of orders and visits (to his court) for obeisance, by such frontier rulers as those of Samataṭa, Ḍavāka, Kāmarūpa, Nepāla and Kartṛpura, and by the Mālavas, Ārjunāyanas, Yaudheyas, Mādrakas, Ābhīras, Prārjunas, Sanakānīkas, Kākas, Kharaparikas, and other (tribes). 23) (Whose) fame has tired itself with a journey over the whole world, caused by the restoration of many fallen kingdoms and overthrown royal families. 23-24) The unimpeded flow (prasara) of the prowess of (whose) arm (was arrested) by an earth embankment (dharaṇi-bandha) put up by means of service through such measures as self-surrender, offering (their own) daughters in marriage and a request for the administration of their own districts and provinces through the Garuḍa badge, by the Devaputra-Ṣāhi-Ṣāhānuṣāhi and the Śaka lords and by (rulers) occupying all island countries, such as Siṃhala. 24-26) He was without an antagonist on earth; he, by the overflowing of the multitude of (his) many good qualities adorned by hundreds of good actions, has wiped off the fame of other kings with the soles of (his) feet; (he is) Puruṣa (supreme being), being the cause of the prosperity of the good and the destruction of the bad (he is) incomprehensible; (he is) one whose tender heart can be captured only by devotion and humility; (he is) possessed of compassion; (he is) the giver of many hundred-thousand s of cows; (his) mind has received ceremonial initiation for the uplift of the miserable, the poor, the forlorn and the suffering; (he is) resplendent and embodied kindness to mankind; (he is) equal to (the gods) Kubera, Varuṇa, Indra and Yama; (his) Āyukta officers are always engaged upon restoring wealth (titles, territories, etc.) to the many kings conquered by the might of his arms. 27-28) (He) has put to shame Bṛhaspati by (his) sharp and polished intellect, as also Tumburu, Nārada and others by the graces of his musical performances; (his) title of ‘King of Poets’ has been established through (his) many compositions in poetry which were a means of subsistence to the learned people; (his) many wonderful and noble deeds are fit to be praised for a very long time; (he is) a human being, only as far as he performs the rites and conventions of the world, (otherwise he is) God, whose residence is (this) world. 28-30) This lofty column (is) the raised arm of the earth, proclaiming as it were, the fame that having pervaded the entire surface of the earth, with (its) rise that was caused by (his) conquest of the whole earth, has acquired an easy and graceful movement in that it has gone from here (i.e. from this world) to the abode of (Indra) the lord of the gods—(the fame) of that prosperous Samudragupta the mahārājādhirāja, son of the prosperous Candragupta (I), the mahārājādhirāja, born of the Mahādevī Kumāradevī, (and) daughter’s son of the Licchavi, son’s son of the prosperous Ghaṭotkaca, the mahārāja and the son of the son’s son of the prosperous Gupta, the mahārāja. Whose 30) Fame, ever ascending higher and higher masses, and travelling by many paths, (namely) by liberality, prowess of arm, sobriety and utterance of scriptural texts, purifies the three worlds, like the white water of the (holy river) Gaṅgā, dashing forth rapidly when liberated from the confinement in the inner hollow of the matted hair of Paśupati, (which rises up in even higher and higher masses and flows through many paths). 31-32) And may this poetic composition (kāvya) of Hariṣeṇa, the servant of the very same venerable Bhaṭṭāraka, whose mind has been enlightened through the favour of dwelling near (him), who is the sāndhivigrahika, kumārāmātya (and) mahādaṇḍanāyaka , (and who is) a native of Khādyaṭapāka, and son of the mahādaṇḍanāyaka Dhruvabhūti, lead to the welfare and happiness of all beings! 33) And (it) was executed by the mahādaṇḍanāyaka Tilabhaṭṭaka who mediates on the feet of the paramabhaṭṭā raka..
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Texts. Rock Inscriptions of Asoka
    TEXTS. ROCK INSCRIPTIONS OF ASOKA SHAHBAZGARHI, KHlLSI, GIRNAR, DHAULI, AND JAUGADA. EDICT I. s Ayam dharmalipi [ omitted ] Devanampriyasa * # # K Iyam dhammalipi f do. ] Devanampiyena Piyadasina G lyara dhammalipi [ do. ] Devanampiyena Piyadasina, D * # dha * * # # # * si pavatasi Devanampiye * # # * J Iyam dhammalipi Khepingalasi pavatasi Devanampiyena Piyadasina S Ranyo likhapi . Hidam lo ke * jiva. * * * * * * K # * lekhapi. Hida no kichhi jive. alabhitu paja G Eanya lekhapita .. Idha na kinchi jivam arabhida paju D Lajo # # # * * * * * . * vam alabhitu pajapa J Lajina likhapita . Hida no kichhi jivam. alabhiti paja S # * # cha pi * sama* * * * * * * * # K hitaviye 2 no pi ch;i samaje. kataviye bahukam hi G hitavyam 4 na cha samaje. katavyo bahukam hi D * # * # # # # * * * 2# * # bahukam * * J hitaviye 2 no pi cha samaje. kataviye babukain hi S # # # * * # * # # *4# ### •## # # * K dosa samejasa. Devanampiye Piyadasi Laja dakhati 5 G dosam samajamhi. pasati Devanampiyo Piyadasi Raja D * * # * # * * # # # nam # * # # # * # # # * J dosam samejasa. dakhati Devanampiye Piyadasi . Laja S 2 ati pi* * * katiya samayasa samato Devanampriyasa K athi picha. ekatiya samaj& sadhumata Devanampiyasa 7 G 6 asti pitu ekacha samaja sadhumata Devanampiyasa D * * # ekacha samajasa sadhumata Devanampiyasa J athi pichu ekatiya samaja sadhumata Devanampiyasa S Priyadasisa Ranyo para mahanasasa Devanampriyasa Priyadasisa 3 K Piyadasisa Lajine pale mahanasansi Devanampiyasa Piyadasisji 8 G Piyadasino Ranyo pura mahanasaphi Devanampiyasa Piyadasino 3 D Piyadasine
    [Show full text]
  • Mauryan Art and Architecture- Part 1
    Mauryan Art and Architecture- Part 1 drishtiias.com/printpdf/mauryan-art-and-architecture-part-1 Introduction The Great Mauryan ruler Ashoka embraced Buddhism (as a part of shraman tradition) and the immense Buddhist missionary activities that followed during his rule paved the way for the development of Mauryan sculptural and architectural styles. King Ashoka patronized the shraman tradition in the third century BCE. The shraman tradition refers to several Indian religious movements parallel to but separate from the historical vedic religion. It includes Jainism, Buddhism, and others such as Ajivikas, and Carvakas. Background In 321 BC, Chandragupta Maurya, with the help of Chanakya (author of Arthashasthra) founded the Mauryan dynasty after overthrowing Nanda Dynasty. The Mauryan Empire was the first most powerful Indian empire to bring the entire Indian subcontinent under a single rule. The Mauryan empire under Chandragupta Maurya spread its boundaries into Central Asia and Persia. Expansion of Mauryan Empire: Chandragupta Maurya was succeeded by his son Bindusara in 298 BC who expanded the kingdom over most of present-day India, except Kalinga. Mauryan Dynasty under Ashoka: Bindusara's kingdom was inherited by his son Ashoka the Great in 274 B.C. Kalinga Invasion: During the invasion of Kalinga, Ashoka renounced bloodshed and adopted the policy of Ahimsa and adopted Buddhism. Mauryan Art and Architecture Mauryan architecture can be divided into Court Art and Popular Art. 1/6 Mauryan Court Art: Implies architectural works (in the form of pillars, stupas and palaces) commissioned by Mauryan rulers for political as well as religious reasons. Palaces: Greek historian, Megasthenes, described the palaces of the Mauryan empire as one of the greatest creations of mankind and Chinese traveler Fa Hien called Mauryan palaces as god gifted monuments.
    [Show full text]
  • Indian HISTORY
    Indian HISTORY AncientIndia PRE-HISTORICPERIOD G The Mesolithic people lived on hunting, fishing and food-gathering. At a later G The recent reported artefacts from stage, they also domesticated animals. Bori in Maharashtra suggest the appearance of human beings in India G The people of the Palaeolithic and around 1.4 million years ago. The early Mesolithic ages practised painting. man in India used tools of stone, G Bhimbetka in Madhya Pradesh, is a roughly dressed by crude clipping. striking site of pre-historic painting. G This period is therefore, known as the Stone Age, which has been divided into The Neolithic Age The Palaeolithic or Old Stone Age (4000-1000 BC) The Mesolithic or Middle Stone Age G The people of this age used tools and The Neolithic or New Stone Age implements of polished stone. They particularly used stone axes. The Palaeolithic Age G It is interesting that in Burzahom, (500000-9000 BC) domestic dogs were buried with their masters in their graves. G Palaeolithic men were hunters and food G First use of hand made pottery and gatherers. potter wheel appears during the G They had no knowledge of agriculture, Neolithic age. Neolithic men lived in fire or pottery; they used tools of caves and decorated their walls with unpolished, rough stones and lived in hunting and dancing scenes. cave rock shelters. G They are also called Quartzite men. The Chalcolithic Age G Homo Sapiens first appeared in the (4500-3500 BC) last phase of this period. The metal implements made by them G This age is divided into three phases were mostly the imitations of the stone according to the nature of the stone forms.
    [Show full text]
  • INDIAN EPIGRAPHY - Eletive Course of BA History
    UNIVERSITY OF CALICUT School of Distance Education INDIAN EPIGRAPHY - Eletive course of BA History VI Semester-CUCBCSS-2017 admn. 1.what is the official publication of archaeological survery of india till 1977? a. The Royal Indian Antiquary b. Epigraphica Indica c. Indian Archaeologist d. Indian Antiquary 2. What is the subject that dealt in the Uttaremerur Inscription? a. Administration at the centre b. agricultural reforms c. Local self governance d. administration of temples 3.Sabha was inclusive of --- a. Officials only b. Priestly class only c. common people only c. both priestly and common people 4. Who were known as Variyars? a. Accountants b. officers in charge of royal palace c. landlords d.executive officers subordinate to sabha 5. Which dynasty is associated with Uttaeramerur Inscription? a. Pandya b. chera c. Chola d. Aye 6. In which state does Maski edict of Asoka situate? a.Karnataka b. Gujarat c. Sindh d. Baluchistan 7. Which inscription mentioned priyadarshan and Asoka? a. Brahmagiri b. Dauli c. Girnar d. Maski 8. Who was the first Indian ruler issued edicts? a. Asoka b. Khrevela c. Samudragupta c. Bimbisara 9. Asokan edicts are inscribed on --- a. pillars b.stones c. rocks d. All the three are correct 10. What was the language used in the Eastern Part of Asok’s empire? a. Prakrit b. Magadhi c. Aramic d. Greek 11. What was the script used in the Asokan edicts in eastern part of Inda? a. Grrek b. Khroshti c. Brahmi d. Devanagiri 12. Who deciphered the script used in Asokan inscriptions? a. James Princep b.
    [Show full text]
  • Copyrighted Material
    Index Page numbers in italics denote an illustration Abbasid caliphate, 367, 371, 376 Arai, Tomie, 276–7; Framing an American Abd al-Aziz, Umar ibn, 379 Identity, 276–7 Abd Allah ibn Mumar, 374, 376 Arbus, Diane, 318 Abe, Stanley, 645 Arcega, Michael, 272; El Conquistadork, Abichandani, Jaishri, 275–6; 272, 273, 274 Reconciliations series, 275–6 arch form: and mosques in Sind, 373–4 Abul Fazl, 235 Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), 202, Abul Hassan: Jahangir Embracing Shah 209, 439 Abbas of Persia, 327 Archaimbault, 64 advertising: and Korea, 174–5 art objects: agency of in sixteenth-century afterlife: Chinese view of, 75 Japan, 450–61; instrumental power of, Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC), 448–9; invisibility of in Southeast Asia, 202 110–12 Ahmad ibn Tulun, 376 art photography: Korean, 160 Ajivikas, 439 Asaf Khan, 215, 217 Akbar, 211–12, 213, 321, 434 Ashoka, Emperor, 401, 422, 428, 429, Akechi Mitsuhide, 453, 454 430–1, 432, 437–8 Ala al-Din Khalji, 140, 141 Ashoka’s capital, 438–9, 438 album format: integration of image and Ashokavadana, 437 text in Chinese, 567–9,COPYRIGHTED 568 Ashraf, Kazi, MATERIAL 140 Alexander, 429, 430 Asia Society, 74 Allahabad pillar, 433–4 Asian American art, 11, 264–88; Chinese An Jung-sik, 161 Character exhibition, 269; and diaspora, Anaukhpetlun, King, 190 269; and embodied affiliations, 270, Andaya, Barbara, 493, 499 276–81; and identity politics, 267–8; Antal, Frederick, 448 and polycentric affinities, 270, 274–6; Anup Singh, Maharaja, 244, 245, 246 scholarship on, 268; transnational apartment culture: in Korea, 167, 169, circulation, 270–4; transPOP exhibition, 169, 170 269; and war and remembrance, 270, Appadurai, Arjun, 448 281–5 656 ᭿᭿᭿ INDEX Asian Americans, 264–7; and identity, 267; Benjamin, Walter, 335 and immigration laws, 266; legacy of Bennett, Tony, 162 racialization, 267 Berger, John, 448 Asian art, 3–16; conservatism of, 6; Bernstein, Mary, 643 exclusions from canonical narrative, 8; Bhandarkar, D.
    [Show full text]
  • 5. the Mauryan Empire/Sangam Age
    SSC-CGL CRACKER FOR GENERAL STUDIES 5. The Mauryan Empire/Sangam Age 1. Who among the following usurped the throne of Magadha in 14. Which of the following regions did not form the part of 322 B.C.? Ashoka’s empire? (a) Bindusara (b) Ashoka (a) Kashmir (b) Taxila (c) Chandragupta Maurya (d) Kanishka (c) Madras (d) Kannauj 2. Who is said to have conquered the land between Arabian Sea 15. The Ashokan inscription which gives an account of the and Bay of Bengal? Kalinga war and its effects is: (a) Kanishka (b) Bindusara (a) Gimar Rock Edict (b) Minor Rock Edict III (c) Vikramaditya (d) Ajatashatru (c) Minor Rock Edict IV (d) Minor Rock Edict XIII 3. Which of the following Mauryan emperors abdicated his 16. Sarnath’s Lion Capital is attributed to: throne and migrated to the south to live as Jain ascetic? (a) Kanishka (b) Harshavardhana (a) Chandragupta Maurya (b) Ashoka (c) Ashoka (d) Chandragupta (c) Bindusara (d) Dasaratha 17. Which of the following is not one of the animals carved on 4. Who among the following is considered as the first national the Sarnath pillar? ruler of India? (a) Elephant (b) Horse (a) Chandragupta Maurya (b) Ashoka (c) Deer (d) Humped bull (c) Chandragupta I (d) Kanishka 18. The term ‘Dhamma’ is: 5. Which one of the following rulers was known as (a) a Prakrit word (b) a Sanskrit word Amitraghata, the ‘destroyer of foes’? (c) a Pali word (d) none of the above (a) Chandragupta Maurya (b) Bindusara 19. Which of the following sites, where Ashokan pillars exist, (c) Kanishka (d) Samudragupta has the bull capital? 6.
    [Show full text]
  • ALLAHABAD PILLAR: Symbol of Enriching Cultural and Historical Glory of India – a Study
    Pramana Research Journal ISSN NO: 2249-2976 ALLAHABAD PILLAR: Symbol Of Enriching Cultural And Historical Glory Of India – A Study Anoop V.S. Ph.D. Research Scholar (Reg. No.18113161081006 ) Department of History & Research Centre, Scott Christian College (Autonomous), Nagercoil – 629 003. Affiliated to Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Abishekapatti, Tirunelveli – 627 012, Tamil Nadu, India Abstract The Allahabad Pillar inscription of Samudragupta is one of the important epigraphic sources for the study of the political history of the Imperial Guptas. It is written in excellent Sanskrit in the form of a panegyric. It popularly called as Allahabad Prasasti in the academic circles. Historians, both ancient and modern, have considered the historical value of Allahabad Prasasti. Allahabad Prasasti is inscribed with ornamental and literary Sanskrit, befitting the taste of the elite class of the time. The inscription is a panegyric praising Samudragupta and lists the political and military achievements of his reign including his expeditions to the south. It provides a unique snapshot of the Gupta Empire and its neighbours and is the source of much of what is known of the geopolitical landscape of that era. The Allahabad pillar inscription described the eulogy and Prasasti of a king, couched in the court language of the elite class and full of imperial attitude, reflecting the glory of the imperial Guptas. This paper is an attempt to examine the cultural and historical importance of Allahabad Pillar inscriptions. Key words: Pillar, Inscription, Archeology, Eulogy, Edicts, reconstruction Introduction Samudragupta court poet and minister Harisena composed the Allahabad pillar Inscription or Prayag Prasasti. The Pillar was an Asokan Pillar erected by Asoka six century before him.
    [Show full text]
  • ART. XXIX.—The Conquests of Samudra Gupta by VINCENT A
    859 ART. XXIX.—The Conquests of Samudra Gupta By VINCENT A. SMITH, M.B..A.S., Indian Civil Service. CONTENTS. PAGE. PREFATORY NOTE. Section I. General Observations 860 II. The Kings of the South 864 III. The Kings of the North 875 IV. The Frontier Kingdoms 877 V. The Frontier Tribes 882 VI. Foreign Powers 893 VII. Conclusion 909 PREFATORY NOTE. THE following dissertation is the second in my series of " Prolegomena to Ancient Indian History," of which the first was the essay entitled " The Iron Pillar of Delhi (MihraulT) and the Emperor Candra (Chandra) " published in this Journal in January, 1897. The article entitled " Samudra Gupta," published, in the same number of the Journal, gives in narrative form the history of the Emperor Samudra Gupta. The present paper is devoted to the detailed technical discussion of the authorities for the statements of that narrative. I may perhaps be pardoned for inviting attention to the proposed identification of King Acyuta; the justification of the reading Mahendragiri as a king's name; the probable identification of the kings Visnugopa and Hastivarman; the certain identification of the kingdom of Palakka; the suggested identifications of the kingdoms of Devarastra and Kustbalapura; the probable identification of King Candravarman; the location of the Abhlra tribe; and the attempted identification and differ- entiation of the Sahi, Sahanusahi, and Daivaputra kings. V. A. SMITH, August 23, 1897. Gorakhpur. Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. INSEAD, on 14 Sep 2018 at 16:27:51, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms.
    [Show full text]
  • The History and Development of Mauryan Brahnii Script Thesis
    The History and Development of Mauryan Brahnii Script Thesis submitted for the Degree of the Doctor of Philosophy at the University of London Qhandrika Singh Upasak The School of Oriental 1st June91959o and African Studies■ ProQuest Number: 10731524 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a com plete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. uest ProQuest 10731524 Published by ProQuest LLC(2017). Copyright of the Dissertation is held by the Author. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States C ode Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106- 1346 Page 1. Abstracts iii 2* Preface: iv 3. Abbreviations: vii 4° Chapter- I - Introduction: 1 5. Chapter- II- Origin and decipherment of Brahrni scriptf ~ 7 6o Chapter-Ill- Asokan Brahrni Script: 34 7. Chapter- IV- The Asokan Brahrni alphabet and system of writing: 46 8o Chapter-V- The Mauryan Inscriptions: 175 9o Chapter- VI- Other Inscriptions attributed To"The Mauryan p e r r o 234 10* Chapter-VII- Conclusmon: 259 11* Appendices: 262 12* Line-Chart of the Minor Rock Edict of Erragudi*374 13* Standard shape of Asokan Brahma: 375 14* Bibliography: 376 15* Photographs of the inscriptions: In the pocket ill ABSTRACT After giving a brief survey of the history of India till the rise of the Mauryas in the introduction of this wor we have discussed the origin of the Brahrni script in the nex chapter* In this chapter, besides a brief account of differ theories propounded by many scholars, we have endeavoured to put forward our own views where they differ from or go beyon those of earlier students® This chapter also presents a bri account of the decipherment of Brahma * The next chapter is mainly devoted to the special features noted in the Asokan Brahrni.
    [Show full text]
  • PAPER- I: Political History of Ancient India (C
    DEPARTMENT OF AIH & ARCHAEOLOGY UNIVERSITY OF LUCKNOW, LUCKNOW M. A. (CULTURE GROUP) SEMESTER- I PAPER- I: Political History of Ancient India (C. 600 B. C. - 184 B. C.) UNIT- I 1. Sixteen Mahajanapadas in the 6th century B.C. 2. Ten Republics in the 6th century B.C. 3. Rise of Magadha- I: The Bimbisarids UNIT- II 1. Rise of Magadha- II: The Saisunagas 2. Rise of Magadha- III: The Nandas 3. The Achaemanian invasion of India 4. The invasion of India by Alexander UNIT- III 1. The Mauryas- I: Origin, Chandragupta 2. The Mauryas- II: Bindusara 3. The Mauryas- III: Asoka- conquests extents of empire, foreign policy, estimate. UNIT- IV 1. The Mauryas- IV: The Dhamma of Asoka 2. The Mauryas- V: The decline 3. The Mauryas- VI: Administrative system and Asoka’s reforms PAPER- II: Ancient Indian Social Organisation UNIT- I 1. Origin and antiquity of Varna system 2. Development of Varna system 3. Origin and antiquity of Jati system 4. Development of Jati system UNIT- II 1. Ashrama system: a. Brahmacharya b. Grihasthashrama and its significance c. Vanaprastha d. Saônyasa 2. Purusharthas: a. Dharma b. Artha c. Kama d. Moksha The relevance of the concept of purusharthas in Hindu Social system UNIT- III 1. Education: a. Gurukul system of Education b. Centres of higher Education (Takshashila, Nalanda, Vikramashila) 2. Samskaras UNIT- IV 1. Forms of Marriage: a. prashasta b. aprashasta 1 2. Position of Women: a. in Vedic period b. in post-Vedic period PAPER- III: Ancient Indian Polity and Administration- I UNIT- I 1. Sources of Ancient Indian Polity 2.
    [Show full text]
  • The Mauryans
    THE MAURYANS Rise of the Mauryans to Justin, a Greek writer, he overthrew Nandas • Closeness to the source of natural resources like between 325-322 B.C. According to Plutarch, he met iron ores enabled the Magadhan princes to equip Alexander in Punjab and implicitly invited him to themselves with weapons. attack Nandas but offended him by his boldness of speech. • Agricultural tools of iron, which increased production and added to royal taxation alongwith • Chandragupta occupied Magadhan throne in 321 the alluvial soil of Gangatic plains and suffi cient B.C. with the help of Chanakya (Kautilya). rainfall which were very conducive for agricultural • He had allied with a Himalayan chief Parvartaka. practices. • He defeated Seleucus Nicator, then Alexander’s • Rise of towns and use of metallic money boosted governor in 305 B.C. who ceded to Chandragupta trade and commerce, which increased royal the three rich provinces of Kabul, KandaharY and revenue. Heart in return for 500 elephants. • Use of elephants on a large scale in its war supplied • Seleucus probably gave one of his daughters by the eastern part of the country added to the to Chandragupta and sent his ambassador, military power. Megasthenes to the Mauryan Court, who wrote • The unorthodox character of the Magadhan Society an account (Indica) not only of the administration as a result of racial admixture. of the city of Pataliputra but also of the entire Mauryan Empire. Historical Sources • The Greek writer Justin calls Chandragupta’s army • The history of Mauryas, unlike that of the earlier as a “Dacoits gang”. ruling houses, is rendered reliable by a variety • According to the Jain work Parishista-parvan, of evidences drawn from such sources as the Chandragupta converted to Jainism in the end years Buddhist and the Jain traditions; the Kalpasuta of of his life and went to south near Sravanbelgola Jains and the Jatakas, Dighanikaya, Dipavamsa and with his Guru Bhadrabahu.
    [Show full text]
  • 8 the Gupta Kingdom
    ISBN 978-92-3-103211-0 Origin and political history of the Guptas 8 THE GUPTA KINGDOM* K. Chakrabarti Contents Origin and political history of the Guptas ........................ 188 Social and economic conditions ............................. 193 Administration ..................................... 197 Religious life ...................................... 199 Literature ........................................ 201 Science ......................................... 202 Art and architecture ................................... 203 Origin and political history of the Guptas The political disintegration which followed the dissolution of the Kushan Empire continued up to the beginning of the fourth century. The Kushans still ruled over western Panjab, but they had ceased to exercise any authority further east. The Sakas ruled over Gujarat and a part of Malwa, but their power was also on the decline. The rest of northern India was divided into a number of small kingdoms and autonomous states. The origin of the Guptas is somewhat obscure. Many authorities on Gupta history believe that they came from Magadha or northern Bengal, which was the original nucleus of their empire. On the basis of the provenance of early Gupta coin hoards and the distri- bution of the important Gupta inscriptions, historians have now come to accept the lower Doab region as the original home of the Guptas. * See Map 4. 188 ISBN 978-92-3-103211-0 Origin and political history of the Guptas From the Allahabad pillar inscription of Samudragupta we learn that while the first two kings of the Gupta dynasty were merely mahar¯ aja¯ s, Chandragupta I (c. 319/320–c. 335 or c. 350), the son and successor of the second king, Ghatotkaca (c. 280–c. 319), assumed the title of mahar¯ ajadhir¯ aja¯ .
    [Show full text]