A Hoard of Jaina Bronze Image Inscriptions from Charkhi Dadri, Haryana Vivek Dangi1 and S. Krishnamurthy2 1. Department of History, All India Jat Heroes’ Memorial College, Rohtak, Haryana - 124 001, India (Email: [email protected]) 2. Archaeological Survey of India, Mysuru, Karnataka – 570 017, India (Email: [email protected]) Received: 14 July 2019; Revised: 29 August 2019; Accepted: 03 October 2019 Heritage: Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies in Archaeology 7 (2019): 314-323 Abstract: Inscriptions form the most reliable source for the reconstruction of history. In the present paper the authors have discussed nine inscriptions, which were carved on the back side of the bronze images of Jaina Tirthankara. These inscriptions have its own importance because these are the only inscribed bronze images belonging to Jainism so far discovered in the region. Although two of the Hansi hoard images are inscribed with few words only. All these bronzes belong to the Medieval period (12th - 13th Century A.D.). During this period massive socio-political change took place in the region and these inscriptions can throw light on the various aspects of history of that time. Keywords: Jaina, Tirthankara, Bronzes, Charkhi Dadri, Naragi, Haryana, Samvat Introduction Jainism is a religion of hoary past and it played an important role in the history of Haryana. The contributors of Jainism are apparent in all aspects of cultural heritage of Haryana which abounds in Jaina antiquities. Even though numerous beautiful sculptures, architectural fragments, bronzes, etc., which tell us about the importance of Jainism in Haryana are found from many places, inscriptions related to Jainism are rare. About 28 sites (Table 1 and Figure 1) have yielded archaeological remains of Jainism in Haryana (Dangi 2017). The earliest archaeological evidence of the Jainism in Haryana comes from Hansi in the form of a hoard of bronze images containing fifty two figures of Jaina Tirthankara. Two among them bear inscriptions (Handa 2002: Pl 19b and Pl. 20b) datable to circa 8th century A.D. Datable almost to a century later (dated Samvat 918 = 861 A.D.) is the stone image of Jaina Tirthankara from Jind, presently preserved in Sri Krishna Museum, Kurukshetra (ARIEP B 37 of 1980) also bears an five lines inscription (Agrawal 2001. No. 3). Recently one inscription of the period of Mughal emperor Akbar, dated Samvat 1650 (1593 A.D.) was found from Baund Kalan, District Bhiwani (Dangi and Parshad 2014:359-367). The bronze images recovered from Kasan (Dangi 2017:316) are inscribed but unfortunately we were not allowed to document them. Dangi and Krishnamurthy 2019: 314-323 Table 1: Sites Yielding Jaina Vestiges in Haryana Sr. No. Village District Latitude Longitude 1 Agroha Hisar 29°19'56.94"N 75°37'9.62"E 2 Ahrwan Faridabad 28° 6'27.33"N 77°15'20.74"E 3 Asthal Bohar Majra Rohtak 28°51'54.77"N 76°38' 07.28"E 4 Ata Gurgoan 28°13'3.78"N 77° 4'59.45"E 5 Badli Jhajjar 28°34'19.59"N 76°48'36.72"E 6 Banchari Faridabad 27°56'1.71"N 77°21'4.97"E 7 Bari Kohori Ambala 30°30'25.81"N 77° 4'24.82"E 8 Baund Kalan Bhiwani 28°46'42.85"N 76°20'28.25"E 9 Bhatla Hisar 29°10'25.45"N 75°55'41.21"E 10 Bhond Nuh 27°46'53.99"N 76°55'8.09"E 11 Binwa Nuh 28° 7'56.77"N 76°58'54.57"E 12 Charkhi Dadri Bhiwani 28° 36' 00.02" N 76° 16' 00.13" E 13 Hansi Hisar 29° 06' 19.68" N 75° 57' 49.48" E 14 Jind Jind 29° 18' 59.96" N 76° 19' 00.23" E 15 Kasan Gurgoan 28°21'21.64"N 76°53'59.96"E 16 Khokhrakot Rohtak 28° 54' 45.33" N 76° 34' 36.24" E 17 Kira Nuh 28° 7'25.18"N 77° 7'3.07"E 18 Kuwari Hissar 28°58'34.33"N 75°49'4.36"E 19 Mohanbari Jhajjar 28°28'42.89"N 76°23'25.99"E 20 Narnaul Mahendragargh 28° 02' 24.63" N 76° 06' 36.10" E 21 Pinjore Panchkula 30° 47' 49.87" N 76° 55' 01.90" E 22 Ranila Bhiwani 28° 41' 41.0" N 76° 22' 52.6" E 23 Ratpur Panchkula 30° 49' 21.83"N 76° 54' 58.19"E 24 Rewari Rewari 28° 11' 17.20" N 76° 36' 41.55" E 25 Sikanderpur Sirsa 29°32'41.55"N 75° 6'54.02"E 26 Surehli Rewari 28°22'56.07"N 76°25'49.05"E 27 Thanesar Kurukshetra 29°58'35.74"N 76°49'33.75"E 28 Tosham Bhiwani 28°52'17.53"N 75°54'39.54"E Table 2: Break-up of Charkhi Dadri Bronzes Sl. No. Name of Deity Number of Specimens 1 Adinatha 02 2 Mallinatha 02 3 Chandraprabha 01 4 Parsvanatha 08 5 Munisuvrata 01 6 Unidentified 01 7 Total 15 In this background, the present study of a hoard of fifteen inscribed bronze images found from Charkhi Dadri (Table 2), the district headquarters in Haryana, dated 315 ISSN 2347 – 5463 Heritage: Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies in Archaeology 7: 2019 variously between 11th - 13th century A.D makes an interesting study. The inscriptions on it remained unpublished. These bronzes were recovered by Sri Atter Singh Sheoran, a Member of the Legislative Assembly from Badhra, district Bhiwani, Haryana, during the 1970’s. He donated them to the Department of Archaeology and Museums, Haryana. Most of the bronzes from Charkhi Dadri were inscribed but the inscriptions on only nine of them are legible and the remaining six are rusted badly and only traces of inscription is visible making it difficult to decipher. The details of the inscriptions are given in following paragraphs. Figure 1: Map Showing Jain Sites in Haryana Image 1 (Figure 2.1; Figure 3): This inscription, written in Sanskrit language and Nagari characters, records that on the 4th day (weekday is mentioned as Wednesday) of the bright fortnight of Phalguna in Samvat 1274 (1217 A.D.), this image of Parsvanatha, was installed by Dayavarasuri, a disciple of Manadevasuri, for the merit of Yasadhara belonging to Nandi-gana. Image 2 (Figure 2.2; Figure 4): This inscription written in Sanskrit language and Nagari characters is partly illegible. It seems to record the donation or installation of the image on the 7th day of the dark fortnight by a lay disciple of Rishabhanatha tirthankara. Other details are lost. 316 Dangi and Krishnamurthy 2019: 314-323 Figure 2: Text of the inscriptions Image 3 (Figure 2.3; Figure 5): This inscription, written in Sanskrit language and Nagari characters, records that in Samvat 1183 (1126 A.D.), [this image] was donated by certain Dira, for the merit of an individual (name not clear) belonging to Vahediya- gachha. Image 4 (Figure 2.4; Figure 6): This inscription, written in Sanskrit language and Nagari characters is partly illegible. It records that in Samvat 1211 (1154 A.D.), this image was donated. Other details are lost. Image 5 (Figure 2.5; Figure 7): This inscription, written in Sanskrit language (corrupt) and Nagari characters seems to be incomplete. It records that on the 13th day of the dark fortnight of Jyeshtha in Samvat 1155 (1098 A.D.), this image [installed] for the merit of a female lay disciple (Sravika). 317 ISSN 2347 – 5463 Heritage: Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies in Archaeology 7: 2019 Figure 3: Image 1 Figure 4: Image 2 Figure 5: Image 3 Figure 6: Image 4 318 Dangi and Krishnamurthy 2019: 314-323 Figure 7: Image 5 Figure 8: Image 6 Figure 9: Image 7 Figure 10: Image 8 319 ISSN 2347 – 5463 Heritage: Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies in Archaeology 7: 2019 Figure 11: Image 9 320 Dangi and Krishnamurthy 2019: 314-323 Image 6 (Figure 2.6; Figure 8): This inscription, written in Sanskrit language (corrupt) and Nagari characters records that in Samvat 1274 (1217 A.D.), this image [was donated] by a person named Savarnaratna, for the merit of Dehasuri belonging to Saderaka-gachha. Image 7 (Figure 2.7; Figure 9): This inscription, written in Sanskrit language and Nagari characters, records that the image of Parsvanatha, made by certain person named Srinata, was donated by Madra, for the merit of his father Mativahini, a cloth- merchant belonging to Sri Anandada-jnati. The image was installed by a certain person (name lost), who was a disciple of Vardhamanasuri on the 10th day (weekday is mentioned as Sunday) of the dark fortnight of Phalguna in Samvat 1323 (1266 A.D.). Image 8 (Figure 2.8; Figure 10): This inscription written in Sanskrit language and Nagari characters, records that on the 5th day of the dark fortnight in Samvat 1198 (1141 A.D.), [the image] was donated by certain person named Halasri and offered his obeisance to the deity. The second line of the inscription is damaged in the beginning. Image 9 (Figure 2.9; Figure 11): Records that [the image] was caused to be made and [donated] for the merit of Viraka belonging to Vrihamana gachha and can be dated to Samvat 1201 (1144 A.D.) Discussion In Haryana, in spite of the recovery of hundreds of sculptures belonging to Jaina faith, so far not even a single ancient Jaina temple has been reported (Devi 1978; Kumar 1978; Singh 2003; Handa 2006; Dangi 2017). This clearly indicates that there were many Jaina temples in the region, but all got plundered and destroyed by the invaders in the medieval period.