Chandravarman was a king of a small region of Pushkarana, in Bankura district of West Bengal. This kingdom had come to existence before the advent of the Guptas empire.
Chandravarman, son of king Simhavarman, had a few military conquests, to his credit. With this he expanded his empire towards Faridkot, however he got defeated by Samudragupta and his kingdom thereafter became a part of Gupta’s empire. This paved the way to Gupta suzerainty over Bengal.
Simhavarman was contemporary of Samudragupta. He had two sons namely Chandravarman and Naravarman. Chandravarman had vacated Malwa and established his kingdom in Pushkarana, while Naravarman remained the ruler in Malwa.
Naravarman had two sons namely Bandhu Varma and Bhim Varma.
Due increase of Gupta’s power, Bandhu varma had no choice but to accept subordination of Gupta rulers, while . Bhimvarma became a samant of Skandgupta.
Bhangupta Baladitya was ruler of Malwa. He helped Yashodharman in defeating and discouraging hun invasions.
Inscription number 66.
Susunia Rock Inscription of Maharaja Chandravarman. (340-60 A.D.)
Provenance: On the back wall of a ruined cave in susunia
hill, near Bankura, Bankura district, West Bengal.
Script: Iate Northern Brahmi of the 4th century A.D.
Language: Sanskrit.
References N. N. Basu, Bangiya Sahitya Parishad Patrika, III, pp-268ff,. Haraprasad Shastri, Ep.Ind.. XII,
pp.317 f, XIII, pp.133, K.N. Dikshit, Arch, surv.Ind, A.R. 1927-28, pp.188 f.
D.C. Sircar, sel.Inss,. I, pp-351-52.
The date, most probably, is in Gupta era of 320 A. D. Thus the charter may be dated in the year 552 AD.
Footnote-1.
1. From the facsimile in Ep.Ind. XIII, Plates A and B facing pp-133.
2. Ths king cannot be identified with Chandravarman, listed in Allahabad Pillar Inscription (Supra, II,5) among the kings of Aryavartta uprooted by Samudragupta, since neither
Pushkara in Rajasthan nor Pokharna on the Damodar river in West Bengal, with which the present Pushkarna,
is variously Identified, can be included in samudragupta’s Aryavartta, Chandra of Mehrauli Pillar Inscription. (Supra II,13) was too great to have called himself as merely a king of Pushkarana. (The last identification was suggested by H.P. Shastri, Ep.Ind, XII, pp.315 ff). Nor can we identify Simhavarman here with the Aulikara King, named in the Mandasor stone Inscription of Naravarman, (Supra, III, 28, L5.) Since Aulikara rule was confined to Malwa, except
during the brief effulgence under Yasodharman in the 6th century. A.D. Simhavarman and Chandravarman of the present record were, apparently local rulers in South East Bengal.
English Translation of the inscription.
This is the work of Maharaja Sri Chandravarman, the son of Maharaja Sri Simhavarman and the lord of
Pushkarana. Donated by the foremost slave (i.e. Maharaja Chandravarman) of the Chakra-weilding Lord (i.e. Vishnu).
Footnote 2.
1. Read दासाग्रेणातिसृष्टा: चक्रस्वामि =Vishnu, to whom possibly the cave constructed by Chandravarman was dedicated.
2. Most probably it is modern Pokharna on the Damodar river in the Bankura district of south-east Bengal.
Pushkara in Rajasthan is too far from the location of this inscription, to be the likely capital of this petty ruler.