79
Manikiala Bronze Casket Inscription
Provenance: Menikiala,Rawalpindi District, Pakistan
( The Casket is now in British Museum)
Script: Kharoshthi
Language: Prakrit
References: Cunningham, J.A.S.B
Vol XXIII for 1845, pp-432, Vol. XXIII, for 1854. pp-699. Pl.XXV, fig. 24: Dowson. J.R.A.S, Vol-XX for 1863.
pp- 244 ff, A.S.I.R Vol III for 1873,
pp 160 ff: Pargiter: Ep. Ind. XII. PP 299 ff, Sten Konow C.I.I Vol.II. Pt. I, pp150 ff, Senart J.A Serie VIII Vol-XV, 1890
pp134, Series IX, Vol-VII, 1896, p-21,
SBAW 1916, p- 798; Ep. Ind – XIV, pp.287, Majumdar list number XXXVII.
The Casket contained a gold cylindrical box, within which were a gold coin of Huvishka, another minute gold coin and a plain disc of silver bearing a
brief Kharoshthi inscription.
Text
कविशिज क्षत्रपस ग =ग्र ण व्हयक – क्षत्रय -पुत्रस्य दानमुखो
संस्कृत छाया
कापिशक-क्षत्रपस्य गण-व्ह्र्यक-क्षत्रय -पुत्रस्य दानमुखम् ।।
English Translation of the inscription
Gift of the kapisaka Kshatrapa, the son of Kshatrapa. G(r) anavhryaka.
80. Isapur Yupa Inscription of the time of Vasishka, Saka Year 24 (= AD. 102)
Provenance; Isapur, near Mathura, (Uttara Pradesh)
Script: Brahmi
Language: Sanskrit
References: J. Ph. Vogel, A.S.R, 1910-11, pp. 40 ff D.C. Sircar,
Sel.Inss, I, pp-151-52, Number 47 A,
1. From the facsimile in C.I.I, II, Pt. 1,
Cunningnam: स्वति शिरी and then स्वतिशिव
&. E Thomas and Dowson कविशिव
Senart स्वरशिव
Pargiter कवो शिआ or कविशिआ
3 Cunninghan: फुक
Dowson फूकक
4. Kapishaka may be the proper name of the Kshatrapa ór it may be an adjective from Kapisi, meáning ‘of the Kshatrapa of Kapisi. The town of Kapisi or Kapisa, stood just south of the Hindu Kush on the confuence of the Panjshir and
Ghorband rivers and was the capital of the province of Kapisa (See M. V. D. Mohan North West India Page 2)
English Translation of the Inscription
Success in the regnal year twenty four-24 of Maharaja Rajatiraja Devaputra shahi Vasishka in the fourth-4 month of summer on the thirtieth–30th-day. On this aforesaid
date by Dronala, the son of Rudrila and a Brahmana of Bharadvaja lineage (gotra) and a student of Samaveda after having Performed the Duvadesha-ratra (Twelve-night) sacrifice,
this sacrificial pillar was established. Let the fires be pleased (propitiated)
It is pertinent to mention here that the country of Uttarāpatha received its name from Uttara-patha or the Northern Highway that spanned it
from end to end. This busy trade route sprang up in the famous port of Tamralipti off the Bay of Bengal, and
Saketa, passed through the ancient cities of Pațaliputra, Saketa,
Kausambi, Mathurä, Indraprastha (Delhi),Rohitaka,
Prithüdaka (Pehova), Sunetra (near Ludhiana), Jalandhara,
Sakala and Takshila. At Udbhandapura (mod. Ohind), about four miles above the confluence of the Indus with
the Kubha (Kabul), it crossed the former by a pontoon bridge. Thence taking a north-westerly course upstream alongside the Kubhă, it passed through the city of Pushalavati (mod. Charsadda). Leaving Cophen (Kabul ) slightly to the west, it touched Nikaea and reached Kapiśi (Kapisa)
The last city stood near the place where the Ghorband and the Panjshir unite their waters to become the Kabul river.
The village of Begram now stands on this spot. At Kapiśi (Kapisa) the road forked out into two branches. One
went up the Kushan Pass and the other ran upstream along the Panjshir till near the source of the river it climbed the Khawak Pass, Having crossed the Hindu Koh over these two Passes, both of them descended into the city of Vahlika or Bactria. From Kāpiśi, another route branched off along the Ghorband towards Bamian, Herat and Merv.
Bactra was junction of several trades.
Citation requested
For
Sanskrit, Hindi & English Translation of the ancient Inscriptions by Dr Mehta Vasishtha Dev Mohan –
Citation requested
Kindly Visit
http://ancientindia.co.in/research-papers/
Research scholars of religious and political history of India are requested to give due Citation to this research work.
They may download the material from
following link:-
https://archive.org/details/@alok1954
