Indigenous Kings of Madhya Pradesh Uchchakalpa Family.
The Uchchhakalpa dynasty ruled north-eastern parts of Madhya Pradesh. Their capital was located at Uchchhakalpa, the present-day unchehara.
The earliest king of the dynasty was Oghadeva. He was succeeded by Kumaradeva, Jayasvamin, and Vyaghra. Jayanatha, the dynasty’s earliest king attested by his own inscriptions, was a son of king Vyaghra and queen Ajjhitadevi. Jayanatha was succeeded by Sarvanatha, who was his son from queen Murundasvamini.
The Uchchakalpa family was devotee of Bhagvatism. A village namely Dhavashandika, was granted by Maharaja Jayanatha for the
maintenance of the temple of Vishnu under the name Bhagavatas.
His son also gave patronage to Bhagavata cult. He gave the
Asramaka on the banks of river Tamasa for the maintenance of the temple of Vishnu. He also made grants for the maintenance of the temple of
Pishtapurika devi at different places and from his inscriptions it
becomes evident that the goddess Pishtapurikadevi was a popular
divinity in the kingdom of the Uchchakalpa assimilated in to the
fold of Vaisnavism by identification with Lakshmi. Maharaja Sarvanatha had also made grant for the temple of the Sun God near the river Tamasa. The temple of Surya also points to his worship as a deity after Vishnu and Lakshmi.
Inscription number 41.
Sohawal copper-plate Inscription of Maharaja Sarvanatha.
Gupta year 191. (=51 0-11 A.D.)
Provenance: Sohawal in Baghel-khand region of Madhya Pradesh.
Script: Brahmi of the Northern class.
Language: Sanskrit.
References: R.R. Halder, Ep.nd. XX,
pp.127-31.
Footnote-1.
1. Copper-plate charter is issued by sarvanatha in the years 193, 197 and 214 are also known. Kielhorn is inclined to refer them to Kalachuri era.
( See Ep.Ind.. V, Appendix, pp.55, c.337 and 392). But Bhumra stone Pillar inscription (CI.I. III, pp.110.) Supra III, 36. makes it clear that sarvanatha was a contemporary of the Parivrajaka Maharaja Hastin, whose inscriptions
are dated in Gupta era. Hence Halder refers the dates in Sarvanatha’ s charters to Gupta era.
Footnote-2.
1. From the facsimile in Ep.Ind. XIX.
2. Expressed by a symbol.
3. Though not correct grammatically उत्तरापधेय
seems to have been formed on the analogy of ग्रामेय.
Second plate first side haldar reads य इमा as य: रमा
English Translation of the inscription.
Om! Hail ! From uchchakalpa. There was the Maharaja 0ghadeva. His son who meditated on his feet was the Maharaja Kumaradeva, born of the chief queen, Kumaradevi. His son, who meditated on his feet, was the
Maharaja Jayasvamin, born of the chief Queen, Jaya-svamini.
His son who meditated on his feet was the Maharaja Vyaghra, born of the chief Queen Ramadevi. His son, who
meditated on his feet was the Maharaja Jayanatha born of the chief Queen Ajhitadevi. His son who meditated on his feet, the Maharaja Sarvanatha, born of the chief queen Murunda-devi, being in good health issues the following
command to the householders headed by the Brahmanas and all the artisans at the village of Vaisyavatakas.
Be it known to you that this village is granted by me, by this copper-plate charter, as an agrahara to
visakhadatta and sakti sons of Khathana, belonging to the
Utarapatha, (to be enjoyed by their sons, grandsons, great-grandsons and their progeny in perpectuity i.e. for as long a time, as the moon and the sun endure, with the udranga and the uparikara, and with the privilege that
it is not to be entered by the chatas and Bhatas, with the rights to taxes on ploughs, (but with the exception of
the right to punishment of thieves. Also I have approved that it is granted to these two brothers, according to the
terms stated above, in order to increase my own religious merit, for the purpose of repairs to whatever is worn out
or broken (in the temple) of Lord Karttikeya, established by
myself, as also for the maintenance of bali, charu, sattra, perfumes, incense, lamps and oil, Therefore, all of you
shall offer to these persons ( i.e, these two and their Successors) proper share, tribute, taxes gold etc, and shall
and listen and be obedient to their commands, And this grant shall
not be confiscated by kings to be born in our family, (but) should be confirmed and protected according as the time
requires; and should not collect the taxes and (other) dues, accruable by custom to the king. whosoever confiscates this grant, he shall be contaminated with the five great
sins and the minor sins. And Lord Vyasa the editor of the Vedas has said in the Mahabharata:-
(Here follow five of the customary benedictory and imprecatory verses)
This charter was written in the year, one hundred and ninety one, on the tenth day of the second month of Ashadha, by Manoratha, the senior Minister of Peace and war, the son of Bhogika Varahadinna and the grand son of the Bhogika, the Minister (amatya) Phalgudatta. The dutaka (is) the senior
army comander (Mahabaladhikrita) the Kshatriya sivagupta.
Moreover the dutaka, in the matter of bringing the order of remission of taxes on ploughs is the uparika Matri-siva,
where the boundaries (are) – in the north (are) pits (or a trench), while facing the east is the Karddandla river;
again on the south is a pit; again upto the turning, near the village Gavayanagartika, in front there is a low hill (kachchhaka) in the middle of the trench to the west of the village Dandapali, there is another south oriented trench.
Footnote
1. This seems to be the sense that was desired to be conveyed, although the wording of the text, as it is,
conveys the impression that the two donees in their turn were rededicating the grant, with the approval of
the king, to the temple, for the stated purposes. Abhyam should be read before atisrishtah.
2. The Officers, Manoratha and Sivagupta, also figure in
the khoh grant of sarvanatha (C.I.I. III, NO, 30 and infra, III,42.)