Epigraphic evidence for the year of the Mahābhārata war (Part 2 of Dating Mahābhārata) DOCX

Title	Epigraphic evidence for the year of the Mahābhārata war (Part 2 of Dating Mahābhārata)
Author	Jayasree Saranathan
Pages	19
File Size	2.4 MB
File Type	DOCX
Total Downloads	53
Total Views	834

Summary

Inscriptions play a vital role in the re-construction of the past, as they are contemporaneous to the time they were made. In the Indian context “the inscription clears the myth related to ancient history of India as it is regarded authentic than other sources” according J. J. Fleet.1 Kali Yuga star...

Description

Inscriptions play a vital role in the re-construction of the past, as they are contemporaneous to the time they were made. In the Indian context "the inscription clears the myth related to ancient history of India as it is regarded authentic than other sources" according J. J. Fleet.1 Kali Yuga starting at 3101 BCE is the one and only date repeatedly authenticated by many inscriptions, majority of them from South India. The continuity of indigenous dynasties and the relative calm experienced in South India had enabled the preservation of thousands of inscriptions, of which 60,000 are found in Tamilnadu alone, according to Dr. R. Nagaswamy, the leading historian and epigraphist.2 According to him, "From administration to education and judiciary, everything in this land is documented," until the country was taken over by the East India Company. Until 1750 CE, there was continuous documentation of financial activities including donations made by individuals, inscribed on stones or metals or palm leafs. Of these palm leafs were re-written every 300 to 400 years, due to wear and tear. Even women were engaged in replicating palm leaf manuscripts in times of need.3 Writing style might have changed with time but the original content was not changed. Stones or metals were preferred for recording the transactions involving money, land and gift. At times the inscribed metal plates had undergone wear and tear with the vagaries of time. In some cases they might have been lost. Sometimes the possession of the land granted by a king might have undergone changes after many generations, requiring the re-drawing of the boundaries by the king of that time. In all these occasions the dāna-patra-s were replaced without fail since most of these inscriptions were land deeds or about donated lands (dāna patra) with or without tax exemptions on the produce. They were rewritten under the authority of the king of the day by the royal officer and the witnesses as per the procedures laid down by the Dharma Sāstras. Writing on this Dr. R. Nagaswamy points out that the purpose of re-writing the dāna-patra is also inscribed in the same plate as "Lekhya suddhi" for correcting defects in writing or "nasa dosha nirakartum" for replacement of a lost dāna-patra. In the case of continuous possession beyond human memory, mere possession is recognized as a mode of proof by Dharma Sāstras.4 The re- defining of the boundaries is done in a new dāna- patra by retaining the original details of the gift. The writing style and the boundary names are likely to be of recent origin in such cases. This probability is quite high in the dāna-patra written 5000 years ago, say, in the inscriptions ascribed to Janamejaya, the great grandson of Arjuna – if possession or enjoyment of the donated land (bhukti) had continued with the descendants of the original recipients. 1 Agnik Bhatacharya, "Inscriptins – A Majir Siurce if Early Indian Histiry" htps://wwwaacadeiiaaedu/8w08ww8w688w/IipirtanceoifoInscriptins 2 "Inscriptins in the spitlight" 5he Hindu, June 068, 201wa htps://wwwathehinduacii/siciety/histiryaanda culture/inscriptinsainatheaspitlight/artcle27552037aece 3 "Vedic Link" 5he Hindu, March 05, 2010 htps://wwwathehinduacii/arts/theaeedicalink/artcle168510701aece1 4 DraRaNagaswaiy, "New Light in Cieil Justce in the Pandya Periid" htp://taiilartsacadeiyacii/artcles/artcle07amil...