A Newly Discovered Inscription of Maharana Tejasimha of Mewar
By Ratna Chandra Agrawala
Summary
A Newly Discovered Inscription of Maharana Tejasimha of Mewar reports on an inscription found on a mediaeval religious structure near Gudela Tank, close to Udaipur. The author describes the monument—a group of three shrines dedicated to Hari, Hara and Brahmā—and notes an earlier inscription from the twelfth century referencing Prince Dullabh. The new inscription is engraved on a slab between the Hari and Hara chapels and records a grant of barley from villages Gudahi and Makadathala to the deity Tripurushadeva. It dates the grant to the fifth day of the dark half of Sravana in Vikrama Samvat 1317, during the reign of Maharana Tejasimha, with the chief minister Prasenadhara overseeing administration. The article provides a transliteration of the eight‑line Sanskrit text, explains local words such as khaliddana (granary) and mudi (measure of barley), and comments on scribal irregularities caused by moss on the stone. The author discusses the historical implications: previously only two inscriptions of Tejasimha were known, from 1322 and 1324, so this earlier record may push back the start of his reign to at least 1317 or even earlier. The mention of a crown prince Dulabaraja in the twelfth‑century context suggests dynastic continuity and helps align temple construction with political events. The article concludes that further epigraphic discoveries may clarify the chronology of Mewar’s rulers and that local guides like Nathu Lal Vyas are invaluable in locating such monuments.
Conclusion
The discovery of the Gudela Tank inscription provides the earliest dated record of Maharana Tejasimha and sheds light on the administrative and religious life of fourteenth‑century Mewar. By documenting barley grants and naming officials, it enriches the epigraphic corpus and suggests that Tejasimha’s reign may have begun earlier than previously thought. Continued fieldwork in rural Rajasthan promises to refine the region’s chronology.