A New Pillar Inscription from Mandasor
By Sadhu Ram
Summary
This short report publishes a newly discovered pillar inscription from Mandasor in Madhya Pradesh. Inscribed on a square stone pillar, the record is broken at both ends but preserves about eleven lines of Sanskrit verse. The surviving text praises a king called **Viṣṇuvardhana**, who is described as performing meritorious works such as digging tanks and erecting pavilions for the benefit of towns and villages. The inscription uses Gupta‑era Brāhmī script, and palaeographic analysis assigns it to the 5th or early 6th century A.D. Sadhu Ram, the editor, provides a diplomatic transcript and notes that certain letters are doubled even before consonants, a characteristic of late Gupta inscriptions. He also comments on unusual grammatical forms and suggests possible restorations for the lacunae. The article concludes that the epithet **Rājavardhana** found in other Mandasor records may refer to the same dynasty and that the title **Gupta** attached to Viṣṇuvardhana implies a connection with the imperial Guptas or their feudatories.
Conclusion
The Mandasor pillar inscription adds a new data point for reconstructing the political landscape of western Malwa in the fifth and sixth centuries. Although fragmentary, its reference to Viṣṇuvardhana and the use of Gupta script suggest ties between local rulers and the wider Gupta ecumene. Publishing and analysing such small records gradually fills gaps in regional histories and underscores the importance of epigraphy for early Indian chronology.