King Durgaraja of the Sarabhapuriya Dynasty

Summary

In 'King Durgaraja of the Sarabhapuriya Dynasty', epigraphist Dines Chandra Sircar studies a copper‑plate grant of King Sudevaraja from the Sarabhapuriya line. Unlike other known grants of the dynasty which were issued from Sarabhapura, this inscription is dated in the month of Margasira of the seventh regnal year and was issued from Sripura (Sirpur). Sircar notes that the epigraph is dated nine months later than Sudeva’s Arang charter and that it is the only grant from Sripura. By analysing its wording, he concludes that the city of Sripura was probably founded by Sudevaraja himself, who shifted the capital from Sarabhapura to Sirpur. The grant mentions Sudeva’s father as ‘Sri‑Maha‑Durgaraja’, raising the question of whether Durgaraja was a distinct ruler. In other Sarabhapuriya grants, Sudeva’s father is called Manamatra, but the present record gives him the epithet ‘Durgaraja’, literally ‘king Durga’. Sircar hypothesises that Durgaraja was an alternative name for Manamatra or perhaps an earlier ruler of the family who had been confused with Manamatra. He discusses the political context: the Sarabhapuriya dynasty ruled the Dakshin Kosala region and was related to the Panduvamsi kings. The epigraph also refers to Sudeva performing a horse sacrifice and conquering enemies, indicating the dynastic ambition to emulate imperial models. Sircar suggests that the change in capital and the assumption of the title Durgaraja reflect a period of expansion and consolidation. He concludes that the study of this grant clarifies the chronology of the Sarabhapuriya line and emphasises the need to reassess the genealogy of its kings.