The Maharajas Svamidasa, Bhuluṇḍa and Rudradāsa

Summary

In his companion note 'The Maharajas Svamidasa, Bhuluṇḍa and Rudradāsa' Dines Chandra Sircar analyses three copper‑plate grants from the Indore region that shed light on obscure local rulers. The first grant, edited by R. C. Majumdar, belongs to Maharaja Svamidasa and is dated to the year 67 of an unspecified era; the second grant belongs to Maharaja Bhuluṇḍa and is dated to year 107; and the third belongs to Rudradāsa and is dated to year 117. Sircar compares the scripts and titles used in these grants, noting that the term ‘Maharaja’ is employed for minor rulers but that the overlords are styled ‘Paramabhattaraka’ and ‘Paramesvara’. He argues that Svamidasa, Bhuluṇḍa and Rudradāsa were independent monarchs or feudatories who ruled small territories near Khandesh in the fourth to fifth centuries A.D., possibly aligned with the Abhira or Kalachuri‑Cedi dynasties. By correlating dates with known historical events, Sircar proposes that their era may correspond to A.D. 316‑367. He observes that the inscription of Svamidasa resembles that of the Sanchi copper‑plate of Chandragupta II dated 93 of the Gupta era (412 A.D.), suggesting a similar timeframe. The article discusses the significance of these grants for understanding the political landscape of western India during the decline of the Western Satraps and the rise of the Gupta empire. Sircar concludes that while the three rulers carried the title ‘Maharaja’, they were likely regional chiefs who acknowledged the suzerainty of larger powers and performed the Asvamedha or other sacrifices to assert prestige. He calls for further discovery and study of local grants to clarify the history of Khandesh and adjacent regions.