Balasore Copper-Plate Inscription of Sri-Bhanu
By Haridas Mitra
Summary
This article describes the discovery of a copper‑plate inscription near Balasore in Orissa by a cultivator who melted most of the plates, leaving only one. The surviving plate is reproduced and its epigraphic features are analysed. It belongs to the eastern variety of the North‑Indian script; similarity to the script of the Sailodbhava dynasty of Orissa and the Licchavi and Abhira inscriptions is noted. The article includes a transliteration and translation of the text, which records a royal grant by Sri‑Bhanu, who belonged to the Bhauma lineage of Orissa. The charter records the donation of a village to a Brahmin and provides genealogical information about the Bhauma rulers. The text includes a genealogy of the Bhaumakara family, referencing kings like Sivakara Deva; the inscription is dated to the 8th century and indicates the extent of territory under Sri‑Bhanu’s control. The author discusses the language and style of the grant, noting that Sanskrit is used with a mixture of Prakrit forms. The article compares the Balasore plate with other copper plates like the Tekkali plate and emphasises the historical value for reconstructing Orissan history. It mentions that the destruction of other plates has deprived historians of valuable information.
Conclusion
This article offers a meticulous analysis of an 8th‑century copper‑plate charter discovered near Balasore. By transliterating and translating the text, the author identifies Sri‑Bhanu as a minor Bhauma ruler and reconstructs his genealogy. The epigraphic study highlights the eastern variety of the North‑Indian script and situates the plate within the broader Sailodbhava and Bhaumakara traditions. Although most plates were melted by the finder, the surviving document preserves a valuable record of land grants and administration in early medieval Orissa.