Impact of Vedic Culture on Society
by Kaushik Acharya | 2020 | 120,081 words
This page relates 鈥楥hart: Religious beliefs of the Kings who ruled in Northern India鈥� of the study on the Impact of Vedic Culture on Society as Reflected in Select Sanskrit Inscriptions found in Northern India (4th Century CE to 12th Century CE). These pages discuss the ancient Indian tradition of Dana (making gifts, donation). They further study the migration, rituals and religious activities of Brahmanas and reveal how kings of northern India granted lands for the purpose of austerities and Vedic education.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
Chart: Religious beliefs of the Kings who ruled in Northern India
The following dynasty-wise chronological chart refers to the religious beliefs of the kings who ruled in northern India in the early and early middle ages and the general religious beliefs of the respective dynasties, which evidenced from the inscriptions and related studies.
| Information about the Dynasty | King / Queen | Religious Epithet |
| Gupta | ||
| Mostly they adopted the vai峁ａ箛avite epithet Parama- 叠丑腻驳补惫补迟补 in their inscriptions but also tolerant towards other religions . 碍耻尘腻谤补驳耻辫迟补 I was a great devotee of 惭补丑腻诲别惫补 . | Samudragupta | Parama-叠丑腻驳补惫补迟补[1] |
| Chandragupta II | Parama-叠丑腻驳补惫补迟补[2] | |
| 碍耻尘腻谤补驳耻辫迟补 I | 笔补谤补尘补-惭腻丑别艣惫补谤补 | |
| Skandagupta | Parama-叠丑腻驳补惫补迟补[3] | |
| 艢补谤补产丑补辫耻谤补 | ||
| 艢arabhapuriyas adopted the vai峁ａ箛avite epithet Parama- 叠丑腻驳补惫补迟补 in their inscriptions. | 搁腻丑耻诲腻惫补/Narendra | Parama-叠丑腻驳补惫补迟补[4] |
| 厂耻诲别惫补谤腻箩补 | Parama-叠丑腻驳补惫补迟补[5] | |
| 痴腻办腻峁璦办补 | ||
| Mostly they adopted the vai峁ａ箛avite epithet. | Rudrasena I | Atyanta- 厂惫补尘颈尘补丑腻产丑补颈谤补惫补产丑补办迟补[6] |
| Queen 笔谤补产丑腻惫补迟墨驳耻辫迟补 | 础迟测补苍迟补-叠丑腻驳补惫补诲产丑补办迟腻, 叠丑腻驳补惫补迟辫补诲补苍耻诲丑补测迟补[7] | |
| Maitrakas of Valabh墨 | ||
| The Maitraka were mostly followers of the 艢颈惫补 but also tolerant of other religions. Kharagraha I and Dh膩r膩sena III Both the Maitraka kings were not using any title except 艢谤颈. | Dhruvasena I | Parama-叠丑腻驳补惫补迟补[8] |
| 骋奴丑补蝉别苍补 | Parama-惭腻丑别艣惫补谤补 笔补谤补尘补-鲍辫腻蝉补办补[9] | |
| 顿丑腻谤补辫补迟迟补 | Parama-膧诲颈迟测补产丑补办迟补[10] | |
| Dh膩r膩sena II | 笔补谤补尘补-惭腻丑别艣惫补谤补[11] | |
| 艢颈濒腻诲颈迟测补 I | 笔补谤补尘补-惭腻丑别艣惫补谤补[12] | |
| Kharagraha I | 笔补谤补尘补-惭腻丑别艣惫补谤补[13] | |
| Dhruvasena II-B膩l膩ditya | 笔补谤补尘补-惭腻丑别艣惫补谤补[14] | |
| Dh膩rasena IV | 笔补谤补尘补-惭腻丑别艣惫补谤补[15] | |
| Dhruvasena III | 笔补谤补尘补-惭腻丑别艣惫补谤补[16] | |
| Kharagraha II | 笔补谤补尘补-惭腻丑别艣惫补谤补[17] | |
| 艢颈濒腻诲颈迟测补 II | 笔补谤补尘补-惭腻丑别艣惫补谤补[18] | |
| 艢颈濒腻诲颈迟测补 III | 笔补谤补尘补-惭腻丑别艣惫补谤补[19] | |
| 骋腻谤耻濒腻办补 | ||
| The kings of this dynasty were Parama-叠丑腻驳补惫补迟补. | 厂颈峁僪腻诲颈迟测补 | Parama-叠丑腻驳补惫补迟补[20] |
| Maukhari | ||
| Maukharis were worshipers of 艢颈惫补. | 厂奴谤测补varman / I艣膩navarman | 笔补谤补尘补-惭腻丑别艣惫补谤补[21] |
| 碍补峁弓腻肠肠耻谤颈 | ||
| The kings of this dynasty were 笔补谤补尘补-惭腻丑别艣惫补谤补. | 罢补谤补濒补蝉惫腻尘颈苍 | 惭腻丑别艣惫补谤补[22] |
| 叠耻诲诲丑补谤腻箩腻 | 笔补谤补尘补-惭腻丑别艣惫补谤补[23] | |
| P膩峁囜笉uva峁兣沬 [P膩峁囜笉uva峁兣浤�?] | ||
| P膩峁囜笉uva峁兣沬 kings generally followed Brahmanical traditions, although they were also tolerant towards Buddhism. | Tivaradeva | 笔补谤补尘补-痴补颈峁ａ箛补惫补[24] |
| N膩nnar膩j膩 I | 笔补谤补尘补-惭腻丑别艣惫补谤补[25] | |
| The Mudgalas of Dak峁峁嘺 To峁Ｄ乴a | ||
| The kings of this dynasty followed Brahmanical traditions. | 艢颈惫补r膩ja | Parama-惭腻丑别艣惫补谤补[26] |
| 艢补尘产丑奴测补蝉补 | Parama-膧诲颈迟测补产丑补办迟补[27] | |
| The Pu峁abh奴tis | ||
| Pu峁abh奴ti dynasty was mainly 艢aivite and worshiper of 膧诲颈迟测补 (the Sun God) but later patronized to Buddhism. | 笔谤补产丑腻办补谤补惫补谤诲丑补苍补 | Parama-膧诲颈迟测补产丑补办迟补 |
| Rajyavardhana I | Parama-膧诲颈迟测补产丑补办迟补 | |
| 膧诲颈迟测补vardhana | Parama-膧诲颈迟测补产丑补办迟补 | |
| 艢谤墨-贬补谤峁 | 笔补谤补尘补-惭腻丑别艣惫补谤补, 贬补谤峁 became a devout Buddhist afterward[28] |
|
| Early Gurjara | ||
| The rulers of the Early Gurjara dynasty till D膩dd膩 III were worshipers of 厂奴谤测补 (the Sun-God), but after D膩dd膩 III, they are identified as 艣补颈惫补. | D膩dd膩 II | Parama-膧诲颈迟测补产丑补办迟补[29] |
| D膩dd膩 III | Parama-膧诲颈迟测补产丑补办迟补[30] | |
| 搁腻峁ａ弓谤补办奴峁璦 | ||
| 搁腻峁ａ弓谤补办奴峁璦s may have been initially 艢aivites and embraced 痴补颈峁ａ箛补惫颈蝉尘 later. The 搁腻峁ａ弓谤补办奴峁璦 rulers 础尘辞驳丑补惫补谤峁 I , Indra III , 碍峁涐梗峁嘺 II, and Indra IV patronized Jainism. | 狈腻苍苍补谤腻箩补 | 笔补谤补尘补-惭腻丑别艣惫补谤补[31] |
| 碍峁涐梗峁嘺 I | 笔补谤补尘补-惭腻丑别艣惫补谤补[32] | |
| Indra III | Parama-惭腻丑别艣惫补谤补[33] | |
| 艢补颈濒辞诲产丑补惫补 | ||
| The kings of this dynasty were mostly 笔补谤补尘补-惭腻丑别艣惫补谤补. | 惭腻诲丑补惫补惫补谤尘补苍 II | 笔补谤补尘补-惭腻丑别艣惫补谤补[34] |
| 惭腻诲丑补惫补惫补谤尘补苍 | 笔补谤补尘补-惭腻丑别艣惫补谤补[35] | |
| 惭腻诲丑补惫补谤腻箩补 II | Parama-叠谤腻丑尘补峁噛补[36] | |
| 颁腻濒耻办测补 | ||
| During their rule, Jainism developed in the Deccan. However, there is no information about Buddhism during the early period of this dynasty. There arrived the 叠丑腻驳补惫补迟补 and 笔补艣耻辫补迟颈 (艢颈惫补) creeds. In honor of the triad of 叠谤补丑尘腻, 痴颈峁ａ箛耻, and 惭补丑别艣惫补谤补, temples were built up | 痴颈箩补测补谤腻箩补 | 笔补谤补尘补-惭腻丑别艣惫补谤补[37] |
| 驰耻惫补谤腻箩补 艢rey膩艣raya-艢r墨艢颈濒腻诲颈迟测补 | 笔补谤补尘补-惭腻丑别艣惫补谤补, Parama-痴补颈峁ａ箛补惫补[38] | |
| 笔耻濒补办别蝉颈谤腻箩补 | 笔补谤补尘补-惭腻丑别艣惫补谤补 and others[39] | |
| Guhila | ||
| The kings of this dynasty were mostly 艢aivite . | 叠丑腻惫颈丑颈迟补 | 笔补谤补尘补-惭腻丑别艣惫补谤补[40] |
| 颁腻丑补尘腻苍补 | ||
| The Hansot inscription describes that the family was devoted to 惭补丑别艣惫补谤补. | 叠丑补谤迟峁泇补岣嶀笉丑补 | 笔补谤补尘补-惭腻丑别艣惫补谤补[41] |
| 厂颈峁僪补谤腻箩补 | 惭补丑别艣惫补谤补[42] | |
| 骋耻谤箩补谤补-笔谤补迟颈丑腻谤补 | ||
| 笔谤补迟颈丑腻谤补 kings were followers of Brahmanism. | 搁腻尘补产丑补诲谤补 | Parama-膧诲颈迟测补产丑补办迟补[43] |
| 痴颈苍腻测补办补辫腻濒补 | Parama-膧诲颈迟测补产丑补办迟补[44] | |
| Bhojadeva | 础诲颈惫补谤腻丑补[45] | |
| 笔腻濒补 | ||
| They were mainly patronized to Buddhism. | 顿别惫补辫补濒腻诲别惫补 | Parama-Saugata[46] |
| 笔补谤补尘腻谤补 | ||
| Most of the 笔补谤补尘腻谤补 kings were 艢aivite s and built several 艢颈惫补 temples in different places, although they also patronized Jain scholars. | 痴腻办辫补迟颈谤腻箩补 | 笔补谤补尘补-产丑补迟迟腻谤补办补, 惭补丑腻raj膩dhir膩j膩, 惭补丑别艣惫补谤补, 笔补谤补尘别艣惫补谤补[47] |
| Bhauma-kara | ||
| The records says mostly the early rulers of this dynasty followed Buddhism, and later rulers mostly followed 艢补颈惫颈蝉尘 and 痴补颈峁ａ箛补惫颈蝉尘. However, they were much tolerant of other religions. | 艢墨惫腻办补谤补诲别惫补 | Parama-Saugata |
| Subh膩karadeva I | Saugatasraya Parama-Saugata[48] | |
| Subh膩karadeva II | Parama-Saugata[49] | |
| 痴补办耻濒补尘补丑腻诲别惫墨 | Parama-惭腻丑别艣惫补谤墨[50] | |
| Queen Tribh奴vana尘补丑腻诲别惫墨 | Parama-痴补颈峁ａ箛补惫墨[51] | |
| Subh膩kara IV | Devotee of Hari[52] | |
| Queen 笔峁泃丑惫颈-尘补丑腻诲别惫墨 | Parama-痴补颈峁ａ箛补惫墨[53] | |
| Subh膩kara III | 笔补谤补尘补-惭腻丑别艣惫补谤补[54] | |
| Subh膩kara IV | 笔补谤补尘补-惭腻丑别艣惫补谤补[55] | |
| Queen Dan岣峣-尘补丑腻诲别惫墨 | Parama-惭腻丑别艣惫补谤墨[56] | |
| Somava峁兣沬 [Somava峁兣浤�?] | ||
| Their personal faith was mainly on 艢补颈惫颈蝉尘 and 痴补颈峁ａ箛补惫颈蝉尘. | 罢墨惫腻谤腻诲别惫补 | 笔补谤补尘补-痴补颈峁ａ箛补惫补[57] |
| 狈腻苍苍补谤腻箩补 II | 笔补谤补尘补-痴补颈峁ａ箛补惫补[58] | |
| 惭补丑腻艣颈惫腻驳耻辫迟补 | Parama-惭腻丑别艣惫补谤补[59] Parama-Saugata[60] | |
| Queen V膩sat膩 | Parama-痴补颈峁ａ箛补惫墨[61] | |
| Sena | ||
| They were mainly patronized to Buddhism. | Vijayasena | 笔补谤补尘补-惭腻丑别艣惫补谤补[62] |
| 叠补濒濒腻濒补蝉别苍补 | 笔补谤补尘补-惭腻丑别艣惫补谤补[63] | |
| 尝补办峁补峁嘺蝉别苍补 | 笔补谤补尘补-痴补颈峁ａ箛补惫补, 笔补谤补尘补狈补谤补蝉颈峁僪补[64] | |
| 痴颈艣惫补谤奴辫补蝉别苍补 | Parama-Saura[65] | |
| 颁补苍诲别濒濒腻 | ||
| Their personal faith was on both 艢补颈惫颈蝉尘 and 痴补颈峁ａ箛补惫颈蝉尘. | 驰补艣辞惫补谤尘补峁� | 笔补谤补尘补-痴补颈峁ａ箛补惫补[66] |
| 顿丑腻峁噂补诲别惫补 | 笔补谤补尘补-惭腻丑别艣惫补谤补[67] | |
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
[3]:
CII, vol. III (revised edition), pp. 253-254.
[4]:
USVAE, vol. III, no. 162 [P墨pard奴la Plates of Nar膿ndra (c. 485 CE)].
[6]:
CII, vol. V, pp. 12, 18, 23, 30.
[7]:
Ibid., vol. IV, pp. 24, 27.
[8]:
Palit膩n膩 Plates of Dhruvasena (c. 525 CE).
[9]:
D.C. Sircar, op. cit., p. 237. Also see, IA, vol. V, p. 207.
[10]:
In the epigraphs of Dharapatta鈥檚 grandson Dh膩r膩sena II.
[11]:
Palit膩n膩 Plates of Dh膩r膩sena II (c. 571 CE).
[13]:
Virdi Plates of Kharagraha I (c. 616-17 CE).
[14]:
L.d. Institute Copper Plate of Dhruvasena II (c. 630-31 CE), Goras Plates of Dhruvasena II (c. 632 CE), Dana Plates of Dhruvasena (II) B膩l膩ditya (c. 633-34 CE), Nogawa Plates of Dhruvasena II 鈥楢鈥� (c. 639 -640 CE).
[15]:
[16]:
Kapadvanaj Plates of Dhruvasena III (c. 653-654 CE).
[17]:
Alina Plates of Kharagraha II (c. 656鈥�657 CE).
[18]:
Jesar Plates of 艢颈濒腻诲颈迟测补 (c. 666鈥�667 CE).
[19]:
Jesar Plates of 艢颈濒腻诲颈迟测补 III (c. 676鈥�677 CE), Anastu Plates of 艢颈濒腻诲颈迟测补 III (c. 677 CE).
[20]:
USVAE, vol. III, pp. 456-459, [Palit膩n膩 Plates of Si峁僪膩diya (c. 574 CE)].
[21]:
Ibid., vol. III, pp. 422-429, [Har膩h膩 Inscription of 莫艣腻苍补惫补谤尘补苍 (c. 554 CE)]
[22]:
Ibid., vol. IV, part I, pp. 19-23, [Mankani Plates of Taralasvamin (c. 595-596 CE)].
[23]:
Ibid., pp. 191-194, [Sarsavani Plates of Buddhar膩ja (c. 610 CE)].
[26]:
USVAE, vol. IV, part I, pp. 146-150, [Patiakella Grant of 惭补丑腻谤腻箩补 艢颈惫补r膩ja (c. 602 CE)].
[27]:
USVAE, vol. IV, part I, no. 69 (Soro Plates).
[28]:
Ba峁卻khera Plate of 贬补谤峁 (c. 628-629 CE), Madhuban Plates of 贬补谤峁 (c. 631-632 CE), Kurukshetra Plates of Sri-贬补谤峁 (c. 650-651 CE).
[29]:
Sankhed Plates of D膩dd膩 II鈥揂 & B (c. 642 CE).
[30]:
Umeta Plates of D膩dd膩 II (c. 648-49 CE).
[31]:
Tiwarkhed Plates of 搁腻峁ａ弓谤补办奴峁璦 狈腻苍苍补谤腻箩补 (c. 731 CE).
[32]:
Bisheshwar Nath Reu, History of the Rashtrakutas, p. 14.
[33]:
Bagumra Plates of Indra III, (I Set) (c. 912 CE).
[36]:
EI, vol. VI, pp. 143-146, [Ganjam grant of Madhavar膩ja II].
[37]:
Kaira Plates of 痴颈箩补测补谤腻箩补 (c. 643-644 CE).
[39]:
Navas膩ri Plates of 笔耻濒补办别蝉颈谤腻箩补 (c. 739 CE).
[40]:
Dungarpur Plates of Bhavihitra (c. 655 CE).
[42]:
Loc. cit.
[43]:
N.G. Majumder (ed.), op. cit., p. 145.
[44]:
Loc. cit.
[45]:
USVAE, vol. VI, pp. 181-184, [Barah Copper-plate (c. 836 CE)].
[46]:
Mungir Copper-Plate of Devap膩ladeva (9th century CE).
[47]:
Gaonri Plates-B & C (c. 981 CE & c. 986 CE).
[48]:
The Nelpur grant [EI, vol. XV, pp. 1-8 and EI, vol. XXVII, p. 212].
[49]:
Ibid., vol. XXVII, p. 212.
[50]:
A Grant of 痴补办耻濒补尘补丑腻诲别惫墨 (10th Century CE).
[51]:
In the Dhenkanal plate (JBORS, vol. II, p. 419).
[54]:
JBORS, vol. XVI, pp. 69-83.
[55]:
Ibid., vol. V, p. 567.
[56]:
Loc. cit.
[57]:
CII, vol. III, p. 295.
[59]:
EI, vol. XXXVI, pp. 197-198.
[61]:
Sirpur Stone Inscription (loc. cit.).
[62]:
N.G. Majumder (ed.), op. cit., p. 41.
[63]:
Loc. cit.
[64]:
Ibid., p. 43.
[65]:
, p. 145.
[67]:
USVAE, vol. VII, pp. 466-469.