Uchchhakalpa dynasty

The Uchchhakalpa (IAST: Ucchakalpa) dynasty ruled parts of central India during 5th and 6th centuries. Their territory included north-eastern parts of present-day Madhya Pradesh. Their capital was located at Uchchhakalpa, the present-day Unchehara.

Uchchhakalpa

उच्छकल्प
c. 5th century CE–c. 6th century CE
StatusVassal of Gupta Empire
CapitalUchchhakalpa (modern Unchehara)
GovernmentMonarchy
History 
• Established
c. 5th century CE
• Disestablished
c. 6th century CE

The Uchchhakalpas were neighbours of the Parivrajakas, and appear to have been feudatories of the Gupta Empire. The dynasty is known from inscriptions issued by two of its kings: Jayanatha and Sharvanatha.

History

Inscriptions of two Uchchhakalpa kings, dated in an unspecified calendar era, are available: Jayanatha (Year 174–182) and Sarvanatha (Year 191–214). The era is now generally identified with the Gupta era (which begins in 318–319 CE), although some earlier scholars identified it as the Kalachuri era (which begins in 248–249 CE). The Uchchhakalpa inscriptions are written in the central Indian variety of the Gupta script. Moreover, the Bhumara stone pillar inscription names the Uchchhakalpa ruler Sharvanatha and the Parivrajaka ruler Hastin as contemporaries. This suggests that both were vassals of the Guptas, and the calendar era mentioned in the Uchchhakalpa inscriptions is the Gupta era.[1]

According to these inscriptions, the earliest king of the dynasty was Oghadeva. He was succeeded by Kumaradeva, Jayasvamin, and Vyaghra. Jayanatha, the dynasty's earliest king attested by his own inscriptions, was a son of king Vyaghra and queen Ajjhitadevi. Jayanatha was succeeded by Sharvanatha, who was his son from queen Murundasvamini.[2] Nothing is known about the successors of Sharvanatha.[3]

Genealogy

The following kings and queens of the dynasty are known (IAST names):[2]

  • Mahārāja Ogha-deva and Mahādevi Kumarā-devī
  • Mahārāja Kumarā-deva and Mahādevi Jaya-svāminī
  • Mahārāja Jaya-svāmin and Mahādevi Ramā-devī
  • Mahārāja Vyāghra and Mahādevi Ajjhita-devī
  • Mahārāja Jaya-nātha and Mahādevi Murunda-svaminī, r. c. 493–507 CE
  • Mahārāja Śarva-nātha (Sharvanatha), r. c. 508–533 CE

Inscriptions

The following copper-plate inscriptions from the Uchchhakalpa reign have been discovered.

Find spot Issued by Year (CE year, assuming Gupta era) Purpose Source
Karitalai Jayanatha 174 (493–494 CE) Land grant [4]
Khoh Jayanatha 177 (496–497 CE) Grant of a village to Brahmins [3]
Unchehara Jayanatha 182 (501–502 CE) Village grant. See Katni copper-plate of Jayanātha. [5]
Sohawal Sharvanatha 191 (510–511 CE) [1]
Khoh Sharvanatha 193 (512–513 CE) Village grant [3]
Khoh Sharvanatha 197 (516–517 CE) One of the copper plates is missing, but it appears to be a village grant as it quotes a Mahabharata verse which states that it is the king's duty to protect the land granted by him or his ancestors. [3]
Navagrama Sharvanatha and Parivrajaka ruler Hastin 198 (517 CE) Grant of a village to the Brahmins of Parashara gotra and Madhyandina Shakha [6]
Khoh Sharvanatha 214 (533–534 CE) Grant of villages for the worship of the goddess Pishtapurika [3]
Khoh Sharvanatha Undated Grant of a village to Chhodugomika [3]
  • Katni inscription of Jayanatha, Plate 1
  • Katni inscription of Jayanatha, Plate 2
  • Katni inscription of Jayanatha, Plate 3
  • 512-513 Khoh inscription of Sharvanatha
  • 517 Khoh inscription of Sharvanatha
  • 533-534 Khoh inscription of Sharvanatha

Inscriptions of a Vakataka feudatory named Vyaghra-deva have been found at Nachna-Ganj. According to one theory, this ruler may be identical with the Vyaghra of Uchchhakalpa dynasty, but this identification is doubtful.[7]

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References
  1. Ashvini Agrawal 1989, p. 261.
  2. Manabendu Banerjee 1989, p. 242.
  3. Om Prakash Misra 2003, p. 8.
  4. Madan Mohan Upadhyay 2005, p. 27.
  5. Madan Mohan Upadhyay 2005, p. 28.
  6. Moirangthem Pramod 2013, p. 92.
  7. Ajay Mitra Shastri 1997, p. 179.

Bibliography
  • Ajay Mitra Shastri (1997). Vākāṭakas: Sources and History. Aryan Books International. ISBN 978-81-7305-123-4.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Ashvini Agrawal (1989). Rise and Fall of the Imperial Guptas. Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 978-81-208-0592-7.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Moirangthem Pramod (2013). "The Parivrajaka Maharaja" (PDF). Asian Journal of Multidimensional Research. 2 (4). ISSN 2278-4853.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Madan Mohan Upadhyay (2005). Inscriptions of Mahakoshal: Resource for the History of Central India. B.R. ISBN 9788176464963.
  • Manabendu Banerjee (1989). Historical and social interpretations of the Gupta inscriptions. Sanskrit Pustak Bhandar. OCLC 22347582.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Om Prakash Misra (2003). Archaeological Excavations in Central India: Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Mittal Publications. ISBN 978-81-7099-874-7.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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