Gujjar inscriptions 4

Gujjar inscriptions 4


[VIKRAMA-] SAMVAT-1016 Edited By F. KIELHORN, PH.D., LL.D., C.I.E.; GOTTINGEN.The stone which bears this inscription was found, about eighteen years ago, near the temple of Nilkantha Mahadeva, among the ruins of the city of Paranagar which are to the south of the village of Rajor or Rajorgadh, on a lofty range of hills in the Rajgadh district of the Alwar State in Rajputana, about 28 miles south-west of the town of Alwar; and it is now preserved at Alwar itself. The inscription was first published by the late Dr. Rajendralal Mitra, in the Proceedings of the Bengal Asiatic Society, 1879, p. 157 ff. from a transcript prepared by Pandit Bhavanda and his brothers, of Alwar; and it has again been printed in the Prachinalekhamala of the Kavyamala, Vol. I. p. 53 ff., from another copy supplied by the same gentlemen. I now re-edit the inscription from rubbings which have been procured for me by Dr. Fleet.The inscription contains 23 lines of writing which covers a space of about 1’/5” broad by 1’ 3-1/4” high, and is nearly throughout in a perfect state of preservation. The average size of the letters is about ½”.2 The characters are Nagari; they closely resemble those of the Harsha inscription of Vigraharaja, published with a photo-lithograph in the Epigraphia Indica, Vol. II. P. 116 ff. The language is Sanskrit, and excepting four benedictive and imprecatory verse, here ascribed to Vyasa, in lines 18-20, and another verse in line 21, which gives the names of the composer, the writer and the engraver, the text is in prose. The inscription has been written and engraved very carefully. In respect of orthography, I need only note the employment of the letter a for both a and b, the doubling of t and d in the conjuncts tr and dr, and the occasional use of revenue-terms, the exact import of which is not apparent, and some other words of unknown or doubtful meaning (pravani, tatti, chouskd, etc.) occur in lines 6, 16 and 17, and 22 and 23.The inscription (in lines 1-3) refers itself to the reig of the Paramabhattaraka Maharajadhiraja Paramesvara, the illustrious Vijayapaladeva, who meditated on the feet of the Paramabhattaraka Maharajadhiraja Paramesvara, the illustrious Kshittipaladeva ; and is dated, in words and figures, on Saturday, the 13th of the bright half of Magha of the year 1016. On this day the Maharajadhiraja Paramesvara, the illustrious Mathanadeva, of the Gurjarapratihara lineage, and a son of the Maharajadhiraja, the illustrious Savats, residing at Rajyapura, (in lines 3-13) informs his officials, the Jamajaamikas3 and others, and the mahattaras, mahatamas, merchants, pravanis4 and other inhabitants of the village of Vyaghrapataka, pertaining to the Vamsapotaka bhoja which Mathanadeva held possession of, that on the occasion of the installation (of the image, or the consecration of the temple) of the god Lachchhukesvara Mahadeva (Siva), so named after his mother Lachchhuka, he has granted to the god (or his temple) the village of Vyaghrapataka,-‘up to its proper boundaries,Note: See Sir A. Cunningham’s Archaeological. Survey of India, Vol. XX. P. 124-126. I have no doubt that Major Powlett rightly believed Rajor or Rajorgadh (i.e. Rajyapura) to the old name of Paranagar; and it seems to me highly probable that ‘the holy temple of Nilkantha Mahadeva, which is the most famous place of pilgrimage in this part of the country,’ and which Sir A. Cunningham has assigned to the 10th century A.D., is the very temple that is referred to in the inscription here edited.The grass and pasture land, with its rows of trees, with its water, with the bhoja and mayuta1 income, with all customary and not customary, fixed and not fixed receipts, the shares of all sorts of grain, the khala-bhiksha,2 prasthaka, skandhaka, marganaka, the fines, ten offences,3 gifts, treasures and deposits, the aputrikadhana4 and nashtibharata, and together with all neighboring fields, cultivated by the Gurjaras,- for the purpose of defraying the expenses of bathing (the god) three times a day, of unguents, flowers, incense, naivedya offerings, lights and oil, of applying white-wash and red lead, of repairing what may become damaged or broken, of public shows and putting on the sacred thread, and of paying labourers, gardeners, etc.’ Lines 13-15 show that the administration of this grant, in the first instance, was entrusted to the holy ascetic Omkarasivacharya (a disciple of Rupasivacharya, who again was a disciple of Srikanthacharya), a member of the Sopuriya line or school (of devotees) started at Amardaka, and inmate of the Nityapramuditadeva matha at Rajyapura, which was connected with the Gopaladevitadagapali matha at Chhattrasiva.5 And the donor (in lines 13-17) exhorts his successors not to obstruct, but rather always to assist the ascetic’s disciples and disciples’ disciples in the management of the property6 for the benefit of the god (or his temple). Lines 18-20 quote four of the customary benedictive and imprecatory verses ; and the main part of the inscription ends, in line 21, with another verse, according to which this charter (sasana) was composed7 by Dedda, written by his son Suraprasada, and engraved by Hari.Lines 22-23 then record certain additional taxes or tolls, the proceeds of which were to be made over to the same deity (or temple) jointly with the god Vinayaka (Ganesa, whose image or shrine was) set up in the lower grounds8 adjoining four chapels on one side (of the temple of Lachchhukesvara). So far as I understand this passage, these taxes were three vimsopakas, as customary in the market, on every jhataka-kupaka of clarified butter and oil ; two vimsopakasIn the Indian Antiquary, Vol. XIX. P. 23, I have already had occasion to shew that the date of this inscription, for the expired Vikrama year 1016, corresponds to Saturday, the 14th January, A.D. 960. This date enables us to prove, with a fair amount of certainly, that the sovereign Vijayapaladeva, to whose reign the inscription professes to belong, was a king of Kanauj. In the Epigraphia Indica, Vol. II. P. 235, I have attempted to shew that the three kings Vijayapaladeva, Rajyapaladeva and Trilovhanapaladeva, who are mentioned in the Bengal Asiatic Society’s plate of Trilochanapala, edited by me in the Indian Antiquary, Vol. XVIII. P. 33 ff., were rulers of Kanauj; and as that plate, for Trilochanapaladeva, gives us a date corresponding to the 26th June, A.D. 1027, there would, so far as regards the two dates, be no objection (of the year A.D. 960). And such an identification is supported by the fact that the Vijayapaladeva of this inscription is here stated to have been preceded by Kshitipaladeva. For we know that a king of this name, also called Mahipala and Herambapala, was actually ruling at Kanauj in A.D. 917-18, forty-two years before the date of our inscription.3 It is true that, according to the large Siyadoni inscription,3 Kshitipaladeva of Kanauj in A.D. 948 had been succeeded (not by Vijayapaladeva, but) by Devapaladeva ; but this would seem to be no very formidable objection to the proposed identification. For it might either be said that Vijayapaladeva was a younger brother of Devapaladev, in which case the omission of the elder brother’s name from the present inscription would not be without precedent; or we might assume that Devapaladeva and Vijayapaladeva are two names of one and the same king, an assumption in favour of which it might be urged that each of the three predecessors of Devapaladeva—Bhoja, Mahendrapala, and Kshitipaladeva—also bore each at least one other name. For the present, then, I do identify the Kshitipaladeva and Vijayapaladeva of this inscription with the sovereigns of the same names, known to us from the Siyadoni inscription and the plate of Trilochanapala ; and consider the Maharajadhiraja Paramesvara Mathanadeva, who made the grant here recorded, to have been a feudatory or subordinate of the kings of Kanauj.4 Of this Mathanadeva and his predecessor Savata nothing is known to me from other inscription; and I have not fund elsewhere any mention of the Gurjara-pratihara clan or family, to which they are stated to have belonged.Of the localities mentioned, Rajyapura, apparently Mathanadeva’s capital, is of course Rajor or Rajorgadh, or rather Paranagar, close to the modern village of Rajor, where the inscription has been found; and the village of Vyaghrapataka is said to exist still, near Rajor, under the name of Baghor.6 The place Vamsapotaka, which gave the name to the bhoja or district to which the village belonged, I am unable to identify. Nor can I identify the places Amardaka and Chhattrasiva, which are mentioned in connection with the ascetics to whom the management of the grant was entrusted. Chhattrasiva ought to be looked for in .The neighborhood of Rajor; and the name Amardaka I have previously found in the word Amardakatirtha-natha, the name or an epithet of a Saiva ascetic who is mentioned in the inscription from Ranod (Narod), published by me in the Epigraphia In Indica, Vol. I. p. 351 ff.

The Gujjar is the largest tribe of the World

The U.S.A. and her allied countries had propounded the idea of a broad-based Government in Afghanistan, comprising of all the ethnic and linguastic groups. The western countries had false perception about the exact ethnic and linguastic division of Afghanistan. It was mistakenly believed that the Afghnistan is ethnically devided into Pushtoons and Persian speaking Northern alliance. The U.S.A. and its allies, while forming the present Karzai Government in Afghanistan, absolutely ignored the second largest and major ethnic Gujjar community. The Gujjars constitutes to be 35% of Afghanistan’s total population.



2. The Gujjar is the largest tribe of the World, which is admittedly recognized to be the major ethnic group in Pakistan, India, Indo-Pak held Jammu & Kashmir, Xing Xiang(China), Tibet, Nepal, Bhuttan, Sakkum, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Georgia and other Central Asian States. The Gujjars can rightly be termed as an International tribe, who are not restricted and confined by the frontiers or borders.

3. There is much known about the Gujjars dwelling in almost all parts of India and Pakistan. There population in India and Pakistan is 20 & 03-billion respectively. The Sub-Continent and Central Asia was ruled for centuries by the Gujjars, also known as Gurjars. It was during their rule that thousands of places were named after them or their sub-tribes in India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Central Asian States, e.g. Gujarat, Gujaranwala, Gujarwal, Gujar Dhar, Gujar Garrh, Gujar Khan, Kalla Gujjaran, Gujar Garrhi, Gurjistan, Gujarni, Gujaristan, Georjia, Gujar Abad and Gujar Khashi, There are numerous places named after the sub-clans of Gujjars, e.g.Chechania, Chechian, Jhanda Chechi, Kharian, New-Katarian, etc.

4. The Gujjars of Afghanistan have always played a very important and significant role in Afghanistan. The Afghanistan is broadly divided into four major ethnic groups, i.e. 

(1)-Pushtoons 40%, 

(2)-Gujjars speaking Gujari and other languages 35%, 

(3)-Persian speaking 10% and 

(4)-others 15%. 

       The over whelming and majority population of 14 Provinces of Afghanistan consists of Gujjar tribe, who generally speak Gujjari language. In some areas they also speak Pushto or Persian in addition to Gujjari language. This language is also spoken by the Gujjars of India and Pakistan. The Gujjarati, Daccani, Rajasthani, Mewati and mewarri, according to some scholars, are the regional names and dialects of Gujjari language. A brief and approximate account of Gujjar population in some of the Afghan-Provinces is given hereunder  Kunnarr : This province is situated in the south of Afghanistan andin the North of Pakistan. The Gujjar tribe is living with over-whelming majority in this Province. The famous towns and villages of the Gujjars are Narrai, Asmar, Hari Kot, Tashagul, Konigul, Gorin, Inchagal, Samsagal, Karchigal, Bazagal, Batash, Hegal and Asoom, etc.

ii) Lughman : Its more than 50% population consists of Gujjar tribe.There are approximately 45-villages having hundred percent Gujjar population.

iii) Panjsher : The Gujjars constitutes 40% population of this Province.Perkhar and Wersak towns are the famous strong-holds of the Gujjars.

iv) Badakhshan : The Gujjars constitutes half of the population of this Province. The Bajjarr, Chauhan, Bherwal, Jangle, Bhaddana, Kohli, Doei and Bokarra are the famous sub-tribes/clans of Gujjars living in this Province.

v) Kondos : The ¾ population of this Province consists of Gujjar tribe.

vi) Farkhar : More than 90% population of this Province belongs to the Gujjar community. The Dashtiachi, Namakao, Khestazi and Khefdar, etc. are the famous towns & villages of the Gujjar tribe.

vii) Mazar Sharif : In this Province over 30% population consists of Gujjar community.

viii) Baglan : In this Province over 40% population belongs to the Gujjar caste.

ix) Aneshkamesh : The 70% population of this Province is consisted of Gujjar tribe.

x) Palol : The Gujjar is a majority tribe of this Province. The Gujjar commanders Mr. Ghulam Sakhi Khattana and Mr.Fardol Khatana, the militant leaders of Harkat-e-Islamia Afghanistan also belonged to this Province. They inflicted collosal loss to the enemy during the cold-war.

xi) Andraf : The Gujjars constitues ¾ population of this Province. The Gujjar Generals Moman Bherwal and Mr. Arbab Therwal Malang, the militant Gujjar Commanders of Hizb-e-Islami belonged to this province. These Generals earned lot of name and recognition during the cold-war.

xii) Taloqan : The Gujjars forms half of the population of the Province. Mr. Arbab Hakeem Chechi, the Supreme Gujjar Commander of Hizb-e-Islami also belonged to this Province. He also earned world wide recognition during the cold war.

xiii) Shabargan : The Gujjars are 1/3 of the total population of this Province.

5. The Gujjars are also living with a prominent sizeable minority in the following Provinces of Afghanistan : -

i Nangarhar,

ii Kabul,

iii Logar,

iv Qandhar,

v Gazni,

vi Kapisa,

vii Gardez,

viii Tamroze, and

ix Harat.

6. The Gujjars played a leading role in war (Jehad) against the U.S.S.R. since beginning in the year 1979. Mir Afzal Chechi of Kunnarr Province was one of the leading founders to organise and start the war(Jehad) to liberate Afghanistan from the clutches of U.S.S.R., who also sacrificed his life for the sacred cause. Malik Sher Afzal and Malik Qabeel of Kunnarr Province also significantly contributed towards organizing the war and Jehad against the U.S.S.R.

7. The following militant leaders of various Jahadi organizations, who fought against the U.S.S.R., also belonged to the Gujjar tribe of Afghanistan:-

i) Dr.M.Abdul Qayyum, Founder, Hizb-e-Islam

ii) Maulana M.Younas Khalis Quaid, Hizb-e-Islam

iii) Muhammad Ayub, Amir, Tanzeem Ahl-e-Hadith

iv) Ghulam Chechi, Commander Hizb-e-Islam

v) Mauland Akhawandzada Commander Harkat-e-Islami

vi) Nadir Khan Commander Harkat-e-Islami

vii) Arbab Mian Gul Chechi Commander Jamaat-e-Islami

viii) Haji Zardali Commander Hizb-e-Islami

ix) Haji Daim Khan Commander Tanzeem Ahl-e-Hadith

x) Musafar Khan Commander Hizb-e-Islami

xi) Maulana Umra Khan Commander Hizb-e-Islami

xii) Haji Badam Khan Commander Mahaz-e-Milli

xiii) Mir Alam Commander Jamat-e-Islami

xiv) Malik Sadbar Commander Hizb-e-Islami

xv) Maulana Kaduaali Amir Islami Hizb

xvi) Mirza Lal Doei Commander Jamat-e-Islami

xvii) Madir Gujjarwal Commander Harkat-e-Islami

xviii) Malik Jabeen Chechi Commander Hizb-e-Islam

ixix) Malik Shireen Commander Hizb-e-Islami

xx) Malik Maasal Commander Hizb-e-Islami

xxi) Hazrat Bilal Sher Commander Harkat-e-Islami

xxii) Malik Gul Sharif Commander Tanzeem Ahl-e-Hadith

8. The thousands of Gujjar Mujahideens sacrificed their lives while fighting against USSR during the period of cold war. A large number of Gujjars had to migrate to Pakistan and other neighbouring countries during and after the cold-war. The majority of Gujjar migratees were living in Bhai Cheena Camps, Anayat Kaley Camps in Bajorr Agency, Dodaba Camps and Ranrri Camps in Dir district of Pakistan.

9. The culture, language, customs and traditions of the Gujjars are entirely different than the pushtoon ethnic stock. The Gujjars of Afghanistan speaks Gujjari language, the language that also spoken in most of the areas of Indo & Pakistan and enjoys its representation on a number of state owned Radio and Television channels in India and Pakistan.

10. It will be worth mentioning that the Pushto speaking population do not belong to one community, triabal or racial group rather they are devided into Shanwaris, Afridis, Safis, Khattaks, Mashwanis and Yousafzais, etc. etc., whereas, on the contrary the Gujjars of Afghanistan belongs to one racial and tribal group unlike Pushtoons, who are just a linguistic group.

11. The over 30-Million Gujjars in Pakistan and 20-Billion Gujjars in India had extended their implied and unconditional support to the notion of forming the broad based Afghan-Government comprising of all the ethnic groups and communities in Afghanistan so to win the war against terror.

12. It was expected that the Gujjars being the second largest ethnic and linguistic community certainly was to be considered as a significant constitutent in broad-based government as by ignoring the Gujjars neither any government can function as a representative establishment nor that could be a workable or perpetual solution to the growing problems of Afghanistan. The U.S.A., U.K. and Pakistan Governments should have derived an acceptable formula giving due representation to the Gujjars of Afghanistan.

13. The worrior & majority Gujjar tribe has not been given any representation while forming the present Afghan Government, the result is obvious, the writ of presetn Afghan-Government could hardly be established within the radious of only two Kilo meter area and more specifically speaking within the Presidential Compound under the guard and security of Allied forces. They are the brave Gujjars only who can restrict and confine the war-lords into their cloths and can bring the perpetual peace in Afghanistan. These Gujjars of Afghanistan also enjoys the unshaken support of 23-billion Gujjars of Pakistan and India. The Allied Forces, in order to bring the perpetual peace in Afghanistan, may even now draw a strategy to form a true representative Aghan-Government.Thank of Articles by Ch. M. Ashraf Gujjar