Hazards of using only well-known sources

[Guest guest]

I have been looking at the 3-part Coropus Inscription Indicarum Vol

VII, Inscription of the Parmaras Chandellas, Kachchapaghatas, and

two minor Dynasties, edited by H. V. Trivedi (in 1974) published by

ASI in 1991. The first volume by the distinguished epigraphist

include valuable overview that take the 276 pages of the first

volume.

 

But I could not help noticing his observation:

 

Vol 1, page 175:

"Taking stock of jain idols in the kingdom of the Chandella rulers,

we find.."

 

(Here he mentions:

Darbat Shantinath: vs. 1132

Neminath: vs 1208

Neminath: vs 1211

Sambhavnath: vs 1215

Ahar Shantinath: vs 1237)

 

".. These idols which are only five in number come from a restricted

area and they roughly belong to the 11-12th centuries A.C., and they

therefore do not enable us to hold that Jainism thrived under the

Chandella rulers, which may have been due to the lack of royal

support."

 

Dr. Trivedi apparently compiled the inscriptions using only well

known sources, and thus reached an incorrect conclusion.

 

His count is off by an order of magnitude.

 

At Ahar, a site in Bundelkhand, the ruins were discovered in 1884

AD. Many Jain idols were found there, one among them is the one

Trivedi mentions. But here are many others. Here is the complete

chronological list, from Ahar alone, identified the reigning king

here

 

Devavarman: 1 idol

Kirtivarman: 1 idol

Madanvarman: vs 1999-1218: 63 idols

Paramardhi: 16 idols

Trailokyavarman: 1 idols

Viravarman: 6 idols

 

These are all dated, although in most of them the name of the

reigning king is not mentioned. I have a book "Prachin Shilalekh"

published in vs 2019 where these inscriptions are given.

 

In the town of Chhatarpur, there are several Jain temples, some of

them contain idols from Chandella period. From "Jinmurti-Prashasti-

Lekh" of Kamla Kumar Jain, 1982 AD, here is an approximate count of

idols from chandella period: 9+7+3+2+2 = 23.

 

At Deogarh, there are hundreds of Jain idols, mostly undated but

some are dated. A large fraction of these must have been installed

during the Chandella rule. There are 13 dated Jain idols in

Khajuraho that belong to the Chandella period. In Mahoba, 24 idols

were found froma well, of them 18 are dated. They are all from the

Chandella period. There are several other sites with Chandella

period Jain idols.

 

Khajuraho and Mahoba were the two Chandella capitals. In Khajuraho,

the temples were build either by the kings, or wealthy Jain

merhcants/ministers. Some of them must have been wealthy enough to

build temples comparable to royal constructions. That could not have

happend without active suport of the Chandella kings.

 

The builder of Parshvanath temple in Khajuraho, Paahila, had donated

7 gardens to the temple in vs 1011. One of the gardens was

named "Dhanga-vadi" in the honor of the ruling king Dhanga. Perhaps

Dhanga had visited the garden, causing the garden to be named after

him.

 

Yashwant