Yadava era inscription discovered in Junnar taluka, records land grant by King Singhanadeva

Hindustan Times

3 days ago

A stone inscription dating back nearly 800 years to the reign of King Singhanadeva 2, regarded as one of the most powerful and expansionist rulers of the Yadava dynasty, has been discovered in Thorali Shiroli village, Junnar taluka, Pune district. Having remained unnoticed for years, the inscription was found in a small shrine on the premises of local resident, Gulabrao Thorve's house. Importantly, this is the first known inscription from King Singhanadeva's reign discovered in Pune district, making it a significant historical find. The inscription was found in a small shrine on the premises of local resident, Gulabrao Thorve's house. (HT PHOTO)
There's more. The inscription records the grant of land for cultivation, specifying that one-sixth of the land was donated and concludes with a curse that anyone who steals or disrespects the grant will face a disgraceful fate of being born of a union between his mother and a donkey. The curse is symbolically reinforced by the figure of a donkey carved below the text.
The Yadavas ruled from the 9th to the 14th century and controlled vast regions of western and central India, with their capital located at Devagiri which is the present-day Daulatabad in Maharashtra. King Singhanadeva 2 of the Yadava dynasty played a key role in shaping the political landscape of medieval India. He ruled from 1199 to 1248 AD during which time, he led successful campaigns and expanded his kingdom across Gujarat, Malwa, Karnataka, Andhra, Kosala (Chhattisgarh) and Kalinga (southern Odisha).
The inscription offers valuable insights into the political and cultural landscape of the era as deciphered by Pune-based history researchers, Atharva Pingale and Anil Dudhaney. The inscription written in the Marathi language using the Devanagari script suggests it belongs to the 13th century although it lacks a direct date of reference. The inscription comprises three lines:
'Shri Singhandeve dat kam
Mathachi sati sustu
(Jo dana) na pali'
The lines as translated in English mean, 'King Singhanadeva donated land for cultivation; one sixth portion should be donated. Whoever violates this donation shall face the curse of being born of a union between his mother and a donkey.'
Dudhaney explained, 'The land granted for farming is referred to as 'kamat' or 'kammat' during the Yadava period. The inscription does not mention the recipient, suggesting it is private and fragmentary in nature.'
Pingale noted, 'We see an increase in Marathi inscriptions during Singhanadeva's reign. His other inscriptions have been found in border regions like Kolhapur, Solapur, and Nanded. This period marks the emergence of Marathi as an administrative language.'
'During the 1980s, the condition of archaeological research in Maharashtra was quite good. Today however, we lack a proper mechanism to study these inscriptions. There are no official epigraphists appointed by the government. Those who are currently studying inscriptions are doing so independently at their own level but they have limitations and cannot do much beyond a point. Unfortunately, the government does not pay enough attention to this field,' Pingale said.
'The Maharashtra Sahitya Sanskruti Mandal has published many inscriptions in the past. In contrast, neighbouring states like Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are far more advanced and efficient in this area. They work diligently to preserve inscription sites, regularly study them, and publish their findings in a systematic manner; we should also follow a similar approach,' Pingale further said.