Kharvela’s Hanthigumfa inscription
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Hanthigumfa inscription was inscribed by the Jain ruler Kharvel of Chedi kingdom (earlier Kalinga) between the 2nd-century BCE-1st century CE.
Fig: A portion of the inscription (Image source: Wikipedia)
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The inscription is incised in a Cavern called Hanthigumfa of the Udaigiri Hills in Odisha.
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It consists of 17 lines written in Prakrit language using Brahmi script.
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It describes Kharvel’s biography, administration, and the socio-cultural aspect of his rule. It also gives and year-wise achievements of the king.
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Significance:
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It is the primary source of information about Kharvela.
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It makes mention of the Magadhan conquest of Kalinga by Magadha: Mahapadmananda (or Ugrasen) annexed Kalinga, assumed the title ‘ekarat’ (the sole sovereign) and sarva-kshatrantaka (uprooter of the Kshatriyas), brought Jina as a trophy.
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It describes Kharvela’s great victory over Magadha.
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