Poona Plates Reveal Vidarbha’s Power and Politics in the 5th Century

Poona Plates Reveal Vidarbha’s Power and Politics in the 5th Century

The Poona Plates inscription stands as one of the most significant epigraphic discoveries in Indian history, offering unparalleled insights into the administrative, political, and geographical importance of Vidarbha during the 5th century CE.

This copper-plate charter, issued by Queen Prabhavatigupta of the Vakataka dynasty, provides detailed documentation of land grants and administrative divisions that illuminate the region's central role in ancient Indian polity.

The inscription was discovered in the possession of Balwant Bhau Nagarkar, a coppersmith from Poona (modern Pune), who had preserved these plates as a family heirloom for several generations.

However, scholarly analysis has conclusively established that the plates originally belonged to the Hinganghat tahsil in the Wardha district of Vidarbha, demonstrating the geographical reach and administrative sophistication of the Vakataka kingdom.

The copper plates, dating to the thirteenth year of Prabhavatigupta's regency, record a significant land grant made by the queen-regent acting on behalf of her minor son, Prince Divakarasena. This remarkable document not only showcases the unprecedented political authority wielded by a woman ruler in ancient India but also provides crucial evidence of Vidarbha's administrative structure and territorial organisation during the Vakataka period.

Administrative Framework and Vidarbha's Central Position

The Poona Plates inscription reveals the sophisticated administrative machinery that governed Vidarbha under Vakataka rule.

The plates were issued from Nandivardhana, the capital city identified with modern Nagardhan near Ramtek in Nagpur district.

This location, approximately 38 kilometres from present-day Nagpur, served as the political nerve centre of the eastern Vakataka kingdom and demonstrates Vidarbha's position as the heartland of Vakataka power.

The inscription meticulously documents the grant of the village Danguna, situated in the Supratishtha ahara (administrative division). This village, identified with modern Hinganghat in Wardha district, was strategically located within a carefully demarcated territory.

The plates provide precise geographical boundaries, stating that Danguna lay "to the east of Vilavanaka, to the south of Sirsagrama, to the west of Kadapinjana, and to the north of Sidivivaraka". These detailed geographical references underscore the meticulous record-keeping system employed in Vidarbha's administration.

The administrative division known as Supratishtha Ahara encompassed a significant portion of what is now the Hinganghat tahsil in Wardha district.

This territorial unit represented a sophisticated level of administrative organisation, with the ahara serving as an intermediate administrative layer between the village and the larger province.

The existence of such well-defined administrative boundaries indicates the advanced governance systems that characterised Vidarbha during this period.

Archaeological evidence from recent excavations at Nagardhan has corroborated the inscriptional evidence, revealing remnants of a substantial urban centre that served as the Vakataka capital. These discoveries include ceramics dating to the 3rd-4th century CE, terracotta figurines, and, importantly, a clay sealing of Queen Prabhavatigupta herself, providing tangible confirmation of the inscriptional records.

Geographical Significance and Regional Connections

The Poona Plates inscription illuminates Vidarbha's strategic geographical position within the broader Vakataka empire. The region served as the eastern stronghold of the main Vakataka branch, while the western territories were controlled by the Vatsagulma branch of the dynasty.

The Wardha River traditionally marked the boundary between these two regions, with eastern Vidarbha, known as the "Jungle Prant," characterised by dense forests and tribal populations.

The inscription provides valuable evidence of the settlement patterns and economic activities in ancient Vidarbha. The village names mentioned in the plates offer insights into the linguistic and cultural landscape of the region.

Danguna, the granted village, appears to derive its name from local topographical features, eventually evolving into the modern name Hinganghat through linguistic transformation over centuries.

The detailed geographical descriptions in the inscription reveal a landscape of rivers, settlements, and clearly demarcated boundaries.

The Wunna River, mentioned in connection with Hinganghat, served as a significant waterway facilitating trade and communication.

The presence of numerous villages with specific names and boundaries indicates a densely settled and well-organised rural landscape in 5th-century Vidarbha.

The inscription also reflects the broader connectivity of Vidarbha within the Indian subcontinent. Queen Prabhavatigupta's lineage, tracing back to the Gupta emperor Chandragupta II, demonstrates the political alliances that linked Vidarbha to the broader networks of ancient Indian politics.

This marriage alliance between the Gupta princess and the Vakataka ruler Rudrasena II created a political axis that extended from northern India to central Deccan, with Vidarbha serving as a crucial link.

Cultural and Religious Landscape

The Poona Plates inscription provides significant insights into the religious and cultural transformations occurring in Vidarbha during the 5th century CE.

Queen Prabhavatigupta, despite being of Gupta origin and a devotee of Vishnu, issued the grant after paying homage at the feet of Bhagavat, likely referring to Ramagirisvamin, the deity of Ramtek.

This religious reference indicates the spread of Vaishnavism in Vidarbha under Gupta influence, representing a significant shift from the earlier Shaiva traditions of the Vakatakas.

The inscription reveals the practice of making land grants to learned Brahmins, reflecting the patronage system that supported Vedic scholarship and ritual practices in Vidarbha. The beneficiary of the Danguna grant, Acharya Chanalasvamin, represents the class of religious scholars who played crucial roles in maintaining and transmitting Sanskrit learning in the region.

The copper plates themselves, written in a distinctive script that combines northern and southern Indian paleographical features, demonstrate the cosmopolitan character of Vidarbha's intellectual culture. The script shows influences from both traditions, reflecting the region's position at the intersection of different cultural streams flowing through the Indian subcontinent.

Economic and Social Implications

The land grant recorded in the Poona Plates provides valuable evidence of the economic systems operating in ancient Vidarbha.

The grant of an entire village to a Brahmin scholar indicates the considerable resources at the disposal of the Vakataka administration and suggests a prosperous agrarian economy capable of supporting such largesse.

The detailed enumeration of tax exemptions mentioned in the inscription reveals the various sources of revenue that sustained the state machinery.

The inscription mentions specific categories of exemptions, including provisions for various types of forced labour and tax obligations. These details provide insights into the labour systems and economic obligations that characterised rural society in 5th-century Vidarbha.

The comprehensive nature of these exemptions suggests a sophisticated understanding of the various economic activities and social relationships that constituted village life.

The very act of creating permanent records on copper plates demonstrates the importance placed on documenting legal transactions and property rights in Vidarbha. The durability of copper as a medium for legal documents ensured that these grants would survive for posterity, providing security to beneficiaries and establishing clear precedents for administrative practice.

The inscription also reflects the gender dynamics of power in ancient Vidarbha, with Queen Prabhavatigupta exercising full royal authority during her regency. Her ability to issue land grants in her name, trace her genealogy through both paternal and maternal lines, and maintain her father's gotra even after marriage indicates remarkable personal authority and challenges conventional understanding of women's roles in ancient Indian politics.

The Poona Plates inscription stands as an invaluable historical document that illuminates multiple dimensions of life in ancient Vidarbha.

Through its detailed records of administrative divisions, geographical boundaries, religious practices, and social relationships, it provides a comprehensive window into the sophisticated civilisation that flourished in this region during the 5th century CE.

The inscription's evidence of Queen Prabhavatigupta's remarkable regency, the strategic importance of Nandivardhana as the Vakataka capital, and the detailed administrative organisation of territories like the Supratishtha ahara collectively demonstrate Vidarbha's central role in the political, cultural, and economic networks of ancient India.

These copper plates continue to serve as primary sources for understanding not only the Vakataka period but also the broader patterns of state formation, cultural synthesis, and regional development that characterised early medieval India.

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