Silver Reliquary of Indravarman

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Silver Reliquary of Indravarman
Bajaur

The Silver Reliquary of Indravarman is an inscribed silver

Indravarman as a Reliquary to enshrine Buddhist relics in a stüpa raised by Indravarman. The inscriptions on the silver reliquary provide important new information not only about the history of the kings of Apraca dynasty themselves but also about their relationships with other rulers of the far north-western region of traditional India i.e. modern northern Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan
around the beginning of Christian era.

The inscriptions on the silver reliquary have been investigated by Richard Salomon of the University of Washington, in an article published in the Journal of the American Oriental Society.[2]

Form and function

The lower part of the reliquary with fluted surface, carination and small stem and foot is extremely similar to the "drinking goblets" that have been found in good numbers mainly in

Hindukush with Dionysiac scenes in Gandharan art in general and heirloom silver cups of the modern Nuristanis with Gandharan goblets in particular which is quite persuasive.[4][5][Note 5]

According to Dr Richard Salomon, "if the association is even approximately correct, it may explain what the new silver reliquary originally may have been. It was undoubtedly a ceremonial silver drinking cup of

Iranian and Central Asian (Scythian) art and culture. It reflects the arrival and assimilation, by whatever geographic route or routes, of this ancient Central Asian/Iranian motif into the Gandharan world in Pre-Christian times. And lastly, the fluting in the surfaces of the silver reliquary is also an Iranian motif.[7] Thus the Ibex motif combined with wine drinking culture of the goblet itself amply illustrates the influx of regional and extra-regional cultural elements into the eclectic art and culture of Gandhara of the Indo-Iranian/Indo-Scythian period[8]
which is indeed reflected in the silver reliquary of prince Indravarman.

Contents of inscriptions

Inscription of the Silver Reliquary of Indravarman[9][10]
Inscription Original (Kharosthi script) Transliteration English translation
Inscription I 𐨣𐨎 naṃ naṃ
Inscription II 𐨨𐨱𐨐𐨿𐨮𐨟𐨿𐨪𐨤𐨤𐨂𐨟𐨿𐨪𐨯 𐨩𐨒𐨂𐨪𐨎𐨙 𐨑𐨪𐨩𐨆𐨯𐨿𐨟𐨯 𐨭 𐩅 𐩃 𐩃 𐨀𐨣 𐩃 𐨨 𐩀 𐩀 mahakṣatrapaputrasa yaguraṃña Kharayostasa śa 20 4 4 ana 4 ma 2 Of the son of the great satrap, the yagu king, Kharahostes, 28 staters, 4 dhānaka, 2 māṣa
Inscription III 𐨀𐨁𐨎𐨡𐨿𐨪𐨬𐨪𐨿𐨨𐨯 𐨐𐨂𐨨𐨪𐨯 𐨯 𐩅 𐩃 𐩃 𐨡𐨿𐨪 𐩀 Iṃdravarmasa kumarasa sa 20 4 4 dra 1 Of prince
Indravarma
, 28 staters, 1 drachm
Inscription IV 𐨀𐨁𐨎𐨡𐨿𐨪𐨬𐨪𐨿𐨨𐨯 𐨐𐨂𐨨𐨪𐨯 𐨯 𐩅 𐩅 𐩀 𐩀 𐩀 Iṃdravarmasa kumarasa sa 20 20 1 1 1 Of prince Indravarma, 43 staters
Inscription V 𐨬𐨁𐨭𐨿𐨤𐨬𐨪𐨿𐨨𐨯𐨿𐨟𐨿𐨪𐨟𐨅𐨒𐨤𐨂𐨟𐨿𐨪𐨅 𐨀𐨁𐨎𐨡𐨿𐨪𐨬𐨪𐨿𐨨 𐨐𐨂𐨨𐨪𐨅 𐨯𐨧𐨪𐨿𐨩𐨀𐨅 𐨀𐨁𐨨𐨅 𐨭𐨪𐨁𐨪 𐨤𐨪𐨁𐨛𐨬𐨅𐨟𐨁 𐨟𐨞𐨂𐨐𐨀𐨨𐨁 𐨠𐨂𐨦𐨨𐨁 𐨬𐨁𐨭𐨿𐨤𐨬𐨪𐨿𐨨𐨆 𐨯𐨿𐨟𐨿𐨪𐨟𐨅𐨒𐨆 𐨭𐨁𐨭𐨁𐨪𐨅𐨞 𐨩 𐨯𐨿𐨟𐨿𐨪𐨟𐨅𐨒
𐨧𐨪𐨿𐨩 𐨤𐨂𐨩𐨀𐨁𐨟 𐨀𐨁𐨎𐨡𐨿𐨪𐨬𐨯𐨂 𐨀𐨤𐨕𐨪𐨗 𐨬𐨯𐨂𐨨𐨁𐨡𐨿𐨪 𐨕 𐨗𐨁𐨀𐨤𐨂𐨟𐨿𐨪 𐨤𐨂𐨩𐨀𐨁𐨟 𐨀𐨁𐨎𐨡𐨿𐨪𐨬𐨪𐨿𐨨𐨆 𐨯𐨿𐨟𐨿𐨪𐨟𐨅𐨒𐨆 𐨀𐨂𐨟𐨪 𐨩 𐨯𐨿𐨟𐨿𐨪𐨟𐨅𐨒𐨧𐨪𐨿𐨩 𐨤𐨂𐨩𐨀𐨁𐨟 𐨬𐨁𐨩𐨅
𐨨𐨁𐨟𐨿𐨪𐨆 𐨀𐨬𐨕𐨪𐨩𐨆 𐨯𐨧𐨪𐨿𐨩𐨀𐨆 𐨤𐨂𐨩𐨀𐨁𐨟𐨆 𐨯𐨪𐨿𐨬𐨙𐨡𐨁𐨯𐨓𐨆 𐨤𐨂𐨩𐨀𐨁𐨟 𐨯𐨪𐨿𐨬𐨯𐨟𐨿𐨬 𐨤𐨂𐨩𐨀𐨁𐨟 𐨯𐨬𐨯𐨟𐨿𐨬 𐨤𐨟𐨁𐨞𐨁𐨬𐨀𐨁𐨟𐨆 		Viśpavarmastrategaputre Iṃdravarma kumare sabharyae ime śarira pariṭhaveti taṇukaami thubami Viśpavarmo stratego Śiśireṇa ya stratega-
bharya puyaïta Iṃdravasu Apacaraja Vasumidra ca jiaputra puyaïta Iṃdravarmo stratego Utara ya strategabharya puyaïta Viye-
mitro Avacarayo sabharyao puyaïto sarvañadisagho puyaïta sarvasatva puyaïta savasatva patiṇivaïto 		The son of the general Viśpavarma, the prince Indravarma, with his wife, here these relics establishes in his personal stupa. General Viśpavarma and Śiśireṇa, the general's
wife, are honoured. Indravasu, king of Apraca, and Vasumitra, who has a living son, are honoured. General Indravarma and Utara, the wife of the general, are honoured.
Vijayamitra, the Avaca king, together with his wife, is honoured. The community of all relatives is honoured. All beings are honoured. All beings are brought to nirvana.
Inscription VI 𐨬𐨁𐨭𐨿𐨤𐨬𐨪𐨿𐨨𐨯 𐨯𐨿𐨟𐨿𐨪𐨟𐨅𐨒𐨯 𐨤𐨂𐨟𐨿𐨪𐨅 𐨀𐨁𐨎𐨡𐨿𐨪𐨬𐨪𐨿𐨨 𐨐𐨂𐨨𐨪𐨅 𐨯𐨧𐨪𐨿𐨩𐨀𐨅 𐨀𐨁𐨨𐨅 𐨭𐨪𐨁𐨪 𐨤𐨿𐨪𐨟𐨁𐨛𐨬𐨅𐨟𐨁 𐨟𐨞𐨂𐨀𐨐𐨨𐨁 𐨠𐨂𐨦𐨨𐨁 𐨬𐨁𐨭𐨿𐨤𐨬𐨪𐨿𐨨𐨆 𐨯𐨿𐨟𐨿𐨪𐨟𐨅𐨒𐨆 𐨭𐨁𐨭𐨁𐨪𐨅𐨞 𐨩
𐨯𐨿𐨟𐨿𐨪𐨟𐨅𐨒𐨧𐨪𐨿𐨩 𐨤𐨂𐨩𐨀𐨁𐨟 𐨀𐨁𐨎𐨡𐨿𐨪𐨬𐨯𐨂 𐨀𐨤𐨕𐨪𐨗 𐨬𐨯𐨂𐨨𐨁𐨟𐨿𐨪 𐨩 𐨗𐨁𐨬𐨤𐨂𐨟𐨿𐨪 𐨤𐨂𐨩𐨀𐨁𐨟𐨎 𐨀𐨁𐨎𐨡𐨿𐨪𐨬𐨪𐨿𐨨𐨆 𐨯𐨿𐨟𐨿𐨪𐨟𐨅𐨒𐨆 𐨤𐨂𐨩𐨀𐨁𐨟 𐨀𐨂𐨟𐨪
𐨯𐨿𐨟𐨿𐨪𐨟𐨅𐨒𐨧𐨪𐨿𐨩 𐨤𐨂𐨩𐨀𐨁𐨟 𐨬𐨁𐨩𐨅𐨨𐨁𐨟𐨿𐨪𐨆 𐨀𐨬𐨕𐨪𐨩𐨆 𐨯𐨧𐨪𐨿𐨩𐨀𐨆 𐨤𐨂𐨩𐨀𐨁𐨟 𐨯𐨪𐨿𐨬𐨙𐨡𐨁𐨯𐨓𐨆 𐨤𐨂𐨩𐨀𐨁𐨟 𐨯𐨪𐨿𐨬𐨯𐨟𐨿𐨬 𐨩
𐨤𐨂𐨩𐨀𐨁𐨟 𐨯𐨪𐨿𐨬𐨯𐨟𐨿𐨬 𐨤𐨪𐨁𐨞𐨁𐨬𐨀𐨁𐨟𐨆 		Viśpavarmasa strategasa putre Iṃdravarma kumare sabharyae ime śarira pratiṭhaveti taṇuakami thubami Viśpavarmo stratego Śiśireṇa ya
strategabharya puyaïta Iṃdravasu Apacaraja Vasumitra ya jivaputra puyaïtaṃ Iṃdravarmo stratego puyaïta Utara
strategabharya puyaïta Viyemitro Avacarayo sabharyao puyaïta sarvañadisagho puyaïta sarvasatva ya
puyaïta sarvasatva pariṇivaïto 		The son of the general Vispavarma, the prince Indravarma, together with his wive, here these relics establishes in his personal stupa. The general Vispavarma and Śiśireṇa,
the wife of the general, are honoured. Indravasu the Apaca king, and Vasumitra, who has a living son, are honoured. General Indravarma is honoured. Utara,
the wife of the general, is honoured. Vijatamitra, king of Avaca, together with his wife, is honoured. The community of all beings is honoured and all beings
are honoured. All beings are brought to nirvana.

Apracarajas' relations with yuvaraja Kharaosta

The inscriptions refer to several well-known historical figures and also introduce some previously unknown persons. Noteworthy among the former are prince Indravarman and king Khara(y)osta who is to be identified with ruler

Kharaosta who had been known from numismatics and Mathura Lion Capital inscriptions. The Inscription no. II also establishes that king Kharaosta was also the original owner and the silver vessel was later inherited by Apraca dynasty. Thus it very offers tantalizing hints of some close relationship between king Kharaosta and the Apraca kings of Bajaur.[11]

Bajaur, the home of Aspasioi clan

The territory around the findspot for the silver reliquary was the stronghold of the warlike

Ashvakas.) These people, identified as sub-branch of the Kambojas, had earlier offered stubborn resistance to Macedonian invader Alexander in 326 BCE and later also constituted an important component of the grand army of Chandragupta Maurya.[13][Note 10] According to Dr Bailey, the dynastic/geographic title Apraca/Apaca/Avaca may underlie the modern toponym Bajaur.[14]

Kharayosta or Kharaosta king vs Apraca dynasty

The inscriptions provide important new information on the history of

Buddhist Reliquary for the stüpa
he had raised in Bajaur.

The connection of Apraca kings with Yagu-raja Kharaosta has raised chronological questions which call into doubt previously established norms about him and also seem to require a considerably earlier date for the

Kamuia

See also

Footnotes

  1. ^ The item belongs to the Shumei Culture Foundation in Otsu, Japan and was loaned to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, when it was studied by Richard Salomon of the University of Washington, who examined and studied the inscriptions and published his results in Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol 116, No 3, 1996, pp 1418-452.
  2. ^ IMPORTANT: Kapisa formed the heart of ancient Kamboja. In fact, scholars assert that Kapisa is an alternative name for the Kamboja. See main article: Kapisa Province
  3. ^ Fluting is an Iranian motif (Richard Salomon).
  4. ^ Called ürei in Waigali.
  5. ^ It is worthy of note here that the warlike, highly independent and militarily dominating Siyah-posh clans like Kam/Kamoj/Kamtoj of Kafiristan/Nuristan the modern representatives of the ancient Kambojas of Kapisa territory (See: Mountstuart Elphinstone, "An account of the kingdom of Caubol", fn p 619; Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, 1843, p 140; Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, 1874, p 260 fn; Die altpersischen Keilinschriften: Im Grundtexte mit Uebersetzung, Grammatik und Glossar, 1881, p 86, Friedrich Spiegel; Political History of Ancient India, 1996, p 133, fn, Dr H. C. Raychaudhury, Dr B. N. Banerjee; The Achaemenids and India, 1974, p 13, Dr S Chattopadhyaya; Vishnu Purana, p 374, fn, H. H. Wilson; The Geographical Dictionary of Ancient and Medieval India, Numdo Lal Dey).
  6. ^ Arrian calls them Aspasioi. The people derived their name from Iranian Aspa = horse. Pāṇini calls them Aśvayanas.
  7. ^ From Sanskrit Ashva = horse. Arrian calls them Assakenoi. They were the eastern branch of the Ashvakas mentioned as Ashvakayanas by Pāṇini's Ashtadhyayi, Ashvakas in Mahabharata.
  8. ^ It is also important to note that the name of one of the kings of Apraca dynasty is Aspavarman. This king has also been referred to simply as Aspa i.e. Aspa-bhrata-putrasa. Aspavarman was son of Apraca king Indravarman. The "Aspa" part of the name (Aspavarman) alludes to connections with the Aspasians or Aspasioi of Arrian.
  9. Kautiliya's Arthashastra
    11.1.1-4. Thus the fact that many kings of the Apraca dynasty used Varman last name indicates that the Apraca dynasty belonged to Kshatriya lineage and hence most likely belonged to the Ashvaka branch of the Indo-Iranian Kamboja tribe.
  10. ^ They find pre-eminent mention as Kambojas in the Rock Edicts V as well XIII of king Ashoka (reign 273 BCE to 232 BCE) located in Shabaz Garhi in Peshawar Valley and Mansehra District of North-West Frontier Province, Pakistan.
  11. ^ "I shall only add that if Kharaosta and his father Arta were Kambojas, the same may have been the case with Moga, and we understand why the Kambojas are sometimes mentioned with the Sakas and Yavanas";[20] See also: Ancient India, pp 320-21, Dr R. K. Mukerjee; Journal of Indian History - 1921, p viii, University of Kerala, University of Allahabad Department of Modern Indian History, University of Travancore; Ancient Kamboja, People and the Country, 1981, pp 41, 306-09, Dr J. L. Kamboj; These Kamboj People, 1979, p 141; Balocistān: Siyāsī Kashmakash, Muz̤mirāt Va Rujḥānāt, 1989, p 2, Munīr Aḥmad Marrīتاريخ قوم كمبوه: جديد تحقيق كى روشنى ميں, 1996, p 221, Yusuf Husain etc.

References

  1. ^ Salomon (1996), pp. 418–419
  2. ^ Salomon (1996)
  3. ^ Dolke, Pokaler og Magiske Soer i Nuristan / Silver, Gold and Iron: Concerning Katara Urei, and Magic lake of Nuristan, KUML, 1974, pp 253-255, Schuyler Jones
  4. ^ a b c Salomon (1996), p. 437
  5. ^ Dionysiac Festivals and Gandharan Imagery, Res Orienttales 4, pp 51-59, Martha Carter
  6. ^ "Dionysiac Festivals and Gandharan Imagery." Res Orientals 4 ("Banquets d'Orient"), 1992, p 57, Martha Carter.
  7. ^ Salomon (1984), p. 156
  8. ^ Salomon (1996), p. 439
  9. ^ Baums, Stefan. (2012). Catalog and Revised Text and Translations of Gandhāran Reliquary Inscriptions. Gandhāran Buddhist Reliquaries. D. Jongeward. Seattle, University of Washington Press
  10. ^ Richard Salomon, An Inscribed Silver Buddhist Reliquary of the Time of King Kharaosta and Prince Indravarman,Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 116, No. 3 (Jul. - Sep., 1996), pp. 418-452
  11. ^ Salomon (1996), p. 450
  12. ^ Srivastava (2007)
  13. ^ Mudrarakshasa Act II; History of Porus, 1967, pp 9, 89, Dr Buddha Praksha.
  14. ^ Bailey (1978), p. 10; cf. Mukerjee (1996), p. 701
  15. ^ Caillat (1989), p. 455
  16. ^ Salomon (1996), p. 441
  17. ^ Salomon (1996), p. 41
  18. ^ Taxila, An Illustrated Account of Archaeological Excavations Carried out at Taxila, Vol I, 1951, p 55, Cambridge University Press, Sir John Marshal.
  19. ^ Salomon (1996), p. 442
  20. ^ Konow (1929), pp. xxxvi, 36

Bibliography

  • Bailey, H. W. (1978). "Two Kharoṣṭhī casket inscriptions from Avaca".
    S2CID 162458870
    .
  • Caillat, Colette, ed. (1989). "Gandhari ecritic, Gandhari parlee". Dialectes dans les littératures indo-aryennes.
  • Konow, Sten, ed. (1929). Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum, Vol II, Part I. Calcutta.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Mukerjee, B. N. (1996). Political History of Ancient India.
  • Salomon, Richard (1984). "A Kharosthi inscription on a silver goblet".
    Bulletin of the Asia Institute
    . 4.
  • Salomon, Richard (1996). "An inscribed silver Buddhist reliquary of the time of King Kharaosta and Prince Indravarman".
    JSTOR 605147
    .
  • Srivastava, Prashant (2007). The Apracharajas: a History Based on Coins and Inscriptions. Agam Kala Prakashan.
    ISBN 978-81-7320-074-8
    .

Further reading
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