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Bhatera Copper Plates
In 1877, two copper-plate inscriptions were found in a village called Bhatera in the Sylhet district, Bangladesh. They were discovered in a place called "Homer Tila" during the removal of old bricks from the foundation of an ancient building. The obverse set consists of 27 lines of text on the first plate and 16 lines on the second plate. On the other hand, the reverse set has 28 lines on the first plate and 16 lines on the second plate. The plates shed light on the Deva kings who ruled over the Srihatta region.[1][2][3][4]

The first plate discusses Siva, and the second plate discusses Vishnu.[5] The first plate was composed when Kesava Deva was ruling, and it narrates the lineage of four kings belonging to the lunar dynasty. Notably, each successive king was the direct offspring of his predecessor. The four kings were Navagirvana, Gokula Deva, Narayana Deva, and Kesava Deva. The second plate, composed during the reign of Isana Deva, also lists these four kings in the same order and confirms that they belong to the lunar dynasty. The kings, namely Gokula Deva, Narayana Deva, Kesava Deva, and Isana Deva, are referenced in this context. Kesava Deva made significant contributions of land, residences, and servants to support the worship of the deity Lord Shiva, also known as "Srihattesvara," the Lord of Srihatta. The donated land and houses were spread out in about a hundred villages. The names of these villages and the amount of land donated in each village are mentioned in the text. Isana Deva constructed a lofty temple in honor of lord Vishnu based on the guidance of his advisor, Banamali Kar, who belonged to the Baidya caste. He also provided two ploughs of land to support the temple with the consent of his commander-in-chief, Bira Datta. The authorship of the first plate is unidentified, while the second plate attributes its composition to an individual named Madhava, belonging to the Das community. The two plates together mention five rulers: Navagirvana, Gokuladeva, Narayanadeva, Kesavadeva, and Isanadeva. Different scholars like Rajendralal Mitra, Srinivasa Shastri, Achyutacharan Tattvanidhi, R.C. Majumdar, and K.M. Gupta have given various dates for the plates, which were dated in "Pandavakuladipalapda." K.M. Gupta believes that the first plate was made around 1049 A.D. and the second plate was made a few years later. The dating of the plates, as determined by Gupta, is also accepted by some other scholars.[1][2][6] Alternatively, the time period of the 13th century (1245 C.E.) is also recommended.[7][4] The official designation for the kingdom ruled by the kings of Bhatera plate I is explicitly stated as 'Srihatta-rajya', denoting the governance of Srihatta.[1][4]

The two plates provide significant details about the reigning rulers of "Srihatta-Rajya" and their predecessors. Specifically, the first plate states that numerous brave kings were born in Bharata (India) and were part of the Siva lineage. One notable king among them was Navagirvana, who was regarded as the most noble and renowned for his skill with the bow. He was believed to be a descendant of the goddess of prosperity. The immense fame and power of Gokuladeva dimmed the strength of enemy kings. Kesavadeva was a powerful and famous king. He protected his kingdom and defeated rival kings. He was known for his bravery, intelligence, and good qualities. Kesavadeva was respected and admired by his people. He conquered many lands and brought them under his rule. He was devoted to Lord Vatesvara Siva, and he donated lands and houses to the temple. The inscription provides detailed information about the villages, rivers, and types of houses that were donated.

The second plate describes the genealogy of the kings, starting with Gokuladeva. It says that a great king, born in the lineage of Krishna, brought great honor to his family. He was a generous ruler and protector of the land. His son, Narayana, was highly skilled in combat and had many talents. He was known for his beauty, bravery, and kindness. His son, Kesavadeva, was a powerful king who defeated his enemies and attracted the attention of Brahmanas who showered him with wealth. He had a vast army and built a grand temple for Lord Krishna. The reigning ruler, Isanadeva, was the son of Kesavadeva and known for his glorious deeds. His army was so strong that even the dust raised by their movement eclipsed the sun. Isanadeva also built a magnificent temple for Lord Vishnu, as advised by his minister Banamali Kar. The temple's flags looked like flowers on aerial trees. Isanadeva granted land and resources for the temple's support. The royal charter, inscribed on a copper plate, instructed that the grant must be upheld and confirmed by various individuals, including the commander-in-chief, Bira Datta, who was renowned for his bravery and patience.

The copper plates contain stories and descriptions of ancient rulers in "Srihatta-rajya." The kings were strong and fair. The first two kings ruled peacefully, but the third king had to fight rebellions. The fourth king, Govinda Kesavadeva, was a great ruler who protected his kingdom from enemies. His army consisted of infantry, cavalry, elephant riders, and naval forces. Isanadeva, another king, had war chariots. The rulers were also patrons of art, learning, and religion. They built temples for both Siva and Vishnu. Kesavadeva performed a special religious ceremony, and Brahmin priests came to attend it and decided to live in Srihatta. Education was not only for the Brahmins, even people from different castes lived in the society. The rulers were from the royal Kshatriya caste, the minister was from the Baidya caste, and the composer of the copper plates was from the Sudra caste. Slaves with different names and races were donated to temples.

The information provided by the copper plates helps us understand the location and size of the state. The plates were found in Bhatera and mention a state called Srihatta-rajya with its capital city as Hattapataka and the main deity as Srihattesvara. This indicates that the Deva kings ruled the Srihatta area. Some of the words mentioned in the texts can still be found in the present-day Barak Valley dialect of Bengali, such as gobat (cattle-route), hal (a measure of land), gam (village), etc.

From the inscriptions, it is clear that the Deva kings ruled over a large territory. Although the mention of the sea as a boundary does not necessarily mean that the state extended to an ocean, it may refer to a large lake that existed during Hiuen Tsang's time. One of the inscriptions states that the king's fame extended to Bharata (India) and he was the chief of the eastern kings. It is possible that the Barak Valley was directly ruled by the Deva kings, while the kings in neighboring areas of eastern and south-eastern Bengal were their vassals.

The Barak Valley is a natural extension of the Bengal plains, and the Cachar-Sylhet region is formed by the river Barak and its branches. There is no evidence of an independent principality in Cachar or Sylhet before the thirteenth century. The earliest known state in the valley was the Tripuri state, which covered Cachar, Sylhet, and the Tripura plains, with its headquarters moving from Cachar to Tripura through Sylhet.

The inscriptions indicate that the Devas had control over many protected rulers who paid tribute to them. They had a well-equipped army and their general, Bira Datta, was famous even in distant places. This suggests that their authority extended beyond short-distance campaigns. To maintain control over the tributaries, the Devas would have needed wealth and resources from the area under their direct rule. The core area of the Srihatta-rajya, which was extensive enough to support such authority, can be presumed to be the Cachar-Sylhet region, or the entire Barak Valley. The tributary states could have been spread across neighboring areas like Mymensing, Tripura, and even Chittagong.

In summary, the copper plates provide valuable information about the location and extent of the state ruled by the Deva kings. The Barak Valley formed the core of the Srihatta-rajya, while neighboring areas were under tributary rule. The Devas had a large territory and maintained their authority through a well-equipped army and the support of tributaries.

  1. ^ a b c Bhattacharjee, Jayanta Bhusan (1991). Social and Polity Formations in Pre-colonial North-east India: The Barak Valley Experience. Har-Anand Publications. pp. 41–64. ISBN 978-0-7069-5464-7.
  2. ^ a b Prasad, Birendra Nath (2021-10-13). Rethinking Bihar and Bengal: History, Culture and Religion. Routledge. p. 117. ISBN 978-1-000-46509-9.
  3. ^ BHATTACHARJEE, J.B. (2018). "TECHNOLOGY AND STATE FORMATIONS IN PRECOLONIAL NORTHEAST INDIA". JOURNAL OF THE ASIATIC SOCIETY. LX No.1: 8.
  4. ^ a b c Choudhury, Achyutcharan (2000). Sreehatter Itibritta-purbangsho. pp. 138–153.
  5. ^ Kamalakanta Gupta (1967). Copper-Plates of Sylhet. pp. 154–183.
  6. ^ Ray, Himanshu Prabha (2010). Archaeology and Text: The Temple in South Asia. Oxford University Press. p. 145. ISBN 978-0-19-806096-3.
  7. ^ MAJUMDAR, R. C. (1971). HISTORY OF ANCIENT BENGAL. G. BHARADWAJ , CALCUTTA. p. 277.
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