Prince Vishnupalita Kambhoja
Encyclopedia
Prince Vishnupalita Kambhoja (Kumara Kanbhoja Vhenupalita in Mhar inscriptions) finds reference in the Buddhist inscriptions found at Mhar or Mahad in Kolaba district of Maharashtra
, in Bombay Presidency. Kanbhoja of the inscriptions is same as the Kambhoja or Kamboja
of ancient Sanskrit
and Pali
texts and of king Asoka’s Rock Edicts. The prince is believed to have ruled in Kolaba (near Bombay), probably around the 2nd century of the Christ
ian era.
) Kanbhoja (=Kambhoja
) Vhenupalita (=Vishnupalita)’s Lena (=cave), Chaitiyagriha and eight (8) cells; this much work is endowed, and two (2) cisterns on each side of the Lena, also a passage connected with the Lena is presented. It is charitable gift of the Kumara (or Prince)” .
king (reign 130-160 CE)
from north-west had settled in Konkan
region in Maharashtra
prior to the Christ
ian era
(100-150 BCE). The name of the prince i.e Visnupalita Kanbhoja clearly indicates that, by this time the migrant Kambojas had totally acclimatised to the Indian culture. Also, the surname of the prince i.e. 'Kanbhoja' bears the impress of southern or southwestern Indian influence and is an apparent change from Kamboja which bears Iranianian or Paisachi influence.
The existence of Kamboja principality
on west coast of India near Bombay as born out by inscriptional evidence above may further prove the fact that the Kambojas who had migrated to and colonized
Sri Lanka
and later, the Kambuja in Indo-China Peninsula
, may have proceeded there via Gujarat/Bombay around this time. The above is just one example of Kamboja principalities. The evidence exists that there were more Kamboja principalities located in western, south-western/southern India.
Inscriptions or Charters belonging to the Bhoja rulers, dating 5th century, executed by Nidhivara and written by Buddhadasa of the Kamboja
(Brahman) gotra have been found in Bandora, Goa
.
Luders's inscriptions No 176 and 472 refer to the gift of a monk
Kaboja (Kamboja
) from Nandi-Nagara made at Sanchi Buddghist Stupa. According to IHQ: "The monk was a Kamboja of Nandi-Nagara which might have been a place in the neighborhood of Sanchi". But no evidence of any ancient place called Nandi-Nagara near Sanchi
(in Malawa) is attested. Probably the Nandi Nagara of the Sanchi Inscriptions refers to modern Nandode (Rajpipli) in Gujarat which in earlier was known as Nandan Nagar or Nandi-puri.
The above pieces of evidence pieced together further support the presence of Kambojas in south-western India in the post-Christian times.
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
, in Bombay Presidency. Kanbhoja of the inscriptions is same as the Kambhoja or Kamboja
Kambojas
The Kambojas were a kshatriya tribe of Iron Age India, frequently mentioned in Sanskrit and Pali literature.They were an Indo-Iranian tribe situated at the boundary of the Indo-Aryans and the Iranians, and appear to have moved from the Iranian into the Indo-Aryan sphere over time.The Kambojas...
of ancient Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
and Pali
Páli
- External links :* *...
texts and of king Asoka’s Rock Edicts. The prince is believed to have ruled in Kolaba (near Bombay), probably around the 2nd century of the Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
ian era.
Dr J. Burgess's Translation of the Mhar inscription
“To the Perfect one! Kumara (or PrincePrince
Prince is a general term for a ruler, monarch or member of a monarch's or former monarch's family, and is a hereditary title in the nobility of some European states. The feminine equivalent is a princess...
) Kanbhoja (=Kambhoja
Kamboja (name)
Kamboja or Kambuja is the name of an ancient Indo-Iranian kingdom.They are believed to have been located originally in Pamirs and Badakshan in Central Asia.The name has a long history of attestation, both in the Iranian and the Indo-Aryan spheres....
) Vhenupalita (=Vishnupalita)’s Lena (=cave), Chaitiyagriha and eight (8) cells; this much work is endowed, and two (2) cisterns on each side of the Lena, also a passage connected with the Lena is presented. It is charitable gift of the Kumara (or Prince)” .
Dating of the inscriptions
According to Dr J. Burgess, the characters of this record seem to be of about the time of Vasishthiputra the Andhrabhritya or SatakarniSatakarni
Satakarni was the third of the Satavahana kings. He ruled around 180 BCE in Central India.It is thought that Satakarni was a son of Kunala...
king (reign 130-160 CE)
Historical Significance of the inscriptions
The estimated date for this inscription is 2nd century AD. This demonstrates that the KambojasKambojas
The Kambojas were a kshatriya tribe of Iron Age India, frequently mentioned in Sanskrit and Pali literature.They were an Indo-Iranian tribe situated at the boundary of the Indo-Aryans and the Iranians, and appear to have moved from the Iranian into the Indo-Aryan sphere over time.The Kambojas...
from north-west had settled in Konkan
Konkan
The Konkan also called the Konkan Coast or Karavali is a rugged section of the western coastline of India from Raigad to Mangalore...
region in Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
prior to the Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
ian era
Era
An era is a commonly used word for long period of time. When used in science, for example geology, eras denote clearly defined periods of time of arbitrary but well defined length, such as for example the Mesozoic era from 252 Ma–66 Ma, delimited by a start event and an end event. When used in...
(100-150 BCE). The name of the prince i.e Visnupalita Kanbhoja clearly indicates that, by this time the migrant Kambojas had totally acclimatised to the Indian culture. Also, the surname of the prince i.e. 'Kanbhoja' bears the impress of southern or southwestern Indian influence and is an apparent change from Kamboja which bears Iranianian or Paisachi influence.
The existence of Kamboja principality
Principality
A principality is a monarchical feudatory or sovereign state, ruled or reigned over by a monarch with the title of prince or princess, or by a monarch with another title within the generic use of the term prince....
on west coast of India near Bombay as born out by inscriptional evidence above may further prove the fact that the Kambojas who had migrated to and colonized
Colony
In politics and history, a colony is a territory under the immediate political control of a state. For colonies in antiquity, city-states would often found their own colonies. Some colonies were historically countries, while others were territories without definite statehood from their inception....
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
and later, the Kambuja in Indo-China Peninsula
Peninsula
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
, may have proceeded there via Gujarat/Bombay around this time. The above is just one example of Kamboja principalities. The evidence exists that there were more Kamboja principalities located in western, south-western/southern India.
Inscriptions or Charters belonging to the Bhoja rulers, dating 5th century, executed by Nidhivara and written by Buddhadasa of the Kamboja
Kambojas
The Kambojas were a kshatriya tribe of Iron Age India, frequently mentioned in Sanskrit and Pali literature.They were an Indo-Iranian tribe situated at the boundary of the Indo-Aryans and the Iranians, and appear to have moved from the Iranian into the Indo-Aryan sphere over time.The Kambojas...
(Brahman) gotra have been found in Bandora, Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
.
Luders's inscriptions No 176 and 472 refer to the gift of a monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
Kaboja (Kamboja
Kambojas
The Kambojas were a kshatriya tribe of Iron Age India, frequently mentioned in Sanskrit and Pali literature.They were an Indo-Iranian tribe situated at the boundary of the Indo-Aryans and the Iranians, and appear to have moved from the Iranian into the Indo-Aryan sphere over time.The Kambojas...
) from Nandi-Nagara made at Sanchi Buddghist Stupa. According to IHQ: "The monk was a Kamboja of Nandi-Nagara which might have been a place in the neighborhood of Sanchi". But no evidence of any ancient place called Nandi-Nagara near Sanchi
Sanchi
Sanchi is a small village in Raisen District of the state of Madhya Pradesh, India, it is located 46 km north east of Bhopal, and 10 km from Besnagar and Vidisha in the central part of the state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the location of several Buddhist monuments dating from the 3rd...
(in Malawa) is attested. Probably the Nandi Nagara of the Sanchi Inscriptions refers to modern Nandode (Rajpipli) in Gujarat which in earlier was known as Nandan Nagar or Nandi-puri.
The above pieces of evidence pieced together further support the presence of Kambojas in south-western India in the post-Christian times.
Further reading
- Baudha Rock-Temples of Ajanta, Their Paintings and Sculptures, Archaeological Survey of Western India, 1879, p 2, Dr J. Burgess
- Inscriptions from the Cave-temples of Western India: With Descriptive Notes, &c, 1976, James Burgess, Bhagvānlal
- Maharashtra State gazetteers, 1964, Maharashtra (India). Gazetteers Dept, Maharashtra (India)
- Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency, 1883, Chapter XIV, p 347, Bombay (Presidency)
- Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency, 1883, Chapter VII, P 137, Bombay Presidency;
- The Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies, 2000, International Association of Buddhist Studies
- Monastery and Guild: Commerce Under the Sātavāhanas, 1986, Himanshu Prabha Ray
- Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bombay, 1974, Asiatic Society of Bombay
- The Cultural History of Goa from 10000 B.C.-1352 A.D., 1986, Anant Ramkrishna Sinai Dhume - Goa, Daman and Diu (India)
- K. C. Chaṭṭopādhyāya Memorial Volume, 1975, p 24,Kshetresh Chandra Chattopadhyaya - India Civilization..
See also
- KambojasKambojasThe Kambojas were a kshatriya tribe of Iron Age India, frequently mentioned in Sanskrit and Pali literature.They were an Indo-Iranian tribe situated at the boundary of the Indo-Aryans and the Iranians, and appear to have moved from the Iranian into the Indo-Aryan sphere over time.The Kambojas...
- Migration of Kambojas
- Kamboja Colonists of Sri Lanka
- Kambojas and KambodiaKambojas and KambodiaThe name of Cambodia, in Khmer "Kampuchea" , derives from Sanskrit . It is not unique to the modern kingdom of Cambodia: the same name is also found in Burmese and Thai chronicles referring to regions within those kingdoms...
- Raigad districtRaigad districtRaigad District , also known as Raigarh District, is a district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is located in the Konkan region. The district was renamed after Raigad, the fort which was the former capital of the Maratha leader Shivaji, and is located in the interior regions of the district,...