Maharajas of Valkha

The core territory of the Valkha rulers was located along the Narmada River around present-day Khargone district (West Nimar), Madhya Pradesh. In 1982, a hoard of 27 inscriptions of the dynasty's rulers were found at Risawala adivasi settlement on the outskirts of the Bagh town in Dhar district. This suggests that the name "Bagh" is derived from "Valkha". The inscriptions of the dynasty have also been discovered at Indore and Shirpur (or Sirpur).{{sfn|Shiv Kumar Tiwari|2002|pp=63-64}}

The inscriptions of the Valkha rulers are dated to the years 38-134 of an unspecified calendar era. The rulers are titled Maharaja ("great king") and described as meditating at the feet of the Parama-bhattaraka ("supreme overlord"). Some historians, such as D. C. Sircar and R. C. Majumdar theorized that the Maharajas of Valkha were subordinates to the Gupta emperors, who were overlords of northern India. According to these scholars, the calendar era used in the Valkha inscriptions is the Gupta era, which starts from 319 CE.{{sfn|Shiv Kumar Tiwari|2002|p=64}}

On the other hand, V. V. Mirashi suggested that the calendar era used in the Valkha inscriptions is the Abhira era starting in 249 CE.{{sfn|Shiv Kumar Tiwari|2002|p=64}} He also identified the location of Valkha as Waghali in present-day Maharashtra.{{sfn|Parmanand Gupta|1976|p=128}}

Bhulunda, the name of the dynasty's earliest known ruler, appears to be a non-Sanskrit name. The later rulers of the dynasty have Sanskrit names, and the inscriptions don't mention the relationships between the different rulers. One theory is that Bhulunda was a tribal chieftain, who was appointed by emperor Samudragupta as the governor; the later feudal governors were of Indo-Aryan origin. Another theory is that the later four governors were descendants of Bhulunda, and adopted Sanskritized names.{{sfn|Shiv Kumar Tiwari|2002|p=64}}

All the inscriptions record land grants to Brahmanas, groups of Brahmins (called Chaturvaidya-Samooha) or temple deities. This has led to suggestions that the Gupta emperors attempted to Brahminize what were then tribal areas of central India. One of the inscriptions records a grant to the deity "Bappa Pishacha-deva", who was probably an evil spirit (pishacha) worshipped by the local tribals.{{sfn|Shiv Kumar Tiwari|2002|p=64}}

Bhulunda's inscriptions are dated between years 38-59 (358-379 CE, assuming Gupta era). After him, Valkha was ruled by Svamidasa, Rudradasa, Bhattaraka and Nagabhatta. The inscriptions of these four rulers are dated between 63-134 (383-454 CE).{{sfn|Archana Verma|2007|p=23}}

After Nagabhatta, the next known ruler of the region is Maharaja Subandhu of Mahishmati. His Bagh Caves inscription is dated 167 (486 CE, assuming Gupta era).{{sfn|Archana Verma|2007|p=23}}{{sfn|Walter M. Spink|2005|p=37}} Historian Walter M. Spink has identified Subandhu as the prince Vishruta mentioned in Dashakumaracharita. According to his theory, Subandhu or Vishruta was a Gupta prince, who established the dynasty that later came to be known as Kalachuri.{{sfn|Walter M. Spink|2005|pp=153-154}}{{sfn|Sara L. Schastok|1985|p=97}}

The Maharajas of Valkha attested by epigraphic evidence are:{{sfn|Archana Verma|2007|p=23}}

1. Bhuluṇḍa
2. Svāmidāsa
3. Rudradāsa
4. Bhaṭṭāraka
5. Nāgabhaṭṭa

{{reflist|30em}}

{{ref begin}}

• {{cite book |author=Archana Verma |title=Cultural and Visual Flux at Early Historical Bagh in Central India |publisher=Archaeopress |location=Oxford |year=2007 |isbn=9781407301518 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_os7mOK9v38C&pg=PP6 }}
• {{cite book |author=Om Prakash Misra |title=Archaeological Excavations in Central India: Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=o0ISjDDWJwQC&pg=PA13 |year=2003 |publisher=Mittal Publications |isbn=978-81-7099-874-7 }}
• {{cite book |author=Parmanand Gupta |title=Geographical Names in Ancient Indian Inscriptions |publisher=Concept |year=1976 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PPlNxFkiVfIC&pg=PA128 }}
• {{cite book |author=Sara L. Schastok |title=The Śāmalājī Sculptures and 6th Century Art in Western India |publisher=BRILL |year=1985 |isbn=9789004069411 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jh1fF8HvJmMC&pg=PA97 }}
• {{cite book |author=Shiv Kumar Tiwari |title=Tribal Roots of Hinduism |publisher=Sarup & Sons |year=2002 |isbn=9788176252997 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=n0gwfmPFTLgC&pg=PA63 }}
• {{cite book |author=Walter M. Spink |title=Ajanta: The end of the Golden Age |year=2005 |isbn=9789004148321 |publisher=BRILL |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Fjgq2OivwmkC&pg=PA37 }}

{{ref end}}

Category:Dynasties of India

Category:History of Madhya Pradesh

Category:Vassals of the Gupta Empire