Quarterly Journal of The Mythic Society

Vol 115 | October – December 2024 | No. 4

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THE MYTHIC SOCIETY

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Quarterly Journal of The Mythic Society

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Pages: vi+254
October– December, 2024 (Vol. 115, Issue No.4)

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October – December 2024 ii

Quarterly Journal of The Mythic Society

Content
Vol. No. 4 Page
115 Nos.

1. Swami Vivekananda: The Pioneer of Indian Nationalism. — T. Balasubramanian 1

& V. Venkatraman
2. A Preliminary Study of the Newly Discovered Painted Rock Shelter in Tendua Pahadi
(Mohbatta), District Balaghat, Madhya Pradesh. — Pankaj Pandro, Jay Ramteke, 13
Hemant Kumar Vaishnav & Alok Shrotriya

3. Archaeological Explorations in the Adampur and Jalandhar East Blocks of Jalandhar 26

District of Punjab: A Preliminary Report. — Rahul
4. Shaiva Shiḷpa̅ni: An Analysis of Shiva Sculptures based on Ka̅ṣhyapa Silpasa̅sthra̅. 36
— Rajarajan Krishnan
5. Mātr̥kā Tradition in Early Medieval Odisha. — Hrushikesh Behera 55

6. A Note on A Visnu Image from Mangaldai. — Gargi Raha 69

7. Examining the Mythological Narratives of Sonitpur through Text and Image. 74

— Chandana Das & Paromita Das

8. Panchatantra: A Treatise of Wisdom as depicted in Temples of Karnataka. 79

—Rekha. H.G & Malleshappa .T.S

9. A New Inscription From Nārāvi . —P.N. Narasimha Murthy 91

10. Understanding Social Changes and Transformations through Imprecatory Verses in 96

Telugu Inscriptions: A Study. — A. Monish Shanmukh Kasyap

11. An Inscriptional in Kaithi Script from Ghazipur District of Uttar Pradesh. 105
— Pritam Kumar, Mukant Bishwas & Sachin Kr. Tiwary
12. Inscriptional references to Brahmanas during Chalukya Jayasimha’s reign. — Shivaraju 110

13. Prapā: Some references from Ancient Indian texts on Architecture . — T. Mini 117

14. Gupta Kingship and the Essence of Divinity. —Dilawar Nabi Bhat 121

15. Architectural Legacy of Madurai Nayaks: An Analytical Study of Mantapa Architecture. 129
—G. Murali Prasath
16. Lost Port, Found Legacy: Rediscovering Goregaon’s Maritime Importance in 136
Maharashtra. —Gayatri Rede & Tanashree Redij

17. Baolis or Stepped Wells, the Ancient Water Storage Medium in Bhadarwah, Jammu and 146
Kashmir, India —Rajat Kumar
18 Role of Sufi Saints in Building the Social Base of Bengal and their North Indian 158
Connections. — Shakir Nabi Dar

October – December 2024 iv

 Content
Vol. No. 4 Page
115 Nos.

19 A Study of Gandhian Methods of Constructive Organisation and Activities in Princely 163

Mysore State. - 1920-1947. — Manjunath G R

20. Trade and Trafficking of Slaves in Early Medieval India: A Historical Perspective. 166
— Rashid Manzoor Bhat.
22. India’s Napoleon in the Himalayan Frontier: From Ladakh to Tibet. — Tsewang Dolkar 175

23. The Fluid Narrative of Human Civilization - A Journey through the History of Water. 182
— Ishfaq Ahmad Mir
24. Tribal Identity of the Vedic God Rudra: An Anthropological Approach. 198
— Pramod V. Pathak
26. An Archaeological Investigation of Village Deur, District Satara, Maharashtra. 208
— Ganesh Bhongalen
25. History of Raichur- A Revisit. — M. Kotresh & Sudha J. 222

26. Ancient Practices of Suryanamaskar on the Body Fat and Effects of Pilates. 235
— Karthika.K.S & K. Usha Rani.
27. A Tribute to H.S. Gopal Rao. —Jayasimha. P 245

v
 Vol. 115, No. 4
Quarterly Journal of The Mythic Society October – December
2024
www.mythicsociety.org/qjms

An Inscription in Kaithī Script from

Ghazipur District of Uttar Pradesh
Pritam Kumar* Mukant Bishwas** & Sachin Kr. Tiwary***
*Research Scholar (PhD), Department of AIHC and Archaeology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi-221005, Uttar Pradesh, India
E-mail Address: [email protected].
** Former Post-Graduate Student, Department of AIHC and Archaeology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi-221005,
UttarPradesh, India, E-mail Address: [email protected].
*** Assistant Professor, Department of AIHC and Archaeology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi-221005, Uttar Pradesh, India.
E-mail Address: [email protected]
DOI No.: https://doi.org/10.58844/HYPX4080

Abstract
The present paper has focused on a recently discovered stone inscription in Kaithī script from Ghazi-
pur District, Uttar Pradesh. The inscriptions hold significant archaeological and historical implica-
tions, potentially shedding light on linguistic and cultural aspects of the regions where it was found.
Further analysis and decipherment of these inscriptions promise to contribute valuable insights into
the past, enriching our understanding of the cultural heritage of the concerned region.
Keywords: Kaithī script, inscription, documentation, cultural, Saidpur, etc.

Introduction several notable landmarks, including a

Union Bank of India ATM and the nearby
The discovery of this ancient inscription Baba Dhaba Evam Family Restaurant. The
in the Kaithī script1 from Ghazipur District, nearest village is Piyari, located to the east
Uttar Pradesh, is a significant addition to of the site. The Gangi River is approximately
our understanding of the region’s historical, 1.4 km to the east, while the Ganga River
cultural, and linguistic development. is about 7 km to the south. The site is 64
Unearthed during the extension of NH31 in km northeast of Banaras Hindu University,
2018, this inscription offers a unique and accessible via NH31 on the Varanasi-
intriguing glimpse into the area’s historical Gorakhpur Highway. The inscription site
context. is located on the southern side of NH31
and on the eastern side of the road leading
Location to Karkhanawa village from NH31. The
inscription is currently housed in a small
The inscription was reported at gumati, serving as a seating area for the
coordinates Lat: 25053'89"N and Long: local pan wala, who also sells tea.
83031'39"E. The location is marked by

105
 Quarterly Journal of The Mythic Society

Movement and Reporting of the In- Exploration and Documentation

scription Mr. Gulab Chandra Kushwaha, a na-
During the extension of NH31 in 2018, tive of Mallikshahpur village in Ghazipur,
the well behind the gumati was destroyed, explored the site. The third author docu-
revealing two stone pillars that served as mented the site and the inscription, while
columns in a rectangular formation. The en- the first and second authors deciphered
graved pillar was found to be 2 m 6.7 inches the Kaithī script. The exploration involved
long with varying widths and thicknesses, photographic documentation, comparative
while the unengraved pillar measured 138 analysis with known Kaithī script docu-
cm in length. The engraved pillar’s mea- ments, and translation to understand the
surements include a width of 37.5 cm at the content and context of the inscription.
bottom and 32 cm at the top, with an in-
Material and Condition of the In-
scription area measuring 35.5 cm horizontal
and 56 cm long. The bottom portion, which
scription
was once underground, measures 37.5 x The inscription is made of sandstone
33.2 cm, and the pillar has a thickness of from the Kaimur range of Uttar Pradesh.
9.5 cm. The top portion of the engraved Despite the passage of time, the inscription
pillar is damaged. The unengraved pillar is remains in good condition. The engraving is
138 cm long, with a width of 33 cm at the relatively shallow, which has likely contrib-
bottom 29 cm at the top, and a maximum uted to its preservation.
thickness of 8.5 cm. This pillar is missing
its bottom portion. Both columns, now used Deciphering the Inscription
for seating, were integral parts of the local An important document employed the
infrastructure before their discovery. Kaithī script, historically used in eastern and

Fig. 1: General and close view of the inscription

October – December 2024 106

 An Inscription in Kaithī Script from Ghazipur District of Uttar Pradesh

northern India. The inscription provides the the Phasalī Saṃvat was introduced by
socio-cultural data which reconstructs the Emperor Akbar (1556-1605 CE) in 971 Hijri
history of the region. The deciphering pro- Year (1563 CE). This dating system is a solar
cess involved high-resolution photographic year of 365 or 366 days. This is also known
documentation of the inscription, cross-refer- as ‘Northern Phasalī Saṃvat’.The official
encing with known Kaithī script documents, beginning of this era was, however, fixed
and translating the script to understand its at the first autumnal equinox after Akbar’s
content and context. This methodical ap- accession. This year started when the farmer
proach ensured an accurate interpretation of had collected his harvest and paid his taxes.
the inscription, shedding light on the histori- The Phasalī Saṃvat was introduced in the
cal and cultural significance of the find. whole of northern India, to the Vindhya
Mountains in the south. The conquest of
the kingdom of Khandesh had been Akbar’s
last success in that direction. When emperor
Shah Jahan (1628-1658 CE) had conquered
parts of India south of the Vindhyas, he
introduced there this era in 1046 Hijri Year
(1636 CE). This is known as ‘Southern or
Deccan Phasalī Saṃvat’ too (Röver 2018,
34). The Bāṅglā Saṃvat (Bengali Era) is
also a kind of Phasalī Saṃvat which was
very popular in the Bengal region (Ojha
1918, 192-193). The era is also known as
‘Bangābda’. The only difference between
Translation Bāṅglā Saṃvat and Phasalī Saṃvat is that it
[On the] 1st, 3rd [and] 5th [day of (Phasalī Saṃvat) starts from Ashvina month,
the] bright fortnight [of the] month of and the Bāṅglā Saṃvat starts from the first
Agrahaṇya (November-December) [in month Vaishakh. The Vikrama Saṃvat is a
the] Phasalī (Faslī) Saṃvat (Harvest well-known and very popular dating system
Era) 1242 (i.e. 1834 CE) [and in the] all over India from the ancient period.
Vikrama Saṃvat 1891 (i.e. 1834 CE), The Bhitari (Saidpur) stone inscription
[this community work] has been contains some place names but it does not
completed [by someone(s) at the mention any person's name. In the fifth line,
village of] Panahaluai [in the] taluka we found a geographical name Panahaluai
Mahamudapura-Hathīnī [under the] which is most probably the name of a
paraganā of Saedapura Bhītarī. village or hamlet of a small community. The
authors have tried to identify Panahaluai
but at present, there are no records and no
Discussion
same or similar name village in the region of
The engraved inscription is in Bhojpuri Bhitari. Mahamudapura-Hathīnī is the other
language and Kaithī script, a dated geographical name, which is now known
inscription. The inscription holds two eras as Muhammadpurhathini. Saedapura is
at a time, Phasalī (Faslī) Saṃvat (Harvest presently known as Saidpur (Figure 3), a
Era) 1242 and Vikrama Saṃvat 1891, both town and nagar panchayat of Ghazipur
corresponding to 1834 CE. In eastern India, district. Bhītarī is a village near Saidpur

107 Pritam Kumar, Mukant Bishwas &

Sachin Kr. Tiwary
Quarterly Journal of The Mythic Society

(Figure 2), also historically important. The administrative units of it. Taluka is an
archaeological ruins of the Gupta period and administrative district for taxation purposes
the Bhitari pillar inscription of Skandagupta in South Asia, typically comprising several
(c. 455-467 CE) have been found here. All villages. Paraganā is a group of villages or a
of these places mentioned in this inscription subdivision of a district in India.
in Kaithī script are situated in the district
of Ghazipur of Uttar Pradesh. We can Conclusion
also find the use of administrative units
in the Bhitari (Saidpur) stone inscription. The discovery of the Kaithī script inscrip-
Taluka and Paragana (Paraganā) are the tion from Ghazipur District is a significant

Fig. 2: Location and area of present Bhitari village (Map Courtesy: Google Earth Pro)

Fig. 3: Location and area of present Saidpur (Map Courtesy: Google Earth Pro)

October – December 2024 108

 An Inscription in Kaithī Script from Ghazipur District of Uttar Pradesh

addition to the historical and cultural Pandey 2007, 1 & 15). The information or
corpus of Uttar Pradesh. This finding not evidences of the Kaithī script is insufficient to
only underscores the region’s rich heritage establish the origin of this script, so the initial
origin of it is also uncertain. Most probably
but also opens new avenues for research
the script originated between the transitional
into the administrative and social practices
phase of Kutila and Nagari scripts along with
of the past. Further archaeological inves- other scripts like Tirahuta, Bengali, Modi,
tigations and detailed studies of similar Gujarati etc. (Kumar 2023, 89). Based on
inscriptions could provide deeper insights the Kaithī script’s structural and geograph-
into the historical narratives of the region. ical distribution, it is classified among the
Collaborative efforts with historians and eastern group of scripts used for the New
linguists will be essential to uncover the full Indo-Aryan languages; which also includes
significance of such inscriptions. Bengali, Maithili and Odisha (Salomon 2003,
69; Pandey 2007, 13).
2. mā. is usually used as an abbreviation
Acknowledgement of māha/māsa (i.e. month) in Bhojpuri
language.
The authors are grateful to Bhavanath Jha
(Researcher of Sanskrit and Maithili Literature
and Manuscript) for helping to determine the Bibliography
date of this inscription. They are also thankful
to Professor (Dr.) Susmita Basu Majumdar Grierson, G.A. 1899. A Handbook on the Kaithi
(University of Calcutta) and Pratik Pandey Character, Calcutta: Thacker, Spink & Co.
(Banaras Hindu University) for their valuable Kumar, D. 2019. Kaithi Lipi: Eak Parichay
suggestions regarding the draft of this paper. (in Hindi). Gurugram (Haryana): Combu
Technologies.
Kumar, P. & M. Bishwas. 2024. Two Unpublished
References
Inscriptions in Kaithī Script from Uttar
1. In the Kaithī script which is also called Pradesh and Bihar, Studies in Indian
Kāyathī or Kāyasthī, the word ‘Kaithī’ was Epigraphy (Bhāratīya Purābhilekha Patrikā):
derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Kāyastha’ Journal of the Epigraphical Society of India,
which refers to the scribal caste who are Vol. XLIX (in Press).
mainly engaged in the upkeep (i.e. author, Kumar, P. 2023. Kaithi Lipi Ka Vaishishtha (Bihar
writer, composer, engraver etc.) of land and Ke Vishesh Sandarbha Me) (in Hindi), Bihar
administrative records in the northern region Itihash Parishad Karyavivaranika Dasham
of India. The script was used as a second script Adiveshana Bhagalpur, 2022, Patna: Bihar
in the former North-Western Provinces, Bihar Itihash Parishad.
and Awadh (including present Uttar Pradesh) Ojha, G.H. 1918. Bharatiya Prachina Lipimala (in
and also Odisha to write administrative, per- Hindi). New Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal.
sonal and legal matters (Pandey 2007, 13, Pandey, A. 2007. Proposal to Encode the Kaithi
Kumar 2019, 14). The British colonial au- Script in Plane I of ISO/IEC 10646. Berkeley:
thority recognized Kaithī as a distinct script. University of California.
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Government of Bengal established the Kaithī India Post, Vol. 52, pp. 34-37.
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109 Pritam Kumar, Mukant Bishwas &

Sachin Kr. Tiwary