History of Gujarát: Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency, Volume I, Part I.Campbell, James M.
History
History of Gujarát: Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency, Volume I, Part I.
Campbell, James M.
Gujarat (India) -- History
Inscriptions give reason to believe that the supremacy of Chandragupta,
the founder of the Mauryan dynasty (B.C. 319), extended over
Gujarát. According to Rudradáman's inscription (A.D. 150) on the
great edict rock at Girnár in Káthiáváda, a lake called Sudarsana
[33] near the edict rock was originally made by Pushyagupta of the
Vaisya caste, who is described as a brother-in-law of the Mauryan
king Chandragupta. [34] The language of this inscription leaves no
doubt that Chandragupta's sway extended over Girnár as Pushyagupta
is simply called a Vaisya and a brother-in-law of king Chandragupta
and has no royal attribute, particulars which tend to show that he
was a local governor subordinate to king Chandragupta. The same
inscription [35] states that in the time of Asoka (B.C. 250) his
officer Yavanarája Tusháspa adorned the same Sudarsana lake with
conduits. This would seem to prove the continuance of Mauryan rule
in Girnár for three generations from Chandragupta to Asoka. Tusháspa
is called Yavanarája. The use of the term rája would seem to show
that, unlike Chandragupta's Vaisya governor Pushyagupta, Tusháspa
was a dignitary of high rank and noble family. That he is called
Yavanarája does not prove Tusháspa was a Greek, though for Greeks
alone Yavana is the proper term. The name Tusháspa rather suggests
a Persian origin from its close likeness in formation to Kersháshp,
a name still current among Bombay Pársis. Evidence from other sources
proves that Asoka held complete sway over Málwa, Gujarát, and the
Konkan coast. All the rock edicts of Asoka hitherto traced have
been found on the confines of his great empire. On the north-west
at Kapurdigiri and at Shabazgarhi in the Baktro-Páli character; in
the north-north-west at Kálsi, in the east at Dhauli and Jangada;
in the west at Girnár and Sopára, and in the south in Maisur all in
Maurya characters. The Girnár and Sopára edicts leave no doubt that
the Gujarát, Káthiáváda, and North Konkan seaboard was in Asoka's
possession. The fact that an inland ruler holds the coast implies
his supremacy over the intervening country. Further it is known that
Asoka was viceroy of Málwa in the time of his father and that after
his father's death he was sovereign of Málwa. The easy route from
Mandasor (better known as Dasapur) to Dohad has always secured a close
connection between Málwa and Gujarát. South Gujarát lies at the mercy
of any invader entering by Dohad and the conquest of Káthiáváda on one
side and of Upper Gujarát on the other might follow in detail. As we
know that Káthiáváda and South Gujarát as far as Sopára were held by
Asoka it is not improbable that Upper Gujarát also owned his sway. The
Maurya capital of Gujarát seems to have been Girinagara or Junágadh
in Central Káthiáváda, whose strong hill fort dominating the rich
province of Sorath and whose lofty hills a centre of worship and a
defence and retreat from invaders, combined to secure for Junágadh
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