Epigraphic Gleanings on Brāhmaṇism in Chamba, c. Eighth to Eighteenth Centuries CE

Abstract

Chamba region in western Himalayas has attracted the attention of researchers after decipherment of hundreds of inscriptions spanning the period between early eighth to eighteenth century. The present article is a fresh attempt to study the epigraphs to probe into the arrival of the brāhmaṇa community from different parts of the country at different time spans into Chamba. How this arrival in periodical waves affected the political and religious milieu of the region is the focus of the present study. An interaction of pre-existing indigenous elements of polity and religion with the new dominating Brāhmaṇical elements ultimately legitimized the position of the kings within the Brāhmaṇical order, in reciprocity for the land grants these brāhmaṇas received. In epigraphs, we notice the dominance of brāhmaṇa writers with specific indication of their gotra and sometimes Vedic affiliation that has been summarized in this research through tabular data for an easy understanding of their content and context. Our analysis throws light on new information with regard to migration, grants-in-perpetuity and the Brahmanization of the royal house of Chamba between the eighth and eighteenth centuries.