Home > Indian History > History of India > Inscriptions found from Nalanda
Inscriptions found from Nalanda
Inscriptions found from Nalanda are excavated from Nalanda site in Rajgir. It states that the inscriptions belonged from Guptas, Maurayas, Pala, Sena and Maukhari dynasty. Not that the foreign inscriptions like China, Tibet, Laos, Vietnam and Java are found after excavating Nalanda.

Share this Article:

Inscriptions found from NalandaInscriptions in Nalanda that are found after unearthen in the Biritish era shows the clear picture of the civilised Indian society in the early era of 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th Century.

Excavations of Nalanda
The Nalanda inscription is an inscription located in Nalanda, Bihar and has been dated to 860 AD. The inscription talks about king Devapaladeva of Bengal who had granted the request of Sri Maharaja of Suvarnadvipa, Balaputra, to build a Buddhist monastery at Nalanda. Balaputra was mentioned as the son of Samaragrawira, grandson of Sailendravamsatilaka (the jewel of the Sailendra family) with stylized name Sriviravairimathana (the slayer of enemy hero), king of Java that married Tara, daughter of Dharmasetu.

Monastery Site 1 yielded three copper-plate inscriptions belonging to Samudragupta (circa335-75), Dharmapala circa 770-819) and Devapala (circa 810-59) respectively. Ihe copper-plate of Dharmapala records the grant in the district (Vishaya) of Gaya in the Nagara (Patna) vision (bhukti). The copper-plate of Devapala is much more important. The original copper-plates are now in the Indian museum.

Stone Inscriptions of Nalanda Excavations
There are the stone inscriptions, both of which are very important, are now in the Nalanda Archaeological Museum.

1. The inscription of the time of Yasovarmadeva, recording various gifts, including a permanent grant to the temple erected at Nalanda Monastery by king Baladitya, by Malada, the son of a minister of king Yasovarmadeva, evidently the renowned king of Kanauj of the first quarter of the eighth century.

2. Inscription of Vipulasrimitra, recording the activities of the ascetic Vipulasrimitra, who, among other things, built a temple of Tara, adorned with a court and tank, at Somapura, where he resided for a long time and renovated a local monastery. At Nalanda he erected a monastery, an ornament of the world, surpassing in a wonderful manner the palace of Indra, and made it over to the line of ascetics to which he belonged. The inscription was recovered from the uppermost level of Monastery Site 7, which have already seen shows three periods of occupation. On the basis of this inscription one may ascribe the construction of the uppermost monastery to the first half of the twelfth century to which the inscription may be referred on palaeographical considerations.Inscriptions found from Nalanda

Brick Inscriptions of Nalanda Monastery
There are many brick inscriptions, mostly fragmentary, have been discovered from the core of the small votive stupas attached to the main temple of Nalanda. The inscriptions give the Buddhist creed, dharma, etc., or the more elaborate Nidana-sutra or Pratityasamutpada-sutra, with or without the nirodha portion. This sutra is found in many Buddhist texts, both in Sanskrit and Pali language.

Seals and Plaques from Nalanda Monastery
The vast number of seals and plaques discovered at Nalanda Monastery fall under two categories: 1. Ecclesiastical Seals and 2. Civil Seals. Under the former head come those seals which bear the Buddhist creed, sometimes with the figure of Buddha, or bear only the image of Buddha without any other stamp. Of the secular sealing, historically the most important are those which belong to royal personages, such as Narasimhagupta and Kumaragupta II of the Gupta dynasty, Sarvavarman and Avantivarman of the Maukhari dynasty, Supratishthitavarman and Bhaskaravarman of Assam, Harshavardhana of Kanauj, and Pasupatisimha, Devasimha and Isanasimha of an unknown lineage. The Civil sealing gives a vast number of names. There are also seals of particular offices, such as the Office Of The Kumaramatya in the Magadha division (Bnhukti), Office Of Gaya District (Vishaya), Office of the Rajagriha district, Office of the Kumaramatya of the Nagara (Patna) division.

Coins of Nalanda Monastery
The coins of Nalanda Monastery that are found at Nalanda archaeological site include those of Kumaragupta I and Narsimhagupta of the Gupta lineage, Sasanka of Bengal Adivaraha or Bhoja I of the Pratihara dynasty and Govindachandra of the Gahadavala dynasty. All of these are now preserved in the Indian Museum of Kolkata, West Bengal.


Share this Article:

Related Articles

More Articles in History of India


History of Indian Drama
History of Indian Drama is rich with Vedas and Indian epics and has gradually changed with time and remains unaffected by any foreign influence.
History of Khajuraho Temple
Located in the Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh, Khajuraho is country’s most magnificent groups of temples.
History of Ayurveda
History of Ayurveda dates back to 5,000 years old and is widely considered to be the oldest form of health care in the world.
History of Uttar Pradesh
The state was the heart of Mahabharata war and the history of Uttar Pradesh is very much the history of India. The place finds its mentions in Hindu epics Ramayana and Mahabharata.
History of Indian Photography
An overview of the development of photography, through the various stages in India.
History of Delhi
History of Delhi began with the advent of Indian regal dynasties. Delhi witnessed the rise and fall of Hindu dynasties, Muslims and the British as well.
History of Indian Radio
History of Indian Radio dates back to late 1930s with the first establishment of All India Radio in 1936 that improved further after independence.
History of Punjab
History of Punjab dates back to the 16th century; however its formation is traced in the great epic Mahabharata.
History Of Archaeology In India
History of archaeology in India contributes a lot to define the past history and the social life of India.
History of Maharashtra
Maharashtra, the land of charismatic Marathas, unfolds the legend of diverse culture and tradition, keeping in pace with the modernity. The gallant history of Maharashtra is still echoed amidst its historical relics and archeological wonders.
History of Kerala
History of Kerala can be interpreted from the inscriptions of Ashoka, Mauryan Emperor. History of Kerala is as interesting as its wide-ranging geographical features that make the land a place of versatile appeal.
History of Bihar
History of Bihar goes back to the very dawn of the human civilizations. Many eminent personalities and leaders from Bihar contributed for India’s freedom struggle.
History of Assam
In the ancient Indian epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata, Assam was known as `Kamarupa` or `Pragjyotish`. In the Mahabharata, the Puranas, the Tantras there are references of Assam as Kamrupa kingdom.
History of Andaman and Nicobar Islands
History of Andaman and Nicobar Islands dates back to the settlement of the East India Company in the territory of the Islands.
History of West Bengal
History of West Bengal is rooted in richness and is an important episode in the history of India. The history of Bengal played an important role in shaping the history of India.
History of Jharkhand
One of the fairly newer states, Jharkhand was carved out of the southern portion of Bihar in 2000. The history of Jharkhand is seeped with a variety of cultural significances starting from the Vedic era to Mughal period and finally the British administration.
History of Sikkim
History of Sikkim declares the pre historic culture and the colonial era hilly politics and the rules of Sikkim.
History of Nagaland
The history of Nagaland mainly revolves around and deals with the customs and economic activities of the Naga Tribes and how the state has evolved since the Indian Independence.
History of Mizoram
History of Mizoram includes the various historical events and incidents which occurred during the various ages, right from before the age of the Mughals.
History of Jammu & Kashmir
History of Jammu and Kashmir involves a series of political and geographical transformations from every ancient era to the modern times also. Even now, Jammu and Kashmir has its political tension between Pakistan and India.
History of Puducherry
Puducherry was invaded by different invaders in different times. The invaders include Pallava Kingdom of Kanchipuram, dynasties of the South, Cholas of Thanjavur, Pandyas and Muslim invaders.
History of Chandigarh
In 1947, the British India was partitioned into India and Pakistan. Punjab was also included in this partition. So, there was a need for a new capital for Punjab, as the old capital Lahore became part of Pakistan during the partition. So, in 1948, under the leadership of chief architect Mr. P.L. Verma the construction of Chandigarh city began.
History of Daman and Diu
During the early stage, i.e. from 8th to 13th century, Daman and Diu was part of Goa.
History of Lakshadweep
History of Lakshadweep defines the first settlement on these islands under the Union Territory of India that was ruled by Cheraman Perumal, who was the last king of Kerala.
History of Karnataka
History of Karnataka comprised of the different rulers of different dynasties of various religions like Hindus, Buddhists, and later the Muslims.
History of Goa
History of Goa dates back to the 3rd century BC and reflects the rule of the mighty rulers and gained its independence under Jawaharlal Nehru.
History of Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh possesses a rich historical heritage of culture of the ancient tribes. Being a bordering state of India, Arunachal Pradesh also has a history of military unrest since ancient Indian age.
History of Andhra Pradesh
History of Andhra Pradesh traces its origin back to the 5th century BC. According to the inscriptions, Kuberaka, the oldest Kingdom in South India had an empire in the coastal Andhra during that period.
History of Himachal Pradesh
History of Himachal Pradesh narrates about the various settlements and dynasties that emerged in the region over time.
History of Uttarakhand
History of Uttarakhand finds mention in the early Hindu scriptures as Kedarkhand, Manaskhand and Himavat. Uttarakhand is called as the Land of the Gods (Dev Bhoomi) because of its various holy places and shrines.
History of Rajasthan
The history of Rajasthan is dotted with tales of valor, chivalry, camaraderie and romance.
History of Tamil Nadu
History of Tamil Nadu reveals that this ancient place in South India was ruled by various kingdoms like the Pandyas Dynasty, Cholas Dynasty, Nayakas Dynasty and Pallavas Dynasty.
History of Haryana
History of Haryana depicts various events and influences that have cast a profound effect on the culture and people of the district. The place gained statehood on 1st of November 1966
History of Odisha
History of Odisha goes back a rather long way. Most of the history of the state is replete with the dynastic as well as tribal struggle for territorial superiority. Odisha is a place where one can find the religion, culture and history flow in away that lead to cultural amalgamation of early India.
History of Manipur
History of Manipur can be traced back to the prehistoric ages and this was followed by a number of rulers who reigned the land from age to age till it came under British rule and later joined the union of India.
History of Gujarat
History of Gujarat can be dated back to the 14th century that later witnessed the supremacy of many powerful dynasties.
History of Tripura
History of Tripura is dealing with the early mythological history and the history of British rule in North eastern part of India.
History of Meghalaya
The history of Meghalaya predominantly comprises of the three tribes of the state- Garo, Khasi and Jaintia tribes. Later on Meghalaya was formed by carving out two districts from the state of Assam.
History of Chhattisgarh
History of Chhattisgarh dates back to the era of epics and traces through the reign of powerful dynasties in India like Marathas. The area developed a rich cultural heritage during British era.