28/01/2020 - History | Mainstorming

IAS Parliament 5 years

KEY POINTS

Recent archaeological excavations at Nagardhan in Ramtek taluka, near Nagpur, have provided concrete evidence on the life, religious affiliations and trade practices of the Vakataka dynasty that ruled parts of Central and South India between the third and fifth centuries.

Why is the excavation important?

· Very little was known about the Vakatakas, the Shaivite rulers of Central India between the third and fifth centuries.

· It was after archaeological evidence from here that Nagardhan was understood to have served as a capital of the Vakataka kingdom.

What is the significance of these finds?

· It is the first time clay sealings have been excavated from Nagardhan. The oval-shaped sealing belongs to the period when Prabhavatigupta was the queen of the Vakataka dynasty.

· The copperplate issued by Queen Prabhavatigupta starts with a genealogy of the Guptas, mentioning the Queen’s grandfather Samudragupta and her father Chandragupta II.

· These are strong indicators of Vaishnava signatures on the royal seals of the Vakatakas, reiterate that Queen Prabhavatigupta was indeed a powerful woman ruler.

· An intact idol of Lord Ganesha, which had no ornaments adorned, too was found from the site. This confirmed that the elephant god was a commonly worshipped deity in those times. Remains of seven species of domestic animals cattle, goat, sheep, pig, cat, horse and fowl were traced in an earlier study by the team.