THE UNTOUCHABLES : RACIAL DIFFERENCE ... 295
ruling over different portions of Uttarapatha till they were themselves swept away before the conquering arms of Samudragupta.
As late as the time of Skandagupta, however we find one Sarvanaga as the governor of Antarvedi [1] In the neighbourhood of Saurashtra and Bharukaccha especially, the Nagas seem to have held a prominent position down to the 6th Century A.D. From the Junagadh inscription Skandagupta appears to have dealt severely with a Naga rebellion. [2] In 570 A. D. Dadda I Gurjara uprooted the Nagas. [3] who have been identified with the jungle tribes ruled over by Brihul laka of Broach. [4] Dhruvasena II’s grant of G.S. 334 (645 A.D.) also mentions as Dutaka the Pramatri Srinaga. [5]
The next important revival of the Nagas particularly in Central India seems to date about the 9th Century A.D. In 800 A.D. Maharaja Tivaradeva of Sripura in Kosala most probably defeated a Naga tribe. [6] Sometime after this period, we also note two references to Nagas in the inscription of Bengal. The Ramganj record of Mahamandalika Isvara Ghosha introduces us to a Ghosha Naga family of Dhekkari, which was to be assigned to 11th century [7] A.D. The Bhuvanesvara Prasasti of Bhatta Bhavadeva, the minister of Harivarmadeva in 12th century [8] A.D. also refers to destruction of Naga kings by him. The Ramacharita mentions the conquest of Utkala, the kingdom of BhavaBhushana-Santati, by Ramapala, but it is not clear whether in this case the Nagas or the Chandras were meant. The greater probability would however lie in favour of the former, since they were the more well known.
It was in the period 10th-12th Century A.D. that the different branches of the Sendraka, Sinda, or Chindaka family, which called themselves lords of Bhogavati and Nagavamsi gradually spread themselves over different portions of Central India, particularly Baster. The Nagattaras of Begur, too, appear in an inscription of the
10th Century [9] A.D. as having fought against king Viramahendra, on behalf of the W. Ganga king Ereyappa and being distinguished for bravery in the fight. If the evidence of Navashasanka Charita is
G. I. p. 68
G.I. p. 59
I. A. XIII pp. 82
B.Gaz. I.i.115
ELI. p. 92
G.I. p. 298
Bhandarkar’s List No. 2100
Inscription of Bengal III pp. 30 ff.
E.I.VI p.45