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Vallabhi (or Valabhi or Valabhipur, modern Vala; Devanāgarī: वल्लभी) is an ancient city located in the Saurashtra peninsula of
Vallabhi was occupied as early as the Harappan period, and was later part of the Maurya Empire from about 322 BCE until 185 BCE.
The Satavahana dynasty ruled the area, off and on, from the late second century BCE until the early third century CE. The
Religious inscriptions are known from Valhabi, which were dedicated to the Brahmans as well as the Buddhist and Jains. The Indologist
Gujarat
Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...
, near Bhavnagar in western India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
. It is also known as Vallabhipura and was the capital of the Suryavanshi Maitraka Dynasty.
History
Vallabhi was occupied as early as the Harappan period, and was later part of the Maurya Empire from about 322 BCE until 185 BCE.
The Satavahana dynasty ruled the area, off and on, from the late second century BCE until the early third century CE. The Gupta Empire
The Gupta Empire was an ancient Indian empire which existed from the early 4th century CE to late 6th century CE. At its zenith, from approximately 319 to 467 CE, it covered much of the Indian subcontinent. This period is considered as the Gold ...
held the area from approximately 319 CE to 467 CE.
The Great Council of Vallabhi, which codified the Śvētāmbaras Jain
Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current time cycle being ...
texts, was held there in 454 CE, during the decline of the Gupta Empire.
In the fifth century (CE), the first two Maitraka
The Maitraka dynasty ruled western India (now Gujarat) from approximately 475 to approximately 776 CE from their capital at Vallabhi. With the sole exception of Dharapaṭṭa (the fifth king in the dynasty), who followed the Mithraic mysteries, ...
rulers, Bhatarka and Dharasena I, only used the title of ''Senapati'' (general). The third ruler, Dronasimha (Dronasena ), declared himself ''Maharaja'' (literally "Great King").Roychaudhuri, H.C. (1972). ''Political History of Ancient India'', University of Calcutta, Calcutta, pp.553-4 King Guhasena came after him. Unlike his predecessors, the king stopped using the term ''Paramabhattaraka Padanudhyata'' alongside his name, a term that denotes nominal allegiance to the Gupta overlords. He was succeeded by his son Dharasena II, who used the title ''Mahadhiraja''. The next ruler was his son, Siladitya-I Dharmaditya, who was described by a Chinese scholar and traveller Xuanzang
Xuanzang (, ; 602–664), born Chen Hui / Chen Yi (), also known as Hiuen Tsang, was a 7th-century Chinese Buddhist monk, scholar, traveler, and translator. He is known for the epoch-making contributions to Chinese Buddhism, the travelogue of ...
as a "monarch of great administrative ability and of rare kindness and compassion". Siladitya I was succeeded by his younger brother Kharagraha I.Mahajan V.D. (1960, reprint 2007). ''Ancient India'', S.Chand & Company, New Delhi, , pp.594-6
During the time of Kharagraha I, a copperplate grant was found from 616 CE that shows that his territories included Ujjain
Ujjain (, Hindustani pronunciation: d͡ːʒɛːn is a city in Ujjain district of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the fifth-largest city in Madhya Pradesh by population and is the administrative centre of Ujjain district and Ujjain ...
. During the reign of the next ruler, his son Dharasena III, north Gujarat was assimilated into the kingdom. Dharasena II was succeeded by another son of Kharagraha I, Dhruvasena II, Baladitya. He married the daughter of Harshavardhana
Harshavardhana (IAST Harṣa-vardhana; c. 590–647 CE) was a Pushyabhuti emperor who ruled northern India from 606 to 647 CE. He was the son of Prabhakaravardhana who had defeated the Alchon Huna invaders, and the younger brother of Rajya ...
and their son Dharasena IV assumed the imperial titles of ''Paramabhattaraka Mahrajadhiraja Parameshvara Chakravartin'' and Sanskrit poet Bhatti was his court poet. The next powerful ruler of this dynasty was Siladitya III. After him, Siladitya V ruled, and it is suspected that during his reign, there was an Arab Invasion. The last known ruler of the dynasty was Siladitya VII.
The rule of the Maitrakas is believed to have ended during the second or third quarter of the eighth century when the Arabs invaded.
Valabhi inscriptions
Religious inscriptions are known from Valhabi, which were dedicated to the Brahmans as well as the Buddhist and Jains. The Indologist Sylvain Lévi
Sylvain Lévi (March 28, 1863 – October 30, 1935) was an influential French orientalist and indologist who taught Sanskrit and Indian religion at the École pratique des hautes études.
Lévi's book ''Théâtre Indien'' is an important ...
wrote an article entitled ''"Les donations religieuses des rois de Valhabi"''.
The numerals used in the Valhabi inscriptions and on their coins, dated to circa 600CE, are often mentioned as an intermediary step in the evolution of Hindu-Arabic numerals.
See also
* Vala State *Valabhi University
Valabhi University was an important center of Buddhist learning and championed the cause of Hinayana Buddhism between 600 CE and 1400 CE. Valabhi was the capital of the Maitraka empire during the period 480-775 CE. It was an important port for ...
References
{{Bhavnagar district Cities and towns in Bhavnagar district