Bhagabhadra (
BrΔhmΔ«: πͺπΈππͺπ€ππ , ) was a
Shunga Emperor who reigned in northern and central India from around 114 BCE to 83 BCE. Although the capital of the Shungas was at
Pataliputra, he was also known to have held court at
Vidisha. It is thought that the name Bhagabhadra also appears in the regnal lists of the Shungas in the
Puranic records, under the name Bhadraka, fifth ruler of the Shungas.
Heliodorus inscription
He is best known from an
inscription
Epigraphy () is the study of inscriptions, or epigraphs, as writing; it is the science of identifying graphemes, clarifying their meanings, classifying their uses according to dates and cultural contexts, and drawing conclusions about the wr ...
at the site of
Vidisha in central
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
, the
Heliodorus pillar, in which contacts with an embassy from the
Indo-Greek King Antialcidas of
Taxila is recorded, and where he is named ''Kasiputra'' Bhagabhadra,
the Saviour, son of the princess from
Benares
Varanasi (, also Benares, Banaras ) or Kashi, is a city on the Ganges, Ganges river in North India, northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hinduism, Hindu world.*
*
*
* The city ...
":
Translation:
:(Archaeological Survey of India, Annual Report (1908-1909))
This inscription is important in that it tends to validate that the Shungas ruled in the area of Vidisa around 100 BCE. This is also corroborated by some artistic realization on the nearby
Sanchi stupa thought to belong to the period of the Shungas. Altogether, three Shunga pillars have also been found in the area .The Garuda pillar erected by Heliodorous and the inscription written on this pillar is regarded as the earliest material evidence of Bhagavatism in India.
References
External links
Photo of the pillar with Brahmi inscription
2nd-century BC Indian monarchs
Shunga dynasty
Emperors of Magadha
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