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Royal Patronage and Religious Tolerance TheFormative Period of Gupta–VākāṭakaCulture

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 October 2010

HANS BAKKER
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Abstract

Patronage by the royal court of religious institutionsand foundations is one of the hallmarks of thedevelopment of India under the rule of the Gupta andVākāṭaka kings (4th–5th centuries). This patronagewas extended also to religious movements other thanthe king's own persuasion. The evolving culture ofreligious tolerance and enthusiasm is apparent inthe temple monuments of the time. In this article wefocus on four archeological sites where thesedevelopments become best visible: Udayagiri,Māṇḍhaḷ, Rāmagiri (Ramtek), and Mansar. The closerelationship of the Gupta and Vākāṭaka realms isinvestigated in its local settings. Renewedattention is given to the ‘Mandhal Inscription, Year5’ of the Vākāṭaka king Rudrasena II and the deityon whose authority the charter was issued:Muṇḍasvāmin. It is argued that the name Muṇḍa refersto no one else than the Gupta queen of Rudrasena II,Prabhāvatī Guptā. During the last decade,excavations in Mansar (5 km west of Ramtek) havebrought to light the state sanctuary of the youngestson of Prabhāvatī, Pravarasena II. The findingsthere are placed within the tradition that can betraced back, through Rāmagiri and Māṇḍhaḷ, to thereligious foundations in Udayagiri.

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Research Article
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Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society , Volume 20 , Issue 4 , October 2010 , pp. 461 - 475
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Copyright © The Royal Asiatic Society 2010

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