Anupa (literally, watery tract) is an ancient
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 ...
n region roughly corresponds to the areas around ancient
Mahishmati city in the present-day
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh (, ; meaning 'central province') is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal, and the largest city is Indore, with Jabalpur, Ujjain, Gwalior, Sagar, and Rewa being the other major cities. Madhya Pradesh is the seco ...
. The
Vayu Purana
The ''Vayu Purana'' ( sa, वायुपुराण, ) is a Sanskrit text and one of the eighteen major Puranas of Hinduism.
''Vayu Purana'' is mentioned in the manuscripts of the Mahabharata and other Hindu texts, which has led scholars to p ...
mentions a
janapada (realm) of Anupa, located on the ''Vindhyaprishtha'' (Vindhya plateau). The Nasik cave inscription of Gautami Balashri claims that her son
Gautamiputra Satakarni
Gautamiputra Satakarni (Brahmi: 𑀕𑁄𑀢𑀫𑀺𑀧𑀼𑀢 𑀲𑀸𑀢𑀓𑀡𑀺, ''Gotamiputa Sātakaṇi'', IAST: ) was a ruler of the Satavahana Empire in present-day Deccan region of India. He was mentioned as the important an ...
's dominion included Anupa. The Junagarh rock inscription of
Rudradaman I
Rudradāman I (r. 130–150) was a Śaka ruler from the Western Kshatrapas dynasty. He was the grandson of the king Caṣṭana. Rudradāman I was instrumental in the decline of the Sātavāhana Empire. Rudradāman I took up the title of '' Ma ...
mentions Anupa as a part of his kingdom.
Maharajas of Valkha
A number of copper-plate grants discovered from this region (
Shirpur
Shirpur is a town and taluka in Dhule district of Nashik Division, Maharashtra. It is located on National Highway 3, which runs from Agra in Uttar Pradesh to Mumbai, Maharashtra. The Arunavati River and Tapi river flows through the city. ...
,
Bagh
Bagh ( fa, باغ, link=no, meaning "garden") may refer to:
Places India
* Bagh Caves in Madhya Pradesh, India
* Bagh, Dhar, a town in Madhya Pradesh, India
Iran
* Bagh, Ardabil, a village in Ardabil Province
* Bagh, Larestan, a village ...
and Manavar in
Dhar district
Dhar district is a district of Madhya Pradesh state in central India. The historic town of Dhar is administrative headquarters of the district.
The district has an area 8,153 km2. It is bounded by the districts of Ratlam to the north, Ujja ...
) are issued by a family bearing the title, ''Maharaja''. They recognized the suzerainty of certain emperors bearing the title, ''Paramabhattaraka'' (most probably the
Imperial Guptas. The names of the rulers of this family are Bhulunda, Svamidasa and Rudradasa. These three rulers ruled from their capital, Valkha, which is not yet identified. All of their copper-plate grants are dated in an unspecified era.
[Mirashi, V.V. (1981). ''Three Manavar Plates of the Maharajas of Balkha'', in M.D. Khare ed. ''Malwa through the Ages'', Bhopal: the Directorate of Archaeology & Museums, Government of Madhya Pradesh, pp.225-32]
Subandhu of Mahishmati
Two copperplate grants found from
Barwani
Barwani or Badwani ( hi, Baḍwāni) is a municipal town in Barwani district of Madhya Pradesh, India, that is situated near the left bank of the Narmada River. It is the administrative headquarters of Barwani district and has also served a ...
and the
Bagh Caves
The Bagh Caves are a group of nine rock-cut monuments, situated among the southern slopes of the Vindhyas in Bagh town of Dhar district in Madhya Pradesh state in central India. These monuments are located at a distance of 97 km from Dhar ...
are issued by a ruler, Subandhu, whose capital was Mahishmati. The Badwani plate is dated in the year 167 of an unspecified era.
Notes
{{reflist
Historical Indian regions
History of Madhya Pradesh