120 Dr. Hoernle —Gauhati Copper-plate Grant of Indrapala. [No. 2, 
For paloeographically tlie Nowgong grant is older than the Gauhati grant, 
and very closely resembles the Ratnapala grant. Thus, it does not use 
the ringlet of the nasal rj, and forms the consonant hh in the old fashion, 
older even than in the Ratnapala plate. It also uses the same initial form 
of the vowel i, as the latter plate, viz., a circumflex below two ringlets 
placed side by side (ojd), while the Gauhati plate reverses that position. 
Accordingly the Nowgong plate and its author must have preceded tho 
Gauhati plate of Indrapala. Whence it follows that, though the plate, 
pal geographically, might be of the same age as the Ratnapala plate, its 
author king Balavarman must be placed before Ratnapala, and, there¬ 
fore, also before Brahmapala. Whence it further follows that the Harjara 
line of kings must have preceded the Pala dynasty. For, to all 
appearances, they ruled over the same country of which Pragjyotisa 
was the capital. 9 
The Tejpur grant, being one of Vanamala, the great-grandfather of 
Balavarman of the Nowgong grant, must be still older than the Pala 
grants. Unfortunately it is not forthcoming, though Mr. Gait has 
made a careful search for it. From the specimen, published in this 
Journal , Yol. IX, the point of age is very difficult to determine, though 
there is nothing in it to suggest its being younger than the Nowgong or 
the Pala grants. 
Unfortunately none of these Asam grants are dated. The palseo- 
graphic guidance is, at best, uncertain and vague ; but as it is, I am 
disposed to refer the Gauhati plate to (say) 1050 A.D., the Ratnapala 
plate to (say) 1010 A.D., the Nowgong plate to (say) 975 A.D., and the 
Tejpur plate of Vanamala to (say) 925 A.D. 
Another puzzle is that both lines, of Harjara (or Pralambha) as well 
as of the Palas, trace their descent up to Bhagadatta, as if they were 
dynasties related to one another, and of the same tribe or race. 
6 Pragjyotis-adhipa or ‘ lord of Pragjyotisa * is applied to all of them equally. 
So far as the land-grants which I have seen are concerned, the name Pragjydtisa is 
only applied to a town (pura), but not to a country. In the Nowgong grant Naraka 
is said to have conquered (the country of) Kamarupa and to have taken up his 
residence in the town ( pura ) of Pragjyotisa. There is nothing in the land-grants 
to show that Pragjydtisa had ceased to be the capital of the country in the time of 
either Balavarman or Indrapala; in fact, the title “lord of Pragjyotisa” rather 
negatives that idea. At the same time, it would seem that Indrapala ordinarily 
resided in the townlet ( nagari , see v. 19) ^ridurjaya, which was a strong fort; 
while, according to the Nowgong grant, Balavarman appears to have ordinarily 
resided in Haruppegvara, which is described as his paitamaha Jcataka or ‘ ancestral 
camp.' I may add that, as Mr. Gait informs me, Pragjydtisa is represented by the 
modern town of Gauhati ; and that the modern Kamriip is a district which forms 
only a small part of the ancient kingdom of Kamarupa. See, however, ante , p. 104. 
