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Subrat SaurabhAuthor of Kuch Woh Pal
Inscriptions suggest that Kapardi I, founder of the Shilahara dynasty of Thane emerged in the early 9th CE as the feudal lord of the Rashtrakuta King Govinda III. The Shilaharas have left several epigraphical footprints in the form of Copper Plate and Stone Inscriptions in North Konkan. Rupali Mokashi has presented an extensive and holistic study of the Shilaharas of Thane as gleaned through recently discovered epigraphical sources. These inscriptions have unveiled new rulers like Mahakumara Keshideva. A revised chronology with the help of six new Copper Plate and Stone inscriptions of the Shilahara dynasty will be the highlight of this work.
Kings Jhanjha and Jaitugi are explored by her in the light of epigraphical data. Epigraphical references of coalescence of scribal class into a caste, Kumarisahasadanda and resettlement of the learned Brahmanas of Karad to North Konkan offer an insight into the society of early medieval North Konkan. A critique is done of Brahmanical, Buddhist and Jain sacred sites of North Konkan as gleaned through the inscriptions.
Rise of Chalukya King Kedaradeva vividly explains the emergence of contemporary power centres on the eve of decline of the Shilaharas of Thane in South Konkan. The transfer of power from the decline of Satavahanas to the rise of the Shilaharas of Thane, as well as from the decline of Shilaharas till the firm footing of the Portuguese in North Konkan is traversed with the help of epigraphical footprints. The author has discovered many stone inscriptions that had succumbed to vagaries of time and our neglect. They could not add to the epigraphical information. Yet, these inscriptions have been documented in the work for their historical value.
Rupali Mokashi
Rupali Mokashi is Associate Professor and Head of the post graduate department of History, R K Talreja College, University of Mumbai. She was awarded Ph.D. in Ancient Indian Culture by the University of Mumbai. In her doctoral research, she has unfurled from oblivion the contributions of over fifteen hundred women as recorded in inscriptions of ancient Deccan.
She is the recipient of Justice K. T. Telang Research Fellowship of the Asiatic Society of Mumbai. She has delivered talks on ‘women as gleaned through inscriptions’ at Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies and at Stuttgart on the 40th anniversary of the Mumbai-Stuttgart twin city festival.
She has published over thirty-five research papers in journals of international repute and contributed chapters in books. She is the author of the book Alaukika, which narrates the history of lesser-known women from ancient Indian literature and epigraphical sources.
Her keen interest in epigraphy has led to the discovery of new copper plate and stone inscriptions of the Shilaharas of Thane. The book is the outcome of her decade-long pursuit of the inscriptions of the Shilaharas of Thane.
