Tirupuri - History and Culture

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The track covered by Tripuri and the adjacent areas is undoubtedly one of the oldest regions known to Indian tradition. Recognized as the Land of the Chedis, which formed one of the Sixteen Mahajanapadas, the site and the legends associated with it has repeatedly been referred to in the Mahabharata, the Matsya, Padma and Skanda Puranas and several literary works of later age. Repeated archaeological excavations conducted at the site has proved its antiquity at least up to 1000 B.C.

The site came into prominence when inscribed coins with legend "Tipuri" datable to c. 2nd cent. B.C. were discovered in explorations and excavations. Earlier, the discovery of the Rupnath edict of Asoka had proved dominance of Mauryan rule over this region. Numismatic evidences have proved the rule over this region during the post-Mauryan period by the Sātavāhanas, the Bodhis, the Dattas, the Senas, the Maghas, the Guptas and their feudatories Mahārājas.

After qualifying from the Benaras Hindu University in 1945, Dr. M.C. Choubey involved himself deeply in Indological studies. Initially, he contributed several research papers on the coins of the Sätavähana rulers in the Journal of the Numismatic Society of India. Some of these were in co authorship with Dr. A.S. Altekar. He brought to light number of new rulers of the Bodhi and Sena, Datta and Magha dynasties, the coins of which he collected from Tripuri.

Dr. Choubey's book Lakulisa in Indian Art and Culture (Delhi, 1997), is the only published book on the subject which has been widely appreciated in the world of indology. Jabalpur the Past Revisited, published in 1993 by the State Govt. was well reviewed by the famous journalist and critic, Khushwant Singh in the Malice towards one and all. A revised and enriched edition of the same in Hindi under the caption Jabalpur Atit Darshan was brought out in 1994 and its second edition was released in 2003. He is author of several research papers published in reputed research journals. Numbers of his paper are under print.

Dr. Choubey is co-convener of INTACH, Jabalpur Chapter and under his guidance the organization has undertaken several projects and publication.

Tripuri is a site of great antiquity. It came into prominence when inscribed coins of the city-state of Tripuri were discovered and published. Though its history is shrouded in obscurity it could be gathered from the copper plate grants of the Parivrājaka Mahārājas, who ruled over Tripuri janapada. The excava tions carried out at the site proved that man who used microlithic implements and painted pottery lived in this area in about 1000 B.C. The presence of Asokan edict at Rupnath and excavations carried out at Kakrehta brought home the fact that this area formed the part of the great Mauryan empire in the 3rd century B.C. The Buddhist influence is also proved by the availability of the steatite caskets, beads, pottery sherds with Buddhist symbol and Bodhi coins.

I have tried to present a connected and comprehensive history of this belt from excavations, epigraphic, numismatic and literary sources. Tripuri has been attracting the imagination of the scholars ever since the publication of Cunningham and Beglar's Reports but except for the Hindi publication of 'Tripuri' by Dr. Ajay Mitra Sastri in 1971, no scholarly work was readily available in English.

**Contents and Sample Pages**