New Insights in the History of Chamba

A Study of the Copper-Plate Inscription of raja Prithvi Singh, AD 1663

Abstract

In the western Himalayan region, there is a lot of epigraphical wealth, especially copper-plate inscriptions and many earlier scholars have found these inscriptions from various parts of this region, such as Chamba, Kulu, Rampur Bushaihar and Sirmaur. Among all these regions, Chamba is famous for its epigraphical heritage of copper-plate inscriptions. More than a hundred copperplate inscriptions have been found in the western Himalaya. As I said, some earlier scholars have mentioned these epigraphical references in their respective works. However, two eminent scholars, J. Ph. Vogel (1911) and B. C. Chhabra (1957), have extensively studied Chamba's copper-plate inscriptions. Both scholars have documented and translated approximately one hundred fifty inscriptions. In their distinguished/iconic works on these inscriptions, they have also put these epigraph's historical and archaeological significance. Their studies have also helped build up the region's political, social, economic, and cultural history. At the same time, inscriptions also establish the authenticity of the vaṁśāvalīs collected long ago by earlier scholars. There are many unpublished copper-plate inscriptions of the Chamba region of western Himalaya; some are in local collections, and some are in the Bhuri Singh Museum, Chamba collection, which have yet to be deciphered and appropriately analysed. These undeciphered copper-plate inscriptions are a treasure trove of western Himalayan history. However, in the last decade of the twentieth century, some copper-plate inscriptions were procured by V. C. Ohri and are presently preserved in the Bhuri Singh Museum collection. Since then, these copper-plate inscriptions have remained almost unnoticed and not deciphered or commented upon by any scholar till date. One of the copper-plate inscription in the collection belongs to raja Prithvi Singh.The present paper tries to decipher this copper-plate inscription of rājā Prithvi Singh of Chamba,  and a detailed study is offered.