https://indianpedia.org/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Kahaum_pillarKahaum pillar - Revision history2026-07-31T12:39:51ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.45.4https://indianpedia.org/index.php?title=Kahaum_pillar&diff=507380&oldid=prevNiklasKinard at 21:20, 1 February 20262026-02-01T21:20:51Z<p></p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{short description|One of the Pillars built during Gupta Era}}<br />
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2022}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2022}}<br />
{{Infobox artifact<br />
|name = Kahaum pillar<br />
|image = [[File:Kahaum pillar.jpg|200px]]<br />
|image_caption = The Kahaum pillar with carving of [[Parshvanatha]] and an inscription dating back to 461 CE during the reign of [[Skandagupta]]<br />
|material = [[sandstone]]<br />
|size = {{convert|8|m}}<br />
|writing =<br />
|created = 5th century CE<br />
|period = [[Gupta Empire]]<br />
|place = <br />
|location = [[Khukhundoo]] in [[Uttar Pradesh]], [[India]].<br />
| map =<br />
{{Location map<br />
| India#Uttar Pradesh<br />
| width = 200px<br />
| float = center<br />
| border = <br />
| caption =<br />
| alt = <br />
| relief = yes<br />
| AlternativeMap = <br />
| overlay_image = <br />
| label = [[Khukhundoo]] in [[Uttar Pradesh]]<br />
| label_size = <br />
| position = <br />
| background = <br />
| mark = In-jain.svg<br />
| marksize = <br />
| link = <br />
| coordinates = {{Coord|26|23|40.7|N|83|50|17|E|type:landmark_region:IN|display=title, inline}}<br />
}}<br />
|id =<br />
|registration = <br />
}}<br />
{{Jainism}}<br />
<br />
'''Kahaum pillar''' is an {{convert|8|m|ftin|abbr=on}} structure located in [[Khukhundoo]] in the state of [[Uttar Pradesh]]. The pillar was erected in the 5th century during the reign of [[Skandagupta]]. The pillar has carvings of [[Parshvanatha]] and other tirthankars with Brahmi script.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Jain shrines|url=http://www.uptourism.gov.in/post/jain-shrines|access-date=2020-09-17|publisher=[[Uttar Pradesh Tourism]]|archive-date=25 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200925082108/http://www.uptourism.gov.in/post/jain-shrines|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Sharma |first1=Tej Ram |title=Personal and Geographic Names in Gupta Inscriptions |date=1978 |page=93 |url=https://www.rarebooksocietyofindia.org/book_archive/196174216674_10151812362491675.pdf}}</ref><br />
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== Description ==<br />
[[File:Kakandi.jpg|thumb|left|Carving of [[Parshvanatha]] at the plinth of the pillar]]<br />
<br />
Kahaum pillar is a grey-sandstone that was erected during the reign of [[Skandagupta]], [[Gupta Empire]]{{sfn|Dikshitar|1993|p=332}}{{sfn|The Asiatic Society|1892|p=62}}{{sfn|Mukherjee|1989|p=90}} by a Jain ascetic named Madras.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Sharma |first1=Tej Ram |title=Personal and Geographic Names in Gupta Inscriptions |date=1978 |page=93 |url=https://www.rarebooksocietyofindia.org/book_archive/196174216674_10151812362491675.pdf}}</ref> According to inscription of the pillar, the pillar was erected in the [[Jyeshtha (month)|Jyeshtha month]] of year 141 of the [[Gupta era]] (A.D. 460–61).{{sfn|Bhandarkar|1981|p=306}}{{sfn|Vajpeyi|1983|p=73}}<br />
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There is a {{convert|0.673|by|0.51|m}} on the pillar with writing with characters belonging to eastern variety of Gupta alphabet similar to that of [[Allahabad Pillar#Samudragupta inscription|Samudragupta inscription of Allahabad Pillar]]. The inscription is written in [[Sanskrit]] language, and written in verses except for the first word, ''siddhaṁ''.{{sfn|Fleet|1888|p=66}} The inscription defines reign of Skandagupta as peaceful and describes him as "commander of a hundred kings".{{sfn|Dani|Litvinsky|1996|p=123}}{{sfn|Singh|2017|p=346}} The inscription also has an adoration to [[Arihant (Jainism)|Arihant]] of [[Jainism]].{{sfn|Dikshitar|1993|p=332}}{{sfn|Bhandarkar|1981|p=306}}{{sfn|Deo|1954|p=103}}<br />
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There is carving of five [[Jain]] [[Tirthankara]] in [[kayotsarga]] posture — one in a niche square face, two below the circular stone and two on the pinnacle of the column. These images are identified to be of [[Rishabhanatha]], [[Shantinatha]], [[Neminatha]], Parshvanatha and [[Mahavira]].{{refn|group=note|Rishabhanatha, Shantinatha, Neminatha, Parshvanatha and Mahavira attract the most devotional worship among the Jains.{{sfn|Dundas|2002|p=40}} }}{{sfn|Bhattacharya|1974|p=15}}{{sfn|Bhandarkar|1981|p=306}}{{sfn|Deo|1954|p=103}} According to inscription, these images were carved by Madra who is described as devotee of ''[[dvija]]'', ''[[guru]]'' and ''[[yati]]''.{{sfn|Singh|2008|p=524}}{{sfn|Singh|2017|pp=346-347}}<br />
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== Inscription ==<br />
{{blockquote|<br />
[[File:461 CE Kahaum pillar inscription, Kakubha, Jainism, Skandagupta.jpg|thumb| inscription on the Kahaum pillar]]<br />
[[File:Kakandi Script.jpg|thumb|inscription on the Kahaum pillar]]<br />
<br />
;Genealogy<br />
[Verse 1] (L.1.) — Perfection has been attained! In the tranquil reign of Skandagupta, whose hall of audience is shaken by the wind caused by the falling down (in the act of performing obeisance) of the heads of a hundred kings; who is bom in the lineage of the Gupta; whose fame is spread far and wide; who excels all others in prosperity; who resembles (the god) Sakra : (and) who is the lord of a hundred kings - in the one hundredth year, increased by thirty and ten and one; the month Jyeshtha having arrived.<br />
<br />
; Madra Kingdom<br />
[Verse 2] (L.5.) — In this jewel of a village, which is known by people under the name of Kakubha (and) which is pure from association with holy men, (there was) the high-minded Bhattisoma, who (was) the son of Sdmila, that receptacle of many good qualities. His son (was) Rudrasoma, of great intellect and fame, who had the other appellation of Vyaghra. His son was Madra, who (was) especially full of affection for Brahmans and religious preceptors and ascetics.<br />
<br />
; Adoration to Jain Tirthankaras<br />
[Verse 3] (L.9.) — He, being alarmed when he observed the whole of this world (to be ever) passing through a succession of changes, acquired for himself a large mass of religious merit. (And by him ), — having set up, for the sake of final beatitude (and) for the welfare of (all) existing beings five excellent (images), made of stone, (of) those who led the way in the path of the Arhats who practise religious observances, there was then planted in the ground this most beautiful pillar of stone, which resembles the tip of the summit of the best of mountains, (and) which confers fame (upon him).|Madra inscription on the Kahaum pillar.{{sfn|Fleet|1888|pp=67-68}}{{sfn|Bhandarkar|1981|pp=307-308}} }}<br />
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== See also ==<br />
* [[Gupta art]]<br />
* [[Pataini temple]]<br />
* [[Bhitari pillar inscription of Skandagupta]]<br />
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== Notes ==<br />
{{Reflist|group=note}}<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
=== Citation ===<br />
{{reflist|23em}}<br />
<br />
=== Sources ===<br />
==== Books ====<br />
{{refbegin|30em}}<br />
* {{cite book |last=Bhandarkar |first=Devadatta Ramakrishna |author-link=D. R. Bhandarkar |editor-last=Chhabra | editor-first=Bahadur Chand | editor-link=B. Ch. Chhabra |title=Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum (Revised) | volume=3 | year=1981 | publisher=[[Archaeological Survey of India]] |url=https://ignca.gov.in/Asi_data/68681.pdf }}<br />
* {{cite book |last=Bhattacharya |first=B. C. | title=The Jain Iconography | edition=2nd | year=1974 | orig-year=1939 | publisher=[[Motilal Banarsidass]] |url=https://ignca.gov.in/Asi_data/57452.pdf }}<br />
* {{cite book |last=Dikshitar |first=V. R. Ramachandra |author-link=V. R. Ramachandra Dikshitar|title=The Gupta Polity | publisher=[[Motilal Banarsidass]] | year=1993 | url={{Google books|KP_DTtd6kJEC|page=332|keywords=|text=|plainurl=yes}} | isbn=9788120810242 }}<br />
* {{cite book |last1=Dani |first1=Ahmad Hasan |author-link1=Ahmad Hasan Dani | last2=Litvinsky | first2=B. A. |title=History of Civilizations of Central Asia: The crossroads of civilizations, A.D. 250 to 750 | volume=3 |url={{Google books|883OZBe2sMYC|page=123|keywords=|text=|plainurl=yes}} |date=1996 |publisher=[[UNESCO]] |isbn=9789231032110 }}<br />
* {{citation |last=Dundas |first=Paul |author-link=Paul Dundas |title=The Jains |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=X8iAAgAAQBAJ |edition=Second |date=2002 |orig-year=1992 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=0-415-26605-X}}<br />
* {{cite book |last=Fleet |first=John Faithfull |author-link=John Faithfull Fleet|title=Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum | volume=3 | year=1888 |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.49403/page/n273/mode/2up | publisher=Superintendent of Government Printing | location=Calcutta }}<br />
* {{cite book |last=Higham |first=Charles |author-link=Charles Higham (archaeologist) |title=Encyclopedia of Ancient Asian Civilizations | series=Facts on File Library of World History |url={{Google books|H1c1UIEVH9gC|page=174|keywords=|text=|plainurl=yes}} |date=2014 |publisher=[[Infobase Publishing]] |isbn=9781438109961 }}<br />
* {{cite book |last=Mukherjee |first=Radha Kumud |author-link=Radha Kumud Mukherjee |title=The Gupta Empire<br />
|url={{Google books|uYXDB2gIYbwC|page=90|keywords=|text=|plainurl=yes}} |edition=Fifth |date=1989 |orig-year=1973 |publisher=[[Motilal Banarsidass]] | location=[[Delhi]] |isbn=81-208-0440-6 }}<br />
* {{cite book | last=Singh | first=Upinder | author-link=Upinder Singh | url={{Google books|Pq2iCwAAQBAJ|page=524|keywords=|text=|plainurl=yes}} | title=A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India: From the Stone Age to the 12th Century | date=2008|publisher=[[Pearson Education]] | isbn=978-81-317-1677-9 }}<br />
* {{cite book | last=Singh | first=Upinder | author-link=Upinder Singh | url={{Google books|dYM4DwAAQBAJ|page=346|keywords=|text=|plainurl=yes}} | title=Political Violence in Ancient India<br />
| date=2017|publisher=[[Harvard University Press]] | isbn=9780674981287 | lccn=2017008399 }}<br />
* {{cite book |last=Sinha |first=Bindeshwari Prasad |author-link=Bindeshwari Prasad Sinha|title=Dynastic History Of Magadha<br />
| publisher=Abhinav Publications | year=1977 | url={{Google books|V3KDaZY85wYC|page=30|keywords=|text=|plainurl=yes}} | isbn=9788170170594 }}<br />
* {{cite book | author=[[The Asiatic Society]] |title=Proceeding of the Asiatic Society of Bengal |year=1892 |publisher=Baptist Misson Press |url={{Google books|H4EbAQAAIAAJ|page=62|keywords=|text=|plainurl=yes}} }}<br />
{{refend}}<br />
<br />
==== Web ====<br />
{{refbegin|30em}}<br />
* {{cite journal | last=Deo | first=S. B. | title=The History of Jaina Monachism from Inscriptions and Literature | journal=Bulletin of the Deccan College Research Institute | publisher= [[Deccan College Post-Graduate and Research Institute]] | volume=16 | issue=1/4 | year=1954 | pages=1–608 | url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/42929542 | jstor=42929542 | oclc=555200984 | access-date=8 July 2022}}<br />
* {{cite journal | last=Vajpeyi | first=Raghavendra | title=Skandagupta's Bhitari Grant To Visnu-sarngin And Bhitari Excavations | journal=Proceedings of the Indian History Congress | publisher=[[Indian History Congress]] | volume=44 | year=1983 | pages=70–78 | url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/44139823 | jstor=44139823 }}<br />
{{refend}}<br />
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==External links==<br />
{{commons category-inline|Kahaum pillar}}<br />
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{{Jain history}}<br />
{{Jain temples}}<br />
{{Jainism topics}}<br />
{{Authority control}}<br />
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[[Category:Jain art]]<br />
[[Category:Gupta art]]<br />
[[Category:Gupta and post-Gupta inscriptions]]<br />
[[Category:Buildings and structures completed in the 5th century]]<br />
[[Category:5th-century inscriptions]]<br />
[[Category:Sanskrit inscriptions in India]]</div>NiklasKinard