Kuvalayamala Katha Ke Adhar Par Golladesh Va Gollacharya Ki Pahichan - Book Summary

Here's a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Kuvalayamala Katha ke Adhar par Golladesh va Gollacharya ki Pahichan" by Dr. Yashwantlal Malliya, based on the provided pages:

This academic paper, authored by Dr. Yashwantlal Malliya from Colorado State University, aims to identify the location of "Golladesh" and the personage of "Gollacharya" based on the Jain text Kuvalayamala Katha and other historical evidence. The author notes that while significant research has resolved many issues in Indian history, some remain debated, and this paper addresses one such important issue for Jain social, religious, and broader Indian history.

Key Areas of Investigation:

The paper focuses on answering several critical questions:

Impossibility of Golladesh Location: Identifying regions where Golladesh cannot have been located based on the Kuvalayamala Katha.
Information from Shravanabelgola Inscriptions: Analyzing what the inscriptions found in Shravanabelgola reveal about this country.
Origin of Jain Communities: Investigating whether ancient communities like Golapurva, Golalare, and Golsinghare originated from the same region and identifying that location.
Etymology and Cessation of Mentions: Determining when and why the region came to be known as Golladesh and why its mentions ceased.
Identity and Period of Gollacharya: Clarifying who Gollacharya was and during which period he lived.
Determining Golladesh Location: Using the Kuvalayamala Katha and other texts to establish the location of Golladesh.

Analysis of Texts and Evidence:

Kuvalayamala Katha (8th Century): This text, authored by Udyotanasuri, mentions eighteen country-languages, including the language of Golladesh. Similar lists are found in other texts like Neminahachariu (Laxmanadev), Nayakumara-chariu (Pushpadanta, 10th century), Kavyamimamsa (Rajshekhar, 10th century), and Natya Darpan (Ramchandra-Gunachandra, 12th century). However, mentions of Golladesh are scarce in other historical sources and inscriptions.
Debunking Previous Theories: The paper dismisses the theory that Golladesh is located near the Godavari River, based solely on a phonetic similarity.
Shravanabelgola Inscriptions: Inscriptions from Shravanabelgola (12th century) mention a "Gollacharya," who was reportedly the king of Golladesh and took monastic vows for some reason. These inscriptions state he belonged to the Nandigana, Desagana, and was in the lineage of Akalanka. Another inscription from 1115 CE refers to Gollacharya as a ruler of the "Noolchandil" dynasty, likely a variant of the Chandela dynasty. This connects Golladesh to the Chandela kingdom.
Jain Communities (Golapurva, Golalare, Golsinghare): The paper explores the origin of these Jain communities.
- Golalare: Their inscriptions date from the late 11th century, using the name "Golaraade," indicating they were residents of "Gollarashtra."
- Golsinghare: Their earliest mentions are from the 17th century, with inscriptions calling them "Golsringar."
- Golapurva: This community is the largest. Their dialect is Bundelkhandi, and many families migrated from the Tikamgarh, Chhatarpur, and Sagar districts. Ancient inscriptions of the Golapurva community are found around the Dhasan River. The paper highlights inscriptions from Papora, Chhatarpur, Ahar, Navai, Lalitpur, Bahoriband, and Mahoba, dating from the 11th-12th centuries, using the term "Golapurva." The earliest known inscription is from Bahoriband (1070 or 1110 CE) during the reign of Gaya Karna of the Kalachuri dynasty.
Nawalshah Chanderiya's Account: The paper discusses the work Varshman Puran by Nawalshah Chanderiya (1768 CE), which provides significant information about the Golapurva caste, including 76 of their clans (gotras). Many of these clans are named after places in the Dhasan river region. Nawalshah mentions the origin of the Golapurva from "Goyalgarh," which he connects to the Adjin (Tirthankar) and Ikshvaku lineage. While many scholars identify Goyalgarh with Gwalior, the paper examines this connection carefully.
Gwalior Connection: The paper explores the etymology of Gwalior. While the traditional explanation connects it to a sage "Gwal," the paper suggests the name might derive from "Gop" (cowherd) and "Gadh" (fort). The paper notes that the name Gwalior has variations like Gopadri and Gopachal. The presence of ancient inscriptions of Hunas like Toramana and Mihirkula in Gwalior is mentioned. The paper also considers the possibility that the Greek writer Kosmas Indicopleustes (6th century CE) might have referred to Mihirkula as "Gollas" due to the Greek practice of adding '-s' to names. This links the Gwalior region (or a region around it) to the "Golla" nomenclature.
Reconciling Evidence: The paper posits that if Nawalshah's account of Golapurva origin from Goyalgarh (identified as Gwalior or a nearby region) is accurate, it would explain why Golapurva Jain, Golalare, Golsinghare, and even Golapurva Brahmins are found in the Agra, Bhind, and Etawah districts (around Gwalior). The scarcity of earlier inscriptions from this region for common people, and the potential for the name "Golla" to be associated with the region of Gwalior, supports this theory.

Conclusion:

Based on the analysis of the Kuvalayamala Katha and various inscriptions, the paper strongly suggests that:

Golladesh likely corresponds to the region around Gwalior and the Dhasan river basin in present-day Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
Gollacharya was a significant figure, possibly a king of this region who became a Jain monk, belonging to the Chandela lineage or a related dynasty.
The Jain communities of Golapurva, Golalare, and Golsinghare originated from this area, with the Golapurva community having a significant presence and historical records in the Dhasan river region from the 11th-12th centuries onwards. The connection to Gwalior as an ancestral place ("Goyalgarh") is also considered a strong possibility.

The paper presents a cohesive argument, integrating textual evidence with epigraphical findings to establish a credible identification of Golladesh and Gollacharya within the historical and geographical context of ancient India.