Junagarh Rock Inscription: Ruler, History, and Significance of Sudarshan Lake

The Junagarh Rock Inscription: It is located near Girnar Hill in Gujarat, is one of India’s most vital epigraphic records. It primarily details the achievements of the Shaka Kshatrapa ruler Rudradaman I, but more importantly, it chronicles 800 years of engineering history of Sudarshan Lake. This article delves into the rulers involved, the technical brilliance of ancient Indian irrigation, and the cultural significance of the inscription.

The Junagarh Rock Inscription is a unique "historical ledger" carved on a massive granite boulder. Written in elegant Sanskrit, it serves as a testament to the administrative foresight of ancient Indian rulers and their commitment to public welfare through the maintenance of the Sudarshan Lake.

Junagarh Rock Inscription: The Mauryan Contribution 

The lake was a state-sponsored irrigation project initiated during the 4th and 3rd centuries BCE by Chandragupta Maurya. Its development occurred in two phases: 

• Chandragupta Maurya: The lake was originally conceived and constructed under the orders of the empire's founder. His provincial governor in the Saurashtra region, Pushyagupta Vaishyadammed local rivers (the Suvarnasikta and Palashini) to create this massive artificial reservoir know as Sudarshan Lake.

• Ashoka: Emperor Ashoka expanded the Canal by recognizing the lake's potential for wider agricultural benefit and further developed the site. 

• The governor Tushaspha, a Yavana (Greek) official, added a sophisticated network of irrigation canals and conduits to distribute the stored water to surrounding farmlands.

Source: egyankosh

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The Ruler: Rudradaman I

The rock contains inscriptions from Ashoka and Skandagupta but the most famous portion belongs to Rudradaman I (130–150 CE), the greatest king of the Western Kshatrapas.

• Junagarh Rock inscription is considered the first lengthy record written in Chaste Sanskrit, marking a shift from the Prakrit used in earlier eras.

• Rudradaman highlights that he repaired the lake using his own personal treasury without burdening the citizens with forced labor (Vishti) or extra taxes.

Source: NIOS 

The History of Sudarshana Lake: 

The inscription provides a chronological "biography" of the Sudarshan Lake, showing how different dynasties maintained this vital water resource.

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