Splendours of the Betwa Valley Heritage

The State of Madhya Pradesh is drained by a major river valley: the Narmada. The river valley already is well-known for archaeological potentialities. Numerous Palaeolithic sites, late Harappan sites are traced. Historically too the region is very important. One may therefore expect similar archaeological remains even in the nearby tributaries. Over some years, explorations in the Narmada river valley resulted in the discovery of Palaeolithic sites including the most important find spot of the human fossil skull from Hathnora about 40 km north-east of Hoshangabad, painted rock shelters, numerous monuments mostly temples, have been discovered. It is therefore felt necessary to review critically the work done so far to know what new light they have shed on the history of the region and to ascertain the indications for further work in the Betwa valley. Scholars who have worked and studied the archaeological remains in the river valley therefore were invited to present their studies and researches on the materials they had discovered. On the whole therefore this publication was fruitfully successful. In all 22 papers were presented on early Palaeolithic sites, painted rock shelters, excavation of historical sites, monuments in the Betwa river valley. The papers may be classified into the geography and history of the region under study; Early Palaeolithic sites; Painted rock shelters; and Historical sites including some of their excavations and Monuments mostly temples. The first two papers may be deemed as background for the remaining papers. The paper on the geography of the river valley deals with the references to the river as Betravati in the Puranas such as Matsya, Markandeya, Vamana as well as some celebrated works: Kalidasa's "Meghaduta", Varahamihira's "Brithatsamhita" implying its traditional importance, and its tributaries and its five valleys. The Betwa originating in Raisen district and finally joining the river Yamuna in the district Hamirpur in Uttar Pradesh, has many tributaries on both the sides and some important historical places such as Vidisha, Besnagar and pilgrim centres like Charana Tirth etc. The paper on the history of the Betwa Valley region is quite exhaustive and the subject is dealt with in considerable detail. The language is lucid and makes an easy flow. The Prehistoric sites from early Palaeolithic to the Chalcolithic and up to early historical i.e. third-second century BCE are briefed and the sequence of the cultures as well as the discovery of an ovaloid temple known from the excavations at Besnagar. Then follows the history of the Janapadas in particular: Dasaarna in the Avanti and Cedi with the Traditional historical account associating with the Yadavas and Subahu, the son of Shatrughna, the youngest brother of Shri Rama and Hiranyakashipu, Prahlada etc. Thereafter eloquently runs the history of the region under the Pradyota dynasty, the Mauryas, the Shungas, the Post-Gupta, the Kalachuris of Mahishmati, the Vardhanas, the Gurjara-Pratihar, the Later Pratiharas, the Candelas, and the Paramaras of which Bhoja was very well known, up to the last kig Kaka or Goga and the final downfall of the dynasty in 1305 at the hands of Alauddin Khalji, the Delhi Sultan. The paper ends with the history of the region in one para up to 1812 when Vikramjita entered into a treaty with the British. It is appended with Notes and References and texts of the nine inscriptions of the Pratiharas. On the whole it is a good compilation of the history of the region.