Historical Evidence and Its Interpretation
Kiran Kumar Thaplyal

The evidences discussed in 16 chapters and four appendices relate variously to determining the date and chronology, political history, polity and administration, religion and iconography, and social and economic life. An evidence when corroborated becomes strong, and when contradicted, turns weak, and the stronger the evidence, the more definite the conclusion. Some evidences are clear-cut, while others are vague, some are mutually conflicting and some variously contain mythology, exaggerations, stock phraseology, fabricated genealogy and forged account. Primary source is preferable to the secondary, and eye-witness to hearsay. Facts should be separated from fiction, actual from normative, original from fake, and certain from doubtful. The conclusions are drawn variously as probable, possible, potential or certain.

A few interpretations by scholars are interesting. The similarity of helmet and even that of smile of kings in coin-portraits is taken as evidence for their belonging to the same family. The title philopator (beloved of father) does not absolve a king of the blame of patricide. From coin portraits of Strato I, coins issued as a child, as an adult and as an old man have been identifi ed. Punctuating an unpunctuated epigraphic passage in one way, a lady is taken as a daughter of a person, and punctuating it another way, as his mother. New discoveries have brought changes in history.

The Rabatak inscription for the first time shows that Kanishka was son of Vima Kadphises, grandson of Vima Taktu (not known from any other source), and the great grandson of Kujula Kadphises. From the Risthal inscription, it is known that the mighty king, Yasodharman, was not a commoner before he became king (as was believed earlier), but before him, several kings of his family had ruled, and his immediate predecessor, Prakasadharman, had defeated the Hu?a chief, Torama?a. Successive discoveries transformed Budhagupta from a local ruler of Malwa to an Imperial Guptaruler, master of an empire extending from Bengal to Malwa; and Ramagupta was transformed from a legendary fi gure to anImperial Gupta monarch.

About the author
Professor Kiran Kumar Thaplyal (b. 1936), after obtaining first class first Masters degree in ancient Indian History and Archaeology (1957) from Lucknow University, served the Archaeological Survey of India for about three years (1957-60) where he was in charge of archaeological antiquities and participated in archaeological excavations at Lothal, Alamgirpur, Gilund and Ujjain.

Thereafter, in 1960, he joined Lucknow University as lecturer and taught there till his superannuation in 1996 as Professor and Head of the Department of ancient Indian History and Archaeology, and Dean, Faculty of Arts. He was Fellow of the Indian Institute of Advanced Study, shimla (1991-93). He is a recipient of the Brahmi™ award (one lakh rupees and a citation) for his contribution to various fields of Indology.

The nine books authored by professor Thaplyal include Studies in Ancient Indian Seals (Ph.D. dissertation), Inscriptions of the Mmaukharis, Later Guptas, Pushpabhutis and Yasovarman of Kanauj, Sindhu Sabhyata, Jaiina Paintings, Guilds in ancient India and Coins of Ancient India. He has published a number of papers and edited Select Battles in Indian History in two volumes.

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