The Mathura lion capital is an Indo-Scythian sandstone capital (a part of a pillar) from Mathura in Northern India, dated to the first decade of the 1st century CE (1–10 CE). It was consecrated under the rule of Rajuvula, one of the Northern Satraps of the region of Mathura.

The capital was unearthed at the Saptarishi mound of Mathura by Bhagwan Lal Indraji in 1869. It is covered with Prakrit inscriptions in the kharoshthi script of northwestern India. The capital was made on the occasion of the funeral of "the illustrious king Muki and his horse" (Muki has been conjectured to be Maues).

The capital describes, among other donations, the gift of a stupa with a relic of the Buddha, by Queen Ayasia, the "chief queen of the Indo-Scythian ruler of Mathura, satrap Rajuvula". The Mathura lion capital, an Indo-Scythian sandstone capital from Mathura in Central India, and dated to the 1st century CE, describes in kharoshthi the gift of a stupa with a relic of the Buddha, by queen Nadasi Kasa, "the wife of Rajuvula" and "daughter of ", who is mentioned as the "daughter of Kharahostes". The lion capital also mentions the genealogy of several Indo-Scythian satraps of Mathura. It mentions Sodasa, son of Rajuvula, who succeeded him and also made Mathura his capital.

The capital also displays at its center a Buddhist triratana symbol, further confirming the involvement of Indo-Scythian rulers with Buddhism.

The inscription indicates support of the Sarvastivadin, against the Mahasamghikas.

It is on display in the South Asia section of the Sir Joseph Hotung Gallery for China and South Asia at the British Museum.

List of inscriptions

In a Latin transliteration of simplified Kharosthi script, the inscriptions read:

+ Inscription of the Mathura Lion CapitalInscriptionOriginal (Kharosthi script)TransliterationEnglish translation A1 Of the Great Satrap Rajuvula A2 By the main Queen Ayasi A3 Kamuia, daughter A4 of the young king Kharahostes A5 and mother of Nadadiaka, A6 together with (her) mother, Abuhola, A7 (her) father's mother, Piśpasi, and (her) brother A8 Hayuara (and) together with the hanacana- A9 añaüra donors' A10 retinue, in this place of the earth, A11 outside the monastery boundary, a relic is established A12 of the Lord, the Śākya sage, Buddha, A13 king of the Śākya in his own Busa A14 monastery, and also a stūpa, and quarters for the community, and the community of the four A15 directions, the sangha of the A16 Sarvāstivādas possesses it. B1 The Great Satrap B2 Rajuvula's son, B3 the Satrap Śuḍasa, E4′′ makes E1' Kharahostes E′ Kamuia, the young king, E2 Prince Khalama, E3 and Maja the youngest, E4 applaudants. M1 The Satrap Śuḍasa J2 outside the monastic boundary; he offers M2 of the earth M3 this region, I2 called I3 the encampment I1a Veyaadirṇa I4 (and) the Viyaa I1b encampment, from the Busa J1 Mountain separated. KL3 It is accepted by the water KL1 by the teacher KL2 Budhateva. F1 By Budhila, a city-dweller F2 (and) Sarvāstivāda monk, G1 in honour of the Great Satrap Patika Kusulaka, and of Mevaki G2 Miyika, the satrap, J3 in the possession of the Sarvāstivādas. N1 The teacher Budhila, city-dweller and monk N2 of the Sarvāstivāda community, his act of possession N3 to the Mahāsāṃghikas N4a must be announced. P1 In the whole of P2 Sakastan's honour, O1 may all the Buddhas be honoured, may the Dharma O2 be honoured, may the Sangha be honoured. R1 Of Taxila. R2 Of Kronina. N4b Of Khalola. Q1 Khardaa, Q2 the Satrap. J′1 Khalaśamuśa J′2 C1 Kaluia, C2 Varaja, C3 Kamuka, D Naaluda. H′ Dharma gift, H in the cave monastery.

Interpretation

Sten Konow, who compiled a definitive listing of Indian Buddhist inscriptions said: "If we bear in mind that mb becomes m i.e mm in the dialect of Kharoshthi dhammapada, and that is used for the common o in Sudasa in the Lion Capital Inscriptions, the Kamuia of the Lion Capital can very well represent a Sanskrit Kambojika ... I shall only add that if Kharoshtha and his father Arta were Kambojas, the same may have been the case with Moga, and we understand why the Kambojas are sometimes mentioned with the Sakas and Yavanas".Sten Konow, Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum, Vol II, Part I, p. xxxvi, p. 36 Many of Konow's readings, his sequence of sentences and some of the interpretation, particularly the connection with king Maues, need to be changed in the light of a new reading of H. Falk.Harry Falk, "Ten thoughts on the Mathura Lion capital reliquary". Bhandare, Shailendra & Sanjay Garg (eds.), "Felicitas – Essays in Numismatics, Epigraphy and History in Honour of Joe Cribb". Mumbai, pp. 121–141

Queen Aiyasi is mentioned in the Mathura Lion capital, where she is described as belonging to the Kamuia clan (as rendered in Kharosthi script). The inscription itself does not provide further clarification regarding the ethnic or regional identity of this group.

The Hungarian-British archaeologist Aurel Stein proposed that Kamuia may represent a Gandhari-Prakrit form of Kamboja, an ancient Indo-Iranian people attested in early Sanskrit and classical sources. Stein’s suggestion was based on phonetic considerations and the historical presence of Kamboja groups in northwestern regions associated with Indo-Scythian political activity.

Subsequent scholarship has noted this Identification with caution. The phonological correspondence between Kamuia and Kamboja is not conclusively established, and the inscription does not preserve the name in a form that directly matches the standard Sanskrit rendering.Accordingly, the equation remains a scholarly hypothesis rather than an established identification.

References

Sources Baums, Stefan. 2012. "Catalog and Revised Texts and Translations of Gandharan Reliquary Inscriptions." In: David Jongeward, Elizabeth Errington, Richard Salomon and Stefan Baums, Gandharan Buddhist Reliquaries, pp. 219–222, Seattle: Early Buddhist Manuscripts Project (Gandharan Studies, Volume 1). Baums, Stefan, and Andrew Glass. 2002– . Catalog of Gāndhārī Texts, no. CKI 48 British Museum Collection Online Reg. No. 1889,0314.1