Source: – @vajrayudha11 / Twitter.
This ~2200 years old inscription at Udaygiri hills contains the earliest recorded mention of word Bharatvarsha (as Prakritized – Bharadhvasa).
It was commissioned by Maharaja Kharavela Mahameghvahana of Kalinga and refers to his expeditions throughout Bharat. 1/n pic.twitter.com/vYAQFDMRwc
— Adivaraha (@vajrayudha11) June 2, 2018
Interestingly Inscription starts with Jain Namokar Mantra "Namo Arihantanam…Namo sava sidhhanam"! proclaiming Jaina faith of Kharavela – An orthodox Jain monarch embarking on extensive military conquests throughout country itself puts questionmark to some widely held notions.
— Adivaraha (@vajrayudha11) June 2, 2018
But most importantly it puts question mark on widely propagated leftist rhetoric that there was no concept of Bharatvarsha as entity before 1947 and if any idea it remained limited only to the "Brahminical" literary texts with no practical implication!
— Adivaraha (@vajrayudha11) June 2, 2018