Mahanavika Buddhagupta

The Mahanavika Buddhagupta ("Great Navigator Buddhagupta") stone inscription, is a 5th-century CE Buddhist stone inscription found in the Wellesley Province, Penang, Malaysia. It was discovered in 1834 by Captain James Low, of the East India Company.^[1]

Mahanavika Buddhagupta inscription
Rubbing of the Mahanavika Buddhagupta stone inscription, 5th century CE, Indian Museum, Kolkata
Material	Schist
Size	8-9 cm x 66 cm
Created	5th century CE
Discovered	Wellesley Province, Penang, Malaysia
Present location	Indian Museum, Kolkata
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The plaque is in schist, 8–9 cm wide, and 66 cm high.^[1] It is today in the Indian Museum in Kolkata.^[1]

The plate features the illustration of a Buddhist stupa.^[1] The script is Brahmi from South India, and very similar to the script of the inscription of King Purnavarman.^[1] Buddhagupta declares in his inscription that he is from Raktamrittika, present-day in Rajbadidanga of Bengal.^[1]

The stele examplifies the links between India and Southeast Asia and that early time, as well as the link between trade and Buddhism.^[2]

Another inscription by Mahanavika Buddhagupta, the "Sungai Mas Buddhist stele", was found in Kampong Sungai Mas, Sungai Petani, Kedah, and dated to circa the 5th-6th century CE.^[1][3] It is now in the Muzium Arkeologi Lembah Bujang, Merbok, Malaysia.

See also

• Buddhism in Malaysia
• Bujang Valley