A major conservation project at the 13th-century Shiva temple in the Jalgaon district has yielded a significant archaeological treasure. While reinforcing the temple’s original basalt foundation, restoration experts discovered a sealed stone chamber containing a cache of copper-plate inscriptions. These plates provide an unprecedented look into the Later-Seuna (Yadava) dynasty’s administrative and taxation systems during the peak of their power.
The inscriptions detail specific tax exemptions granted to local merchant guilds in exchange for the maintenance of temple gardens and water tanks. Epigraphists have noted that the plates also mention a hitherto unknown regional governor, shedding light on the geopolitical structure of the northern Deccan in the late medieval era. The documents are currently being moved to a state museum for further preservation and digital scanning to decipher the complex Old Marathi script.