Why might Prabhavati Gupta have had access to land despite the restrictions mentioned in the legal texts?

Her father was a powerful ruler.

Prabhavati Gupta, the daughter of the prominent ruler Chandragupta II (c. 375-415 CE) in early Indian history, was married into another influential ruling family, the Vakatakas, who held significant power in the Deccan region. Although the prevailing Sanskrit legal texts did not typically grant women independent access to resources like land, the inscription indicates that Prabhavati had such access and even made land grants. This could be due to her status as a queen, a rarity in early Indian history, making her situation exceptional. It is also possible that the implementation of legal provisions was not uniform during that period.

The inscription provides valuable insights into rural populations, which comprised various groups, including Brahmanas and peasants. These individuals were responsible for supplying a range of produce to the king or his representatives. Furthermore, the inscription mentions that they were expected to obey the new lord of the village and fulfill their dues, possibly indicating a change in governance or power dynamics in the region.