[INDOLOGY] Pragvata/Porwad/etc and the suffix -simha

[Martin Gansten]

I am currently looking at two Sanskrit authors probably from the 
Saurāṣṭra region: Samarasiṃha (possibly 13th century, and in any event 
prior to ->) and Tejaḥsiṃha (fl. 1337 CE). Both emphasize belonging to 
the Prāgvaṭa community, and both claim a family connection as 
ministers/advisors to Caulukya rulers.

I confess an almost complete ignorance of the Prāgvaṭas, although a 
quick web search tells me that they are commonly known today as Porwad 
or Porwal and comprise both Hindus and Jains. Later authors claim 
Samarasiṃha as a Brahmin, and so my first question is whether this is 
correct for a self-proclaimed Prāgvaṭa -- or rather, if it would have 
been correct in 13th-century Saurāṣṭra. Were the Prāgvaṭas/Porwads at 
that time and place Hindus (= non-Jains), and if so, were they 
considered Brahmins?

I also wonder what the suffix -siṃha might have implied in this 
historical context. Several ancestors of these two authors had names 
ending in it as well: Caṇḍasiṃha, Kumārasiṃha, Vijayasiṃha. Does this 
tell us anything of their origins, status or affiliations?

With many thanks in advance, as always, for any light that list members 
may be able to shed on this,

Martin Gansten