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INTRODUCTION
31
the same name but composed by different authors (see above) are not rare and for that they should not be taken to be identical. Thus her arguments do not hold good.
Now let us advance further about the date of Mk. If we compare the reigns of two Mukundadevas, one belonging to the 16th century and the other to the 17th century, then the matter will be quite clear even to any casual reader of the history of Orissa that the former had a glorious rule in Orissa whereas the latter had a rule ending in defeat, turmoil and disaster. The former, without doubt, is a formidable ruler who is credited with having founded a ghāta and temple at the sacred spot called Triveņi on the Hooghly which is still honoured as a sacred place for Hindus. He it was, in all probability, who erected the strong chain of forts still standing at Raibaņiān '17. He is the last independent monarch of Orissa who is even said to have rebuilt the great Barabati fort at Cuttack 18 and fought against the enemy to the last drop of his blood. On the other hand, the latter was a feudal ruler of Orissa under the Mughal Badshah Shah Jahan and then under Aurangzeb. He ascended the throne in 1655 A. D. and his capital was at Khurda19.
The heroic exploits and pious rule which have been elegantly described at the colophon of PS are quite in keeping with the historical records of the independent
17 See J. BEAMES - Orissa under Mahommedans, Maratha and English Rule. In History of Orissa, Vol. II, ed. by Dr, N, K. SAHU p. 295.
18 See History of Orissa, MAHATAB, p. 187. 19 Ibid. p. 205
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