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122
THE SANGAM AGE.
"The reign of this Satakarnin covers the entire period of the reign of Gajabāhu, king of Ceylon, which lasted 12 years from A.D. 113 to 125, according to the Mahawanso. Satakarnin, Emperor of Magadha, who is alluded to in the Chilappadhikaram as the contemporary of Chengudduva Ohera and Gajabāhu, is therefore doubtless the first Satakarnin in the list of the Matsya Purana, who reigned from A.D. 77 to 133. The synchronism of the Puranas and the Mahawanso is perfect, at least from the reign of Chandragupta up to that of the first Satakarnin; and this coincidence is a strong proof of the general accuracy of the traditional history preserved in Puranic accounts and in the Mahawanso.
“ The Mahawanso was composed in the fifth century A.D. and the Dipavanso still earlier ; and both these historical works mention Gajaobāhu I. It appears that during the reign of his father, crooked nosed' Tissa, a Chola king had invaded Ceylon, and carried away several thousands of captives ; and that in retaliation Gajabāhu invaded the Chola dominions soon after his accession to the thronein A.D. 113.. The tradition is that the captives were carried away to work on the banks of the river Kaviri, which were then under construction. This is quite in accordance with later Tamil poems and inscriptions which speak of Karikal Chola as the king who commenced the construction of the high banks along both sides of the bed of
