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AN EARLY HISTORY OF ORISSA
language for the whole country, not only secular and religious documents, but religious scriptures too came to be written in that language. Even the Buddhist scriptures, which must have been preserved in the Māgadhi dialect, came tobe translated into Pali, in order that they might be under. stood from one extremity of India to another. The official documents and the records of religious benefactions in the Mauryan period were couched in that language. Later on, Khāravela's historic inscription came to be written, more or less, in the same language. Even today, the Oriya language and also social customs, are more under the influence of Bengal and Bihar than those of the South.
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