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AN EARLY HISTORY OF ORISSA
The other great nation which arose on the ruins of the Magadhan empire, to play its role in the struggle for supermacy, had also its home in the low lands of the Eastern Ghats. They were the Kalingas, under the guidance and leadership of Mahāmeghavāhana family of the Chedi clan. In the first Century B. C., the Kalingas became one of the strongest powers. The splendid gift of this dynasty to Kalinga and to India was a great Emperor, rather the greatest emperor of the Kalinga history-Khāravela, whose history would be traced in the following pages.
Purāṇas, which represent the founder as a bhritya' or servant of the last Kanva king. Sir R. G. Bhandarkar, following, apparently, the Vishnu Purāņa, styles the dynasty founded by Simuka as "Andhra bhritya' viz. Andhras who were once servants. But that designation should properly be applied to the seven Abhiras, who, in the opinion of Dr. Raychaudhari (PHAI, pp. 403-4) are mentioned as the successors of the line of Simuka by Pargiter (DKA, p. 45 ; Vishụu Purāna, IV, 24, 13).
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