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AN EARLY HISTORY OF ORISSA
are significant and seem to indicate that Khāravela advanced to attack Magadha through the mountain passes of Chhota Nagpur instead of proceeding along the sea.coast through Orissa and Bengal, for it was not until four years later that his elephants crossed the Gangā (Cf. Statement of the twelfth regnal year).
In the tenth regnal year, he sent an expedition to the Bhāratavarsha or Northern India, which at once proved successful, for there was hardly any ruler strong enough to face the forces of Khāravela. King Khāravela claims. an easy conquest of the land through the policy of chastisement, alliance and conciliation. During this campaign, the Kalingan armies must have followed the western route.
In the twelfth regnal year, again, Khāravela marched out with a strong army towards the Uttarāpatha or North Western India, apparently, by the same western route, for, he had yet to cross the Gargā and to encounter the forces of Bahasatimitra of Magadha. In the Uttarāpatba, Khāravela claims to have struck terror into the hearts of the rulers there. It might indicate that in north-western India too there was no strong ruler to give Khāravela a fight, for all are claimed to have made humble submission before his might.
It was from the Uttarāpatha that Khāravela came down upon Magadha. Apparently, marching by the foot of the Himalayas, he avoided the crossing of big rivers and haying caused a panic amongst the people of Magadha, appeared opposite the capital city of the country, on the northern side of the Gangā. Now, by crossing the Gangā,
1. Instead of attacking Patliputra direct from the South, Khāravela came upon it from the North. Does it not indicate some diplomacy on the part of Kharavela ?
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