Book Title: Indian Antiquary Vol 52
Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Stephen Meredyth Edwardes, Krishnaswami Aiyangar
Publisher: Swati Publications
View full book text
________________
APRIL, 1923)
SAMAPA: OR THE ASOKAN KALINGA
69
-
the country which has Kottura near Mahendragiri (for its capital)." So the two kingdoms Paishtapuraka and Kalinga were, at the time of Samudragupta's invasion, under one king. From this it appears that Ragolu plates of Saktivarma belonged to Samudragupta's times.
The conquests described in the Raghuvamsa seem to have had their source in the con. quests of Samudragupta.
'सती| कपिशां सैन्यैर्बद्ध द्विरदसेतुभिः । उत्कलादर्शितपथः कलिङ्गाभिमुखो ययी ॥ ३८ ॥ सप्रतापं महेन्द्रस्य मूप्निं तीक्ष्णं न्यवेशयत् । अशं द्विरदस्येव यन्ता गम्भीर वेदिनः ॥१९॥
SICTATE OF FUFÌ TETYT :1'16 “He crossed the river Kapisa with his army on a bridge made of his elephants, and being shown the way by the princes of Utkala, bent his course towards Kalinga. He encamped with all the unbearable influence of his military glory, on the peak of the Mahendra mountain, like unto the elephant driver, who plunges deep his goading rod on the head of an elephant that does not mind the pain. The prince of Kalinga who came to fight with a large number of elephants received him with a shower of arrows."16 The prince of Kalinga is said to have come and attacked king Raghu, who had already occupied the heights of Mahendra. If he had been residing at Kottura, the chief town of Kalinga, he would have been ready at Mahendra to receive the conqueror. He must have been far away at Pishtapura, his chief residence, when he heard of the approach of the invader, and would have come to fight him. Consider the difficulties of conveying an army composed of elephants and archers from Pitahpur to the Mahendra mountain in those early days, when there were no good roads. Even in Katha SaritSagar, king Vatsa is said to nave occupied Mahendra first and then subdued the Kalingas.17 All these show that Kalinga was for some time in the fourth century of our era under the domination of the king of Pishtapura, but it was kept separate with its own metropolis and its own institutions. Before and after this period the kingdom of Kalinga was free and independent under its own native rulers.
There is evidence to prove that the Kalinga kingdom extended southward as far as Mahendra and Köttur during the cenvury preceding the Christian era. gerea a aa
atufe 1/18 "made (erected) pillars in Patálaka, Chêtaka and Vaiduryagarbha." Vaiduryagarbha and the others were thought to be parts of the caves. If this is right, then there was no need to ereot pillars. Here FiraT. means triumphal pillars. So the above names are not those of caves, but of territories. Vaiduryagarbha is the modern Vidarbha. Chêtaka is the Svêtaka of the grants of Prithivi. varma Deva, 19 Samanta Varma, 20 and Indra varma, 21 which is spoken of as Svêtakadhishthana.' This Svêtaka' by metathesis became 'Sikati' or 'Chikati,' a small zamindari in the Ganjam district, extending as far as Bâruva to the south. The Kottur of Samudragupta's times lies very near Baruva. There is no doubt therefore that the southern boundary of the Katinga of Khåravela extended as far as Baruva.
It has already been pointed out that the chief centre of Khåravela's administration was not far from the Udayagiri hills, on which his inscription exists. Kalinga, being conguered 16 Raghunamsa, Canto IV.
16 Bandharkar's translation. 17 Katha Sarit Sagar, lambaka 3, taranga 5. 18 Udayagiri Ins., line 15.
1. Ep. Ind., vol. IV, No. 26. 20 Ep. Ind., vol. XV, No. 14.
31 Rp. Report, 1918, App. A, No. 9.
