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South Indian Inscriptions |
EPIGRAPHIA INDICA remains unaltered with a few unimportant verbal alterations, and were all found within a narrow circumscribed area of what may be called Northern Kaliṅga. This is all the more striking as these plates cover a fairly long period extending from the 7th to the 12th century A.D. The eleven kings, whose names are known from these records, certainly did not rule in an unbroken line of succession, but they probably belonged to one and the same branch of the extensive Gaṅga family which had established itself at Śvētaka. Paleographic examination of the plates enables as to place these Gaṅga kings within three broad chronological periods as follows :[1] I. About 7th and 8th centuries A.D.
1. M. Sāmantavarman (Nos. I, II). II. 9th and 10th centuries A.D.
4. M. Indravarman II (No. V). III, 11th and 12th centuries A.D.<
8. Mahīndravarman (No. IX).
The family name Ga?ga and the reference to the deity Gokar?asvami on mount Mahendra, in the records of the Svetaka kings, seem to connect them with the early Ga?ga rulers of Kali?ganagara. At the same time there is hardly any doubt that they constituted an independent line of rulers[3] for a period extending over neatly five hundred years, i.e. almost during the whole period of the sovereignty of the other branch. As none of the localities mentioned in the records of the Svetaka kings has been satisfactorily identified, it is difficult to define the boundaries of their kingdom. As most of the plates were found in the northern part of the Ganjam District, and the sanctity of Mahendra hills is emphasised in all the records, the Svetaka kingdom may be regarded as having comprised the northern and western parts of the Ganjam District, just outside and bordering on the Ga?ga kingdom of Kali?ga-nagara, and adjoining territories towards the north and west. It is probable that occasionally this boundary was enlarged as-some powerful kings aggrandised themselves at the cost of their neighbours. This explains, and is supported by, the assumption The family name Gaṅga and the reference to the deity Gōkarṇasvāmī on mount Mahēndra, in the records of the Śvētaka kings, seem to connect them with the early Gaṅga rulers of Kaliṅganagara. At the same time there is hardly any doubt that they constituted an independent line of rulers[3] for a period extending over neatly five hundred years, i.e. almost during the whole period of the sovereignty of the other branch. As none of the localities mentioned in the records of the Śvētaka kings has been satisfactorily identified, it is difficult to define the boundaries of their kingdom. As most of the plates were found in the northern part of the Ganjam District, and the sanctity of Mahēndra hills is emphasised in all the records, the Śvētaka kingdom may be regarded as having comprised the northern and western parts of the Ganjam District, just outside and bordering on the Gaṅga kingdom of Kaliṅga-nagara, and adjoining territories towards the north and west. It is probable that occasionally this boundary was enlarged as-some powerful kings aggrandised themselves at the cost of their neighbours. This explains, and is supported by, the assumption __________________________________
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