The Dynastic History of Northern India (Early Mediaeval Period) v1.c17.s2.1

v1.c17.s2.1

The Karas appeared to have ruled in Orissa from about the 8th century down to the 11th century A.D. Most of their inscriptions were discovered in the districts of Cuttack, Puri, and Ganjam; and it seems likely that they ruled, for some time at least, over portions of these districts synchronously with the Somavamśīs of Kosala. Most of their charters were issued from Guheśvara-pāṭaka,² and record grants either in *Uttara* or *Dakṣiṇa* Tosalī. Some of these grants include Kuṅgada-*Maṇḍala* in the latter division. Tosalī has been rightly identified with Tosalī mentioned in the Orissan edicts of the Maurya emperor Aśoka.³ *Dakṣiṇa*-Tosalī is mentioned in the Patiakella grant of Mahārāja Śivarāja dated in (Gupta) *Saṁvat* 283.⁴ Kuṅgada⁵ is apparently the *Kung-yü-t'o* of Yuan Chwang,⁶ which was situated 1,200 li to the South-West of *Wu-t'u* (Uḍra)⁷ and 1,400 or 1,500 li to the North-East of *Ka-leng-ka* (Kaliṅga).⁸ Cunningham and Fergusson identified *Kung-yü-t'o* with the region about the Chilka Lake, now included within the districts of Puri and Ganjam.⁹