The Dynastic History of Northern India (Early Mediaeval Period) v1.c17.s2.10

v1.c17.s2.10

The Kara grants, like most Orissa inscriptions are undated, or are dated in eras of uncertain epoch. Recently however Prof. Sylvain Lévi has greatly assisted the attempts of scholars to find the period of the Karas in Orissa by suggesting the identification of one of its earlier kings named Śubhakara with ‘the fortunate monarch who does what is pure, the lion,’ ‘king of the realm of Wu-Cha’ who sent an autograph MS. to the Chinese emperor Te-tsong in 795 A.D.¹ The Ganjam plates of the Śailodbhava feudatory Mādhavarāja Sainyabhīta show that the Orissan coast-districts, including portions of Ganjam, were under the Gauḍa king Śaśāṅka up to year 619-20 A.D.² After the defeat of Śaśāṅka these dominions of the latter may have passed under the control of Harṣa for some time.³ It was probably during the confusion that followed the death of Harṣa that the Karas succeeded in establishing their power in Orissa. In their earlier inscriptions the Karas claim descent from the *Bhaumânvaya* or *Bhauma-kula*,⁴ while in the later records they are said to have sprung from the *Vaṁśa* of the *Kara* kings. Sometimes their dynasty is simply referred to as *Kara-kula*.