The Dynastic History of Northern India (Early Mediaeval Period) v1.c17.s5.210

v1.c17.s5.210

During this long reign of more than 70 years the Gaṅgas reached the height of their greatness. The Kendupatna plates referred to above tell us that Coḍagaṅga 'exacted tribute from all land between the Gaṅgā and the Gotama-Gaṅgā (Godavari).'² In his Vizagapatam grant, dated in *Śaka* 1040, we are told that he 'first placed the fallen lord of Utkala in his kingdom in the eastern region and then the waning lord of Veṅgi in the Western region, and propped up their failing fortunes.' The friendship with the *Utkala-pati*, did not last long, for the Kendupatna plates inform us that Gaṅgeśvara (Coḍagaṅga) by 'defeating the king of Utkala as if churning another sea . . . . . obtained Lakṣmī like kingdom, thousands of maddened elephants, tens of thousands of horses and gems innumerable.' The evidence of the further extension of Coḍagaṅga's arms towards the North-east is supplied by some other verses of the same grant, which refer to the destruction of the king of Mandāra's capital by the Gaṅga king and his struggles on the banks of the Ganges. It is not unlikely that this Mandāra is to be identified with the Sarkār Mandāran of the *Ā'īn-ī-Akbarī*, whose headquarters, Garh-Mandāran (now known as Bhitargarh), is about 50 miles from the Ganges. This place was a well-known frontier town from the 14th to the 16th centuries.³ This extension of the Gaṅgas' power towards the Ganges brought them into contact with the Senas of Bengal. If the *Ballāla-carita* of Ānanda Bhaṭṭa is to be believed, the Senas maintained friendly relations with their powerful southern neighbours.¹ In the North-West Coḍagaṅga came into conflict with the kings of Tummāṇa. The Malhar inscription of Jājalladeva II (*c.* 1160-68 A.D.) and the Kharod inscription of Ratnadeva III (*c.* 1181-82 A. D.) inform us that the Kalacuri prince Ratnadeva II (*c.* 1120-35 A.D.) defeated Coḍagaṅga.² In the South the extension of Coḍagaṅga's power to the Godavari and his conflicts with the Eastern Cālukya kings of Veṅgi must have brought him into touch with Kulottuṅga I (*c.* 1072-1118 A.D.), who united the Veṅgi and Coḷa kingdoms under one sceptre. The inscriptions of this king show that he penetrated in the north as far as Wairagarh and Cakrakoṭṭa in the C. P.³ The *Kalingattu Parani*, a long Tamil poem by Jayaṅkoṇḍān, gives a graphic account of an expedition into North Kaliṅga conducted by Karuṇākara, the feudatory Pallava king and prime-minister of Kulottuṅga.⁴ Canto XII of this poem describes a battle between the Kaliṅga king and Karuṇākara, in which the former was defeated. Unfortunately Jayaṅkoṇḍān does not mention the name of the Kaliṅga king. But as the expedition seems to have been undertaken some time between 1084 and 1090 A.D. the defeated Gaṅga prince must have been Coḍagaṅga (*c.* 1076-1147 A.D.).⁵ It has been suggested that Kulottuṅga retained his hold at least on a part of Kaliṅga till his death, about 1118