The Dynastic History of Northern India (Early Mediaeval Period) v1.c17.s5.8

v1.c17.s5.8

In the first half of the 11th century we find another series of kings claiming descent from the same line as the above. Like the first group of Gaṅga princes, they were also worshippers of Gokarṇeśvara on mount Mahendra. With some exceptions, they also issued most of their grants from Kaliṅganagara. That they also traced their descent from the Gaṅgas of Kolar is proved by the Vizagapatam grant of Anantavarman Coḍagaṅga, which clearly mentions Kolāhala, the founder of Kolāhalapura, in the Gaṅgavāḍi-*Viṣaya*, as one of his ancestors.¹ The same inscription distinctly says that Kāmārṇava, a distant descendant of Kolāhala, leaving Kolāhalapura with his brothers, came to the Mahendra mountain, and having conquered Balāditya through the favour of the god Gokarṇasvāmin, took possession of the Kaliṅga countries.² As Vajrahasta (*c.* A.D. 1038), the earliest Gaṅga prince for whom we have any authentic date, is the 17th prince from Kāmārṇava, we may place the latter approximately somewhere in the 7th or 8th centuries A.D.³ But unfortunately there are so many discrepancies in the genealogical lists supplied by the different grants that we cannot accept these calculations with absolute certainty. It is however possible that the forefathers of the earlier and later groups of the Gaṅgas, if not identical, had at least migrated to Kaliṅga, about the same time. It is certain that they belonged to the same stock.