History of Kanauj to the Moslem Conquest c11.213

c11.213

XLVI. *Mo-ha-la-ch'a* or Mahārāṣṭra. Yuan Chwang gives us a very reliable description of this kingdom. The king, we are told, was "a Kṣatriya by birth, and his name was Pu-lo-ki-she (Pulakeśi). The benevolent sway of this king reached far and wide, and his vassals served him with perfect loyalty. The great king Śīlāditya at this time was invading east and west; and countries far and near were giving in allegiance to him, but *Mo-ha-la-ch'a* refused to become subject to him."¹ Additional information is furnished by the *Life*² that Śīlāditya "boasting of his skill and invariable success of his generals filled with confidence himself, marched at the head of his troops to contend with this prince." But even his supreme and masterful command did not enable him to subjugate or prevail over his powerful southern rival, who had by his extensive conquests in the south justly won the proud title of "Dakṣiṇāpatha prithivyāḥ svāmi" or "lord of the whole region of the south."³