History of Kanauj to the Moslem Conquest c15.s2.t6.1

c15.s2.t6.1

Yaśovarman is credited with having founded a town in his name in Magadha,¹ and this, I suppose, he did either to commemorate his victory over the "lord of Magadha and Gauḍa," or to mark the site of the battle. Such a practice was not uncommon in ancient times, and we may recall that Alexander similarly marked his victory by the foundation of two towns, one named Nikaia situated on the battlefield; and the other called Boukephala, located at a point whence Alexander started to cross the Hydaspes.² Yaśovarman's town has been identified by Cunningham with the present town of Bihar,³ but Kielhorn was of opinion that preferably Ghosrawa was its modern representative.⁴ We get a glimpse of its importance during the Pāla period also, for it was to the *Vihāra* of Yaśovarmapura that Viradeva went after visiting the diamond throne at Mahābodhi (Bodh Gayā), and stayed there for a long time enjoying king Devapāla's patronage.⁵