History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v1.c17.6

v1.c17.6

The chronicles and Sir W. Hunter place the rise of the Śaivite dynasty of Kesari kings in 474 A. D. But they place the success of Bhuvanesvara 150 years later i. e. in about 624 A.D. It seems that this must be put a little later still. As we have said before, Orissa was conquered by Harsha and was held under him. When Hiuen Tsang visited the land, Buddhism was still supreme there. He records "The people reverence the law. There are a hundred monasteries and 50 temples. There were myriads of Buddhists" (The fertility of the land also is noticed by the Chinese traveller who remarks that the fruit here were larger than elsewhere). It seems, therefore, that the Kesari dynasty though established was not yet powerful and was subordinate to Harsha. They must have asserted themselves and their religion, as elsewhere in India, after Harsha's death.