History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v1.c19.5

v1.c19.5

The information given by Grant in his introduction to the C. P. Gazetteer for 1879 is also to the same effect. He says “the Hayobansa line of Ratanpur ruled over Chhattisgarh for many centuries even down to the Maratha conquest. Their dominion is proved by a copper-plate inscription found near Mandla (now lost) and old as far back as 144 A. D.” Subsequent inscriptions found by Professor Hall near Jubbulpore also testify to several kings of this Hindu line beginning with one Kokalla Deva; but before him “we have independent grounds for believing that the Haihaya kings of Chhattisgarh were at that time Buddhists. Indeed the king of Kośala visited by Hiuen Tsang, though a Kshatriya is said by him to have been a Buddhist.” Kośala is said by him also to have given birth to the great Buddhist sage Nāgārjuna. Kośala, therefore, before Harsha and after Harsha was a stronghold of Buddhism. What kings ruled there we are unable to state. But it may safely be granted that as elsewhere in India the orthodox religion reasserted itself about the end of the 8th century or even before. The line of Kokalla was perfectly orthodox but their history which can tolerably be ascertained belongs to the second portion of our period and will be treated of in the next volume.