Tribes in Ancient India c32.25

c32.25

We may form some idea of the extent of the Kośala country in the Epic period from the story of the exile of Rāma. Therein we find that, after setting out from Ayodhyā (then the capital of Kośala), the young princes accompanied by Sītā proceeded in a chariot. Evidently, then, there were good roads in the Kośala country, as we may also gather from the Jātaka stories, where we read that merchants loading as many as 500 wagons with their merchandise went from Magadha and the Licchavi countries through Kośala up to the western and north-western frontiers of India. Rāma made his first halt at the river Tamasā (the modern Tons). On the other side of the Tamasā, his chariot reached the Mahāmārga or the ‘great road’, which was evidently a trade-route. Following this, the party reached the river Śrīmatī Mahānadī. After crossing the river Vedaśruti, Rāma turned his course towards the south. After proceeding a long distance, he crossed the Gomatī and the Syandikā. Having crossed the Syandikā, Rāma pointed out to Sītā the wide plain given by Manu to Ikṣvāku. This region was evidently considered by the people of Kośala as the cradle of their race, the country with which Ikṣvāku began his career of conquest. This country was highly prosperous (*sphītā*) and populous (*rāṣṭravṛtā*). Proceeding through the extensive Kośalan plains, Rāma left behind him the country of the Kośalas, and reached the Ganges, up to which river the Kośala dominion evidently extended. Here he arrived at Śṛṅgaverapura which was the seat of the Niṣāda king Guha. Sir Alexander Cunningham has identified Śṛṅgaverapura with the modern Singror or Singor on the left bank of the Ganges and 22 miles to the north-west of Prayāga or Allahabad.²