Tribes in Ancient India c45.24

c45.24

In another Jātaka,⁴ we read that Assaka was the king of Potali in the Assaka country. At this time Kaliṅga was reigning in the city of Dantapura in the Kaliṅga kingdom. Kaliṅga had four daughters of surpassing beauty, whom he ordered to sit in a covered carriage to be driven to every village, town and city with an armed escort. Kaliṅga declared that if any king were desirous of taking them into his harem, he would join battle with him. Passing through various countries, the princesses reached Potali in the Assaka country. The gates were opened by order of Nandisena, the minister of the king of Assaka; and the four princesses were brought before the king who, acting on Nandisena’s advice, made them his queen-consorts and sent a message to King Kaliṅga informing him of this. Keeping his threat, Kaliṅga set out for Assaka with a large army, and a great battle was fought. Through Nandisena’s diplomacy, Assaka defeated Kaliṅga who fled to his own city. Assaka demanded from Kaliṅga a portion of the dowry of his daughters. King Kaliṅga sent a befitting dowry to Assaka, and thenceforth the two kings lived amicably. According to this story, the countries of the Assakas and the Kaliṅgas bordered on each other. Evidently it is the southern Aśmaka country, on the Godāvarī, that is here referred to.