Historical Geography of Ancient India c10.247

c10.247

*Māhissati (Māhiṣmatī)*.—It was the capital of south Avanti. The Māhiṣakas were the same people as Māhiṣmakas mentioned in the Mahābhārata (Aśvamedhaparva, LXXXIII, 2475). They were the inhabitants of Māhiṣmatī or Māhissati, which seems to have been situated on the river Narmadā between the Vindhya and Rikṣa and can be safely identified with the modern Mandhātā region. According to the Purāṇas (*Matsya*, XLIII, 10-29; XLIV, 36; *Vāyu*, 94, 26; 95, 35) Māhiṣmatī was founded by a prince of Yadu lineage. It was visited by Balarāma. Here Kārtavīrya defeated Karkoṭaka’s son. Here Rāvaṇa was imprisoned by Kārtavīryārjuna. It was founded by Māhiṣmān and was the capital of Kārtavīryārjuna (*Bhāgavata*, IX, 15. 22; *Matsya*, 43. 29, 38; *Viṣṇu*, IV, 11. 9, 19). For further details, vide Law, *Tribes in Ancient India*, pp. 386-387.