344 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. [Sept., 1914 



CHAPTER III. 



Miscellaneous. 



We have stated that at the time of the Atharva Veda the 

 ^ , . - , .. , people who lived in the country of Anga 



Early inhabitants. i i ,1 c a • 



were known by the name of Angas. 

 The contemptuous manner in which they have been spoken 

 indicates that they were an aboriginal tribe and did not belong 

 to the Aryan race. Though we are not aware by what name 

 their descendants were called, yet from the tradition of the 

 Santals l we know that they were the aborigines of Campa or 

 rather of the country of Anga, as the Cherus were the aboriginal 

 inhabitants of the neighbouring country of Magadha. It appears 

 that Rsi Dirghatama was the first to colonize Anga and the 

 neighbouring countries with Aryans and introduce Aryan civili- 

 zation into them. 2 The name of Campa is associated with Campa 

 trees (Michelia Champaka) which evidently grew wild in this 

 country. Even in the 4th century B.C., the country in many 

 parts abounded with forests, and the elephants of Anga were 

 the most famous. Canakya, who set up Candragupta on the 

 throne of Magadha, says that the elephants of Anga, Kalinga, 

 Karusa and the eastern countries were the best in India. 8 

 There can be no doubt that with the increase of population 

 forests were cleared and converted into culturable lands. The 

 Ganges, the Candan and the Campa, the three principal rivers 

 of the country, favoured cultivation with copious supply of 

 water and rendered the lands highly productive. The Candan, 

 which is also called the Andhela 4 from one of its two principal 

 branches, is the Andomatis of Arrian, which he describes as a 

 tributary of the Ganges. It falls into the Ganges near Campa. 

 The Campa river is mentioned in the Champeyya-Jataka a- 

 forming the boundary between Anga and Magadha. 6 



Anga was always famous as a rice-producing country. 6 A 



A rice-producing country. 8C »* <* rice ^ aS S rOWn ln thiS "^"H 



which for its fragrance was secured ior 

 the table of Bimbisara, king of Magadha, and for Buddha 

 himself. According to the Buddhist legend, the rice was 



1 Mr. C. H. Bompas : Folklore of the Santal Parganas, 406, 447, but 

 Mr. Bradley-Birt places this Campa to the north-west corner of Hazari- 

 bagh (Story of an Indian Upland). 



2 Visnu P., pt. iv, ch. 18; Max Muilers Hist of Ancient Sanskrit 

 Literature, p. 57. 



Arthasaatra 



* Martin : East. Ind., ii ? 12 ; McCrindle : Ptolemy, 98 and Arrian. 

 6 Jataka, iv, no. 506 (Cam. Ed.). a Ram., ii, 10. 



