THE PALAS OF BENGAL. 87 



Devaraksita did not continue to be the ruler of PIthI for a long time, as we find 

 another king in that country when Ramapala led his expedition into Northern 

 Bengal. The relationship between the Palas, the Gahadavalas, the Rastrakutas of 

 Magadha and the rulers of Pithi are shown in the table on following page. 



Pithi has been identified by Dr. Sten Konow with the modern Pithapuram in 

 the Madras Presidency. 1 But this is perhaps wide of the mark. It is mentioned 

 as a separate principality , the ruler of which makes war upon the Pala Kings of Bengal , 

 and later on during the war between the Palas and the Kaivartta King of Bengal, 

 another prince of Pithi is mentioned as a feudatory or as an ally of the Pala King. 



It was hardly possible for the Pala Kings after Nayapala 

 and Vigrahapala III to wage war with the princes of Pitha- 

 puram or to demand an acknowledgment of suzerainty from them for any length of 

 time. On the other hand, Pithi should be somewhere near Magadha or a province with 

 a boundary contiguous to the possession of the Palas. A place named Pithaghatta 

 is mentioned in an ancient geographical work called Desavall, 1 a copy of 

 which is in the manuscript collection of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. The 

 addition of the word ghaHa probably means that his place was situated on the 

 Ganges. This Pitha or PithI was most probably on the western or northern boun- 

 dary of Magadha and is perhaps represented by the trans-Son districts or Tirhut in 

 the modern days. Some coins bearing the name Patha (most probably Pithi) are 

 preserved in the Cabinet of the Indian Museum, A but no records are available to 

 prove their find-spots. 



The great event of Rama pala 's reign was his campaign in Northern Bengal, 



against the descendants of the rebel Divvoka, in which he 

 Campaign in Varendn. . , . 1 , . , £ 



was assisted and accompanied by a large number of 



allies and feudatories. A long list of these princes is given, at the beginning of 



the second Chapter of Sandhyakaranandi's Ramacarita 

 Allies and feudatories. Unfortunately very few of the localities mentioned in this 



list can be identified at present. At the head of the list is the name of Bhimayasas, 



Prince of Pithi and Magadha. This prince is apparently 

 Ua B g h adna ySaS ° f *** and the sucessor of Devaraksita, as in one of the following 



verses the commentary describes the defeat of Devaraksita 

 by Mahana as an already accomplished fact." It may be that Devaraksita had 

 placed his son Bhimayasas on the throne after his defeat by Mahana. The commen- 

 tary distinctly states, that Bhimayasas was Lord of Pithi and Magadha, 5 but 

 in the commentary on the Ramacarita Mahana is called Lord of Magadha, and 

 Devaraksita, King of Sindhu and Pithi. Mahana may have been divested of 

 the possession of Magadha by Bhimayasas of Pithi, after his defeat of Devarak- 

 sita and the marriage of Mahana' s daughter with him. It also appears that 

 though Devaraksita was the Lord of Pithi and Sindhu, his successor Bhimayasas 

 was not. The position of Sindhu is doubtful. Bhimayasas is said to have 



' Ibid. 2 J.A.S.B. 1904, Pt. I, p. 178, note 1. 8 V. A. Smith Cat. of Coins, Ind. Mus, Vol. I, p. 263. 



* Mem. A.S.B.. Vol. Ill, p. 38, Comm. on V. 9. 6 L.C p. 36, Comm. on V, 5. 



