97 
3897.] F. E. Pargiter — Ancient Countries in Eastern India . 
Ka^i; and the connexions of Kosala and Ayodhya were closest with 
Kaci, Mithila and Aqga, and after them with, the distant kingdoms of 
the Punjab and Western India. 
The Aitareya Brahmana says that Aijga was inaugurated with the 
Mahabhiseka ceremony by Udamaya son of Atri, and in consequence 
conquered the whole earth ; and that Aqga gave him a thousand ele¬ 
phants in the country Avacatnuka (viii. 4, 22). This passage probably 
refers to Aqga Vrhad-ratha, one of the sixteen famous kings (fanti-p., 
xxix. 924-31) who seems to be the same as Dharma-ratha, the great 
grandson of Aijga, from the special allusion to Mt. Visnu-pada (Hari- 
V., xxxi. 1693-5); but I have not met the name Avacatnuka elsewhere, 
nor is it in the dictionary. 
Vanga. 
Vaqga or Baijga is often mentioned and its people were called 
Vaijgas and Vaqgeyas ; but the allusions seldom yield any clear inform¬ 
ation. As shewn in the description of Bhima’s conquests in the 
Eastern region quoted above, it lay beyond Aijga, to the south-east, and 
was the original of the modern Bengal. 
The only definite information occurs in a passage in the Raghu- 
Varii^a which of course belongs to a comparatively late date (iv. 36 
and 37). The Vaqgas are described there as essentially a boating 
people, using boats for all purposes of life (nau sddhana), and as grow¬ 
ing rice for their staple crop, which they uprooted when seedlings and 
transplanted into their fields, as they do to this day. Raghu planted 
his columns of victory in the islands of the Ganges delta, ganga-sroto* 
ntaresu. It is difficult to say at what rate land has been forming in the 
delta, yet it is clear from this description that, apart from its extent 
sea-ward, the delta must have different greatly from its present condi¬ 
tion 1200 or 1500 years ago. The rivers which traverse it now are 
partially silted up, but at that time they must have been wide and free- 
flowing streams, dividing the lands into numerous distinct islands ; in 
fact, the condition .of the whole delta then must have been very much 
like what the extreme south-eastern portion is now. 
Vaqga must have comprised the modern districts of Murshidabad, 
Nadia, Jessor, and parts of Rajshahi, Pabna and Faridpur. 
Vaqga occupied a much lower position than Aqga or Kaliqga; I 
have found no mention of any marriages between its princes or princesses 
and the royal families of North India. Its kings are spoken of in general 
terms and names are seldom mentioned. A prince Candra-sena, son of 
Samudra-sena, attended Draupadi’s svayam-vara (Adi-p., clxxxvi. 
6991), and it appears probable on comparing this passage with the de¬ 
scription of Bhiaia’s conquests quoted above, that these two persons 
