110 F. E. Pargiter —Ancient Countries in Eastern India. [No. 2, 
proval, for they are called wicked and are said to have followed evil 
customs (fanti-p., ccvii. 7560-61). Manu declares they were ksattriyas 
and became degraded because of the extinction of sacred rites and the 
absence of brahmaus (x. 43 and 44); but this appears to be the opinion 
of a rather late age, for there does not seem to be any indication that 
the Kiratas ever set much store by those privileges. 
Considering their position and their affinities, it seems clear the 
Kiratas were tribes of the Mongolian family. 
Utkala. 
The Utkalas were well-known, though not mentioned often in 
the Maha-Bharata. They are linked with the Mekalas (Bhisma-p., 
ix. 348 ; Drona-p., iv. 122 ; and Ramay., Kisk.-k., xli. 14), and with the 
Mekalas and Kaliqgas (Karna-p., xxii. 882). The position of Kalirjga 
has been explained. The Mekalas inhabited the Mekal hills in the 
west and north of Chattisgarh. The Utkalas must therefore have 
occupied an intermediate position. From the passage quoted from the 
Raghu-Vam^a with reference to Kaliqga, it appears the Utkala terri¬ 
tory stretched nearly as far as the R. Kap^a or Cossye in Midnapur ; 
that passage does not mean it reached that river, for it was only after 
he crossed that river that Raghu had occasion to accept the guidance 
of the Utkala kings. From these data and the positions assigned to 
Paundra and Odra, it may be inferred that Utkala comprised the hilly 
tracts from Balasore to Lohardaga and Sarguja. 
The Utkalas were a hill tribe of rude habits. They stood by 
themselves and were not considered to have any close affinities with 
the races around them, except probably the Mekalas, because their 
origin was thrown back to the fabulous times of Ua (Hari-V., x. 
631-2) ; hence they seem to have been an aboriginal race. According 
to the Raghu-Vari^a which speaks of the Utkala kings ( loc . cit.), they 
must have consisted of a number of clans, each governed by its own 
chieftain. 
Various derivations have been suggested of the name Utkala, 
but it is worthy of note that Utkala and Mekala are linked together 
as if the two words possessed some element in common. These two 
tribes must apparently from their situation have been Kolarian tribes. 
Can it be that the termination in both names is to be identified with 
the word Kol ? 
General Remarks. 
In conclusion some conjectures may be put forward which the 
foregoing results tend to suggest. 
