DDK HistoryF.p65 - CSIR

160 DECAY OF THE TRIBES (6.4
after this, Vidudabha was swept away by an untimely flood along with
his army, which had camped in the dry bed of the river Rapti. Thus
Kosala had neither king nor armed force while Ajatasatru had a fine
army to enforce his claim as Pasenadi’s nephew. The ancient kingdom
seems to have fallen to Ma-gadha without a struggle. It vanished
completely from history, though the identical name was later given to a
medieval central Indian kingdom. By far the greater number of the
Buddha’s discourses were pronounced at Snavasti; but the first council
of the Buddhist Order was convened immediately after his death at
Rajglr. This further proves that Kosala had lost its former eminence by
485 B. C.
6.4. There was, simultaneously, the bitter struggle with the tribes,
even though they were on the verge of collapse from within because of
fixed property in land by large households. Tribal life of the day could
not have given scope or satisfaction to its most intelligent members if the
Sakyan Gotama (Buddha) and the Licchavi Mahavlra turned monks, to
found great religions ; or if a Malla like Bandhula had to take service
under a foreign king. Marriage outside the tribe is contrary to tribal law
without some adoption ceremony. Yet we read that Bimbisara had a
Licchavi queen Cellana, who is reported as Ajatasatru’s mother in Jain
accounts, though all of Bimbisara’s queens would equally have been
any prince’s mothers according to the older rule. Pasenadi asked for a
Sakyan wife. Inasmuch as he was overlord of the Sakyans, but of a
lineage regarded as decidedly inferior, the demand embarrassed them
greatly. They compromised by sending Vasabha-khattiya, the beautiful
daughter of Mahanama Sakya by a slave girl Naga-Mtinda (whose name
combines two aboriginal tribal names or gives her clan in a Munda tribe),
passed off as Sakyan of pure lineage. The offspring of this marriage was
Vidudabha senapati, who usurped the royal power. The trick played by
the Sakyans had later been discovered, but ultimately forgiven by
Pasenadi. The son wiped out the insult with a direct attack upon the
Sakyans, by washing his throne literally with Sakyan blood. Nevertheless,
a few Sakyans did survive the massacre. The Piprahwa vase (JRAS
1906, 149-80) was unquestionably dedicated by the Sakyans before