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 11 ANCIENT ASAM AS AN EAST-INDIA CULTURAL CENTRE all parts of India by its magnetism. Bhaskar Varma himself is described as having noteworthy loanines to learning, people in general being in spired by his example. The fact particularly noted by the Chinese traveller that the king welcomed the Brahmans and Sromanas alike testifies to his special academie taste. But as N. N. Basu puts it: "We may conclude that the prosperous condition of Kamarupa of which the Chinese pilgrim has drawn such a brilliant picture had been in existence long before the time of his visit. We find in the Nidhanpur copper plate Inscription of Bhaskar Vorm that during the reign of Mahābhūta Varm or Bhūti Varita, Rig Vedi. Yajurvedi, Simavedi and Atharva Vedi Brāhmans of various denominations lived in the Agrahara of Mayur Salmala which was granted by him and which was situated in his territory called Chandrapuri". (S.H.K., IV. 13-1) Mahabhuta Varml or Bhäti Varm was the great-grandfather of Bhaskar Varma who simply replaced the copper plate granted by his great ancestor. Thus a minimum 205 Brahmans of at least 56 different gotras were seated in Kimarüpa before the sixth century to dissemi- nate scriptural knowledge in the country, a fact which is of no minor importance to be neglected. Curiously enough, most of the surnames held by the Brahman donees of Bhaskar's Inscription are found again in copper plates of king Lokanatha though the latter cannot possibly be connected with the former consistent with reason. This latter inscrip- tion is dated (2.29) 44th year, probably of the Harn era, corresponding to 650 AD, Harga having died in 648. Thus It belongs to a period called matsyanyaya (anarchy) of Bengal, Sašanka having been killed already and the Pala reign of Bengal in the seventh century not yet coming into existence. The cighth verse of the inscription bearsa reference to a fight with Jayatunga Varmá who is supposed to be his licge lord and successor of Bhaskara Varma of Kimarüpa. "Nirby jorjitasve vasara turagah Sri Lokanathan po: Yasmin Sri Parameswarasya vahuko yatam kam sainikam Durlanghye Jayatunga Varma sunare sadyah prayogorthinām: Nitau nitívidhanatoti caturo nitya prahrstaprajah". The inscription is further conspicuous by the absence of any reference to Buddhism so much to be expected in this period. Radha Govinda Bnslika who deciphered this script makes a special note of this fact and says: "The prevalence of Brahmanie influence in Eastern India at the time can be rightly inferred also from the mentions in the inscription of the sacred fires, Puranie deities, Brāhmans versed in the four Vedas etc. and also from the fact that the Brahmans could be Samanta Chiefs". (Epigraphic Indics, Vol. XV. p. 306).