Page:History of India Vol 2.djvu/219

 MENANDER'S INVASION 181 Bhilsa on the Betwa in Sindhia's territory. Agnimit- ra's youthful son, Vasumitra, was employed on active service under the orders of the king, his grandfather. Pushyamitra, who at this time must have been ad- vanced in years, resolved to crown his military suc- cesses by pro- ^^^^HIHiH^IMl^mPs~* * claiming and sub- st ant ia ting a td. formal claim to the rank of Lord Paramount of Northern India. His pretensions received c o n f i r- mation by the success of Agni- mitra in a local war with his ||j| southern neigh- BE bour, the Raja of Vidarbha (B e - rar), which re- ^ _^^^^^^^^M^M suited in the com- HORSE - 8ACRIFICE - plete defeat of the raja, who was obliged to cede half of his dominions to a rival cousin, the river Varada (Warda) being constituted the dividing line. Pushyamitra determined to revive and celebrate with appropriate magnificence the ancient rite of the horse-sacrifice (asvamedha), which, according to imme- morial tradition, could only be performed by a para-
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