Page:The Malavikagnimitra, Tawney (2nd edition, 1891).djvu/18

 "After the death of his father, Sampadi must have declared himself independent, and a struggle probably arose between the three brothers, in which Jaloka was victorious, and obtained the greater part of his father's kingdom. Suyacas secured the eastern, Sampadi the south-western portion. He probably transferred the seat of his sovereignty to Vidica, at any rate this city appears as the capital of the succeeding dynasty of Cunga, kings.

"We possess some information about Pushpamitra the founder of this dynasty in a Buddhist work, and also in the drama Ma1avikagnimitra. The Puranas only inform us that he was the general of the last Maurya Brihadratha, whom he deprived of his throne and his life. In the Bnddhist work we are told that he was the last of the Mauryas, and that his predecessor was called Pushyadharman. The first statement is of course a mistake, the second may be supposed to be correct, as the name could scarcely have been invented. According to the drama the capital of his son Agnimitra was Vidi^a, so we are perhaps justified in supposing that he was originally in the service of Pushyadharman, and that after usurping his throne, he deprived the king of Magadha of his sovereignty. The fact that in another account, which we shall proceed to lay before our readers, he is represented as reigning at Pataliputra need not surprise us, as in this account he is supposed to belong to the Maurya dynasty.

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