Lumbini and Kapilwastu Buried in Obscurity Lumbini where Buddha happened to be born was u popular pleasure grove of Kapilwastu situated below the Churiya Range, the foothills of the alayas. As stated in the previous chapter, the state of Kapilwastu was founded by the exiled princes and princesses of Kosala long, long ago. ‘The eldest of the princes, Ulkamukha, became its frst king. As time passed on Kapilwastu developed into a big city and people from surrounding areas ‘ame to settle down here. A republican form of administration evolved hhere under an elected chief who, as prevalent in the region then, held the title of ‘raja’. From Buddhist texts itis learnt that what full autonomy it might have enjoyed it was under the paramount overlordship of Kosala, While Buddha was preaching his religion with increasing success Prasenjit was king of the powerful state of Kosala with whom the Shakyas had maintained good relationship. His chief queen Wasabhakhettiya ‘was an illegitimate daughter of a Shakya chief of Kapilwastu. King Prasenjit had asked for the hand of a Shakya princess. But he was of inferior caste. The Shakyas could not refuse him as he Was their sovereiga overlord. To incur his wrath meant for them their own ruin, Hence Wesabhakhettiya had been given in marriage as a ‘genuine princess. By her a son was born to King Prasenjit and was called Widudabha, Once Prince Widudabha paid a visit to his maternal uncle's house. During his stay in Kapilwastu every arrangement was made to hide the secret from him. But on the eve of his return the ruse was by chance disclosed. The Prince came to know that because he was the son of a slave girl proper treatment bad not been extended to him. Thereupon ‘Widudabha made a vow to take revenge upon the Shakyas and retumed to Kosal ‘When Widudabha came of age he dethroned his father Prasenjit 27‘and became himself king of Kosala, Thereafter he three times led his army nto Kapilwastu, But on three occasions did Buddha intervene and dissu~ faded him from his destructive act. But King Widudabha came for the fourth time, This time Buddha did not intervene. Widudabha perpetra- ted wholesale massacre of the Shakyas and sacked Kepilwastu, Even. ‘new-born babies Were not spared, Among the Shakyas those who could fled in all directions. Some of them even came to the valley of Kathmandu. ‘This happened during the later part of Buddha's life time about 500 ». ¢. ‘After this tragedy the glory of Kapilwastu was gone. A few Shakyas that remained collected the bones of the slaughtered kinsmen and cremated them, Tn 483 3, c, when Buddha attained nirwana Kapilwastu seemed to have | ‘somewhat revived as his Kinsmen could receive a portion of his sacred reli and build a stupa over it. ‘The conqueror Widudabba, too, later on fell a victim to the raid of King Ajatshatra of Magadhe (8. c. 491-459). In a fieres battle that took place between the foxces of the two kings Widudabha was captured fend burned alive along with his minister. Consequently Magadha’s supremacy extended over Kapilwastu and that of Kosala which seemed to hhave continued since its founding came to an end. ‘The further records of the Kapilwastu region as gleaned from the pages of history and other sources are very scanty and in some respects Eiserepant until we come to the time of Emperor Asoka (B. C. 269-228,7), With the exception of the Kalinga War he had made no further warfare, Hence this region which seemed to have been part of his territory might have been annexed to it earlier by Chandragupta (b.c. 321-297), the founder of the Maurya empire, or possibly continued to remain part of the Magadha territory all through the periods of Saisunagas and Nandas and pasted to Chandragupta, the founder of the Gupta empire, after the overthrow of the last Nanda King by him about 320 .D. ‘Anyway, Emperor Asoka made a pilgrimage to this region on the twentieth year after his coronation (corresponding to 245 B. c.), gave away ‘one hundred thousand coins to the local people and freed them from a certain tax, He also set up pillars and built stupas here and there in the region, which otherwise he could not have so easily done, Hence historians {ake this fact as an indication that the region must have been under his suzerainty. About this time, however, strong Kirant kings were ruling ver Nepal, i. e4 the valley of Kethmendu and the neighbouring eastern and western hilly areas 28et probably in the third century of the Christien Era the Kirant rule sar velaced by the Lichchawis who hed migrated centuries Before from - Wi Tecan plais below. During the subsequent centuries the Lichchawi Mer grew stronger. Gradually its supremacy extended across the Gandake Povec west at Jumla, One ofthe inscriptions of Samudragupta (4. D, 330— Shs) who reigned supreme inthe Northern India depicted Nepal along with ‘amatata (the Delia of Brahmaputra), Dawaka (Benge), Assam and Kertri- va (Kuratin and Gachwl as frontier kingdoms paying tributes. to him. J fact that Samudragupt'sinseription mentioned no name of any other ‘ote intervening between Nepal and Kartripur indicates thatthe Lichchawi Sutory of Nepal extended up to the frontier of his empire, Hence itis shite likely that the Kapitwasta region remained part of Nepal for centuries seri the Lichchawi regime collapsed in the eleventh century. This was farther attested by Hsuan Tsang, the famous Chinese traveller, who, being spore inclined to religious aspects, was not likely to have shown so much fpterest in the Lichchawi Court of Nepal unless the Kapilwastu region belonged to it. ‘After the fall of the Lichchawis the region seemed to have remained ‘ander the Nuwakote Thakuris until the rise of Nagaraja and his descendants in the West Nepal, In the beginning of the thirteenth century a powerful state emerged inthe southern Karnali region under its frst king Nagaraja and his descen- dants. In course of time these kings became stronger and even conquered Sinja, the capital of Pel kings who were ruling over there since 996 A.D, ‘Asoka Challe, the seventh king of Nagaraja dynasty founded Durlanghys nagar, Known at present as Dullu in the Bheri Zone. The territory of the kings of this dynasty went on extending. King Jtari Malla was strong enough toinvade the valley of Kathmandu three times between 1287-89 A.D. Raja ‘pu Malla, @ prince of this dynasty holding the title of Raja made piler- mage to Lumbini and Kapilwastu He hed his name and the year of is visit inseribed on the Asokan pillars at Lumbini and Niglihawa, The Saka Era 1234 in his inseripton corresponds to the year 1312 A. D, This fact conclusively makes two assertions: the first i thatthe whole region was ‘under the kings of this dynasty and the second is that up to his time Kepi wastu. and Lumbini were still widely known as holy places of pilgrimage. Though Raja Ripu Malla's inscription throws no light on the, conditions of Lumbini and Kapilwastu then it leaves no ground to question the fact that the whole region was Naga domain. Itisalso quite probable thatthe Nativity 29,