Introduction Kamrup, the modern district of Assam, takes its name
from the great independent kingdom of Kamarupa. It is described in the Kalika Purana that
immediately after Naraka of Mithila became the king of Assam and was placed in charge of
the goddess Kamakhya; the name of the province was changed from pragjyotisa to Kamarupa.
The earliest epigraphic references to Kamarupa are
how ever to be found in the well-known Allahabad in scrimption of Samudragupta, where
Kamarupa is mentioned as frontier territory. In classical Sanskrit literature Pragjyotisa
and Kama- rupa both occur side by side; for instance, in Kalidasa. In the story of Raghu's
digvijaya as given in the Raghuvamsa the hero first came to Pragjyotisa and
then to Kamarupa after having crossed the Lauhitya.
Author - B.K.Barua &
H.V.Sreenivasa Murthy
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