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CALINGAE

CALINGAE a considerable people of India intra Gangem, close to the sea (i. e. on the E. coast) with a capital PARTHALIS (Plin. Nat. 6.17, 18. s. 21, 22). The promontory CALINGON, which we may assume to heve belonged to them, was 625 M. P. from the mouth of the Ganges, and upon it was the town of DANDAGULA. (Plin. Nat. 6.20. s. 23.) This promontory and city are usually identified with those of Calinapatnwam, about half way between the rivers Malanuddy and Godavery; and the territory of the Calingae seems to correspond pretty nearly to the district of Circars, lying along the coast of Orissa between the two rivers just named.

Their wide diffusion, and their close connection with the Gangaridae, are shown by the facts that Pliny calls then CALINGAE GANGARIDES (18. s. 22), and mentions the MODOGALINGAE on a great island in the Ganges, and the MACCOCALINGAE on the upper course of the river (17, 19. s. 21, 22). Ptolemy does not mention them; but their position seems to correspond to his district of Maesolia, in which he places the inland city of Calliga (Καλλίγα), which is supposed to correspond to the modern Coolloo, above Kuttack, on the Mahanuddy, and to the Parthalis of Pliny. (Ptol. 7.1.93.) There are other traces of the name, along the E. coast, even to the S. extremity of the peninsula, where Ptolemy calls the promontory opposite to Ceylon Καλλιγικόν (7.1.11: CORY).

[P.S]

hide References (3 total)
  • Cross-references from this page (3):
    • Pliny the Elder, Naturalis Historia, 6.17
    • Pliny the Elder, Naturalis Historia, 6.20
    • Pliny the Elder, Naturalis Historia, 6.18
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