Dandabhukti (Bengali:দণ্ডভুক্তি) was an ancient and medieval territory located between the two rivers, Dwarakeswar and Subarnarekha, and situated in theRarh region of the ancientBengal. It covered the present-day districts ofPurba Medinipur,Jhargram district and southern part ofPaschim Medinipur inWest Bengal, andBalasore district inOdisha, India.[1][2][3]
The ancientRarh region was divided into several smaller territories -Kankagrambhukti,Bardhamanbhukti, and Dandabhukti, as part of theGupta Empire. After the fall of Guptas rule inBengal, Dandabhukukti andBardhamanbhukti regions became part of the independentKingdom of Vanga which emerged in early 500s.[4]
Shashanka, the Gauda king, conquered Dandabhukti, the Utkala kingdom, and the Kangoda kingdom. In the first half of the seventh century A.D., Dandabhukti or Dandabhuktimandala rose into prominence when it was governed by Mahapratihara Shubhakirti, a vassal of Shashanka, King of Dagau. Shashanka gave the administration of Dandabhuktimandala and Utkala to Samanta-maharaja Somadatta, who was the subordinate of Shashanka. A few epigraphic records, including Shashanka's duo Midnapur copperplates, the Irda copperplates of Kamboja ruler of Bengal, and Rajendra Chola's Tirumulai engraving, all specify Dandabhukti as a distinct geopolitical region. The region was mentioned in the Ramcharita of Sandhyakar Nandi, and its ruler Jayasimha was described as a feudatory of Ramapala, the Pala ruler. TheKamboja dynasty is believed to have conquered the Bardhamanbhukti and Dandabhukti regions by exploiting the weakness of the Pala rulers in Bengal.[5]
Dharmapala, the ruler of the Dandabhukti region who was banished from his lands byRajendra Chola's quelling armed force, as recorded by the Tirumulai engraving (1021-24 A.D.), is thought to have belonged to the same line as the Kamboja Gaudapatis.[6] The Tirumalai inscription depicts the division of North Rarh and South Rarh. Dandabhukti was classified under the South Rarh. However, the topographic extent of Dandabhukti is not clear.[7] Based on the available evidence, Dandabhukti can be deduced to incorporate the southwestern part of Bengal, specifically the south and southwest areas of contemporary Midnapur District in West Bengal and parts of Balasore District in Orissa.[2] Epigraphic records belonging to the reign of Shashanka exhibit that Dandabhukti andUtkala were two distinct geographical entities, with Dandabhukti being present-day southwest Midnapur in West Bengal. But during Gopachandra's reign, Dandabhukti appears to have encompassed the territory north of the Suvarnarekha River in Balasore district as well as the area around Dantan today in Midnapur district.[8] The Dandabhukti Mandala was associated with the North-Toshali, and it incorporated the districts of Tamala-Khanda and Daksina-Khanda, as evident from the two copper plate grants to aBhaumakara queen.[2] These two terrains are identified with Tamluk and Dakinmal, respectively, and they both were mentioned asParganas in the Mughal records for the Midnapur region.[9] From different available sources, it turns out that the location of modern Dandabhukti was known as Danda, which is the headquarters of the Bhukti or mandala of unidentified origin. Under the reign of the Kamboja rulers of Dandabhukti Mandala, the mentioned area was included in theBardhamanbhukti, according to the Irda Copperplate (10th Century A.D.).[2] Later, some parts of Dandabhukti were included in the territory of Utkal kings.[10] Danda inOriya means path. There was an ancient path from Rarh (or possibly fromMagadha) toKalinga. The voyage of Rajendra Chola (11th century A.D.) to Dandabhukti through Orissa reveals the presence of interstate roads connecting the Bastar area of Madhya Pradesh with Orissa and Bengal. His army marched through Chitrakuta and passed through Binika, Sonepur in Bolangir district and following the road through eastern Keonjhar and Western Mayurbhanj, reached Dandabhukti.[11] The territory may have acquired its name from the path.Chaitanyadeva is said to have traversed this path fromNabadwipdham (Nadia) toNilaachala Puri during the sultanate period.[2] Dandabhukti served as a connecting point betweenOdisha and Bengal (Radha/Rarh).[12] The name of the contemporary locality ofDantan in the territory ofPaschim Midnapur bears the legacy of Dandabhukti.[1]
22°15′N87°39′E / 22.25°N 87.65°E /22.25; 87.65
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