Kalinga | |
|---|---|
Region | |
.png) Kalinga among Vedic states | |
| Country | India |
| State |
|
| Established | c. 1100 BCE |
| Founded by | King Kalinga of Mahabharata |
| Languages | |
| • Spoken | Odia,Telugu (only in parts of Northern AP) |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| Ancient and Medieval Capitals | Tosali,Sisupalgarh,Dantapuram,Prishtapura,Kalinganagara,Cuttack,Jajpur |
Kalinga is a historical region ofIndia. It is generally defined as theeastern coastal region between theGanges and theGodavari rivers, although its boundaries have fluctuated with the territory of its rulers. The core territory ofKalinga now encompasses all ofOdisha and some part of northernAndhra Pradesh. At its widest extent, the Kalinga region also included parts of present-dayChhattisgarh, extending up toAmarkantak in the west.[1] In the ancient period it extended until the bank of theGanges river.[2]
TheKalingas have been mentioned as a major tribe in the legendary textMahabharata. In the 3rd century BCE, the region came underMauryan control as a result of theKalinga War. It was subsequently ruled by several regional dynasties whose rulers bore the titleKalingādhipati ("Lord of Kalinga"); these dynasties includedMahameghavahana,Vasishtha,Mathara,Pitrbhakta,Shailodbhava,Bhaumkara,Somavamshi, andEastern Ganga. The medieval era rulers to rule over the Kalinga region were theSuryavamsaGajapatis,Bhoi dynasty,[3]Paralakhemundi Gangas[4][5] and the zamindaris ofGanjam andVizagapatam.[6]
The Kalinga region is generally defined as theeastern coastal region betweenGanges[2] and theGodavari rivers. However, its exact boundaries have fluctuated at various times in the history.[7] According to political scientist Sudama Misra, the Kalingajanapada originally comprised the area covered by thePuri andGanjam districts.[8] Confirming the existence till the river Ganga DK Ganguly used references from accounts of Pliny and the Mahabharata.[2] He wrote " Pliny has evidently made an unnecessary duplication.[2] Unfortunately the identification of these tribes and their location are rendered difficult by the nature of the description which appears to be erroneous and confusing.[2] Pliny was guided by his notion about the existence of more than one Kalinga settlement from which the Indian writers are also not completely free.[2] But the above account of Pliny is important for it shows that Kalinga extended in the north-east up to the Ganges.[2] That the territory of the Kalingas stretched onwards from the Ganges seems to be corroborated by the following passages of the Trithyatra section of the Vanaparvam."[2] Scholars like RC Majumdar mentions Kalinga was from Mahanadi to Godavari. However the simple mention of Ganga as the northern boundary of Kalinga by Pliny as stated above and Mahabharata talking about Baitarani, a river which is north of Mahanadi and borders Odisha and Jharkhand at one point and falls into Bay of Bengal in Bhadrak district of Odisha, passing through Kalinga, nullifies this claim. It looks like Prof. Majumdar has focused Gupta period when Kalinga indeed had shrunk till Mahanadi in north. Some Jain chronicles while describing about JainTirthankaraPasvanath notes, when he came to Kalinga to preach Jainism, he took rest in a place inBalasore district of Odisha.[9] Balasore is north of Baitarani river and borders Bengal. This also confirms Kalinga extending north ofBaitarani River.
In the ancient Indian literature, the Kalinga region is associated with theMahendragiri mountain located in theGanjam district ofOdisha, near its border withAndhra Pradesh.[10]
At times, the southern border of Kalinga extended further up to theKrishna River. The Kalinga region encompass the whole of present-dayOdisha: the north-eastern part of Odisha was included in the distinctUtkala region.[11] Utkala gradually lost its identity, and came to be considered as a part of Kalinga.[12] In the Adiparva of Mahabharata it is mentioned that Arjuna moved to Kalinga crossing Ganga. Interestingly, it distinguishes Kalinga fromMahendragiri.[13] That means only north of Mahendragiri till Ganga river was considered Kalinga then. Arjuna was moving from north to south in the eastern part of India. Adiparva mentions he moved from Gaya and Ganga then came to Anga, Vanga and Kalinga.[14] In the Gupta period Kalinga was subdivided into smaller countries. After the decline of Guptas, theMatharas were one of the kingdoms who claimed to rule over Kalinga by acquiring the title ofKalingādhipati.[15] The Mathara territory stretched fromMahanadi, which is believed to beBadanadi or Bara river in Southern Ganjam(literally meaning "big river", same asMahanadi, Badanadi or Badanai was also locally called Mahanadi until 20th century[16]) in the north toGodavari in south along the east coast, since all the inscriptions by them and the localities mentioned in them were within these two rivers.[17] Like the Matharas, thePitrbhaktas and subsequently the earlyEastern Gangas continued to use the title ofKalingādhipati ruling over the same region.[18] TheVigrahas of South Toshali whose territory comprised the region south ofMahanadi also claimed to rule overKalinga-rashtra ("Kalinga kingdom").[19] The Vigrahas were ousted byMudgalas of North Toshali or Utkala by 603–04 CE who themselves were invaded byShashanka.[20] TheShailodbhavas who emerged asMaha-Samanta of Shashanka declared themselves independent after 620 CE and acquired the title ofSakala-Kalingādhipati ("Lord of whole of Kalinga").[21] TheBhauma-Karas took over the Shailodbhava territory and made the Eastern-Gangas their feudatories,and theSomavamshis under Janmejaya made inroads into the Bhauma-Kara kingdom up to coastal Odisha and acquired the title ofTrikalingādhipati ("Lord of the three Kalingas"). TheGajapati Empire of Odisha in 15-16th century was known as Kalinga in some of the contemporary sources.[22]
The eastern boundary of Kalinga was formed by the sea (theBay of Bengal). Its western boundary is difficult to pinpoint, as it varied with the political power of its rulers. However, thePuranic literature suggests that Kalinga extended up to theAmarakantaka hills in the west.[23]
Several ancient inscriptions mention the term "Trikalinga", which has been interpreted in several ways. According to one theory, Trikalinga refers to the widest extent of Kalinga. However, theEastern Chalukya records suggest that Kalinga and Trikalinga were two distinct regions, with Trikalinga denoting the hilly region to the west of Kalinga.[24]
Some scholars have misinterpreted the text of Mahabharata and have said riverVaitarani was the northern border of Kalinga. However the text says river Vaitarani passes through Kalinga[2] and Pandavas came to Kalinga after crossing Ganga. Therefore, this assumption is wrong. In the south it was bounded by the country of the Āndhras, although its southern border varied often and reachedElamanchili andCheepurupalli in theVisakhapatnam district or even Piṣṭapura orPithapuram[25] to the north-east of theGodāvarī river, although it did not reach the river itself, which was in Āndhra territory. On the west, Kaliṅga had established its suzerainty over the tribes in inland hills so that its authority reached till theAmarakaṇṭaka range.[26]
The name of the region is derived from a tribe of the same name. According to the legendary textMahabharata, the progenitors of theKalingas and of their neighbouring tribes were brothers. These neighbours included theAngas, theVangas, thePundras, and theSuhmas.[27]
The Kalingas occupied the extensive territory stretching from riverBaitarani inOdisha to theVarahanandi in theVisakhapatnam district.[28] Its capital in the ancient times was the city ofDantakura orDantapura (nowDantavaktra fort nearChicacole in theSrikakulam district, washed by the riverLanguliya orLangulini).[28]
The kingdom of Kaliṅga was already existent at the time of theBrahmana texts, which mention its king Karaṇḍu as a contemporary ofNagnajit ofGāndhāra and of Bhīma ofVidarbha.[26]
According to theMahāgovinda Suttanta, the king Sattabhu of Kaliṅga was a contemporary of Reṇu ofVideha and Dhataraṭṭha or Dhṛtarāṣṭra ofKāsī.[26]
Kaliṅga was mentioned by bothPāṇini andBaudhāyana, with the latter considering it as an part ofBharata Khanda.[26]
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According toMahabharata and somePuranas, the prince 'Kalinga' founded theKalinga kingdom, in the current day region of coastalOdisha, including the North Sircars.[29][30] The Mahabharata also mentions one 'Srutayudha' as the king of the Kalinga kingdom, who joined theKaurava camp.[31] In the Buddhist text, Mahagovinda Suttanta, Kalinga and its ruler, 'Sattabhu', have been mentioned.[32]
This dynasty is mentioned inChullakalinga Jataka andKalingabodhi Jataka. The last ruler of First Kalinga dynasty is said to have broken away from theDanda kingdom along with the kings ofAsmaka andVidarbha as its feudal states, and established rule of Second Kalinga dynasty.
This was probably another dynasty or late rulers of Second Kalinga dynasty, which is mentioned inDāṭhavaṃsa.
His son, prince 'Soorudasaruna-Adeettiya' was exiled and as perMaldivian history, established the first kingdomDheeva Maari and laid the foundation of theAdeetta dynasty (Aditta Vansa).[33]
Kalinga was believed to be briefly annexed by Nanda rulerMahapadma Nanda between 345 and 340 BCE.
The Nanda empire appears to have stretched from present-dayPunjab in the west toOdisha(Kalinga) in the east.[34] Nandas control of Kalinga region is corroborated by theHathigumpha inscription of the later kingKharavela (c. 2nd or 1st century BCE).[35]
WhenChandragupta Mauryarebelled against the Nandas, Kalingas broke away from the empire ofMagadha in 322 BCE.
The Hathigumpha inscription suggests that a king named Nandaraja had excavated an aqueduct there in the past. Assuming that Nandaraja refers to a king of theNanda dynasty, it appears that the Kalinga region was annexed by the Nandas at some point.[36] It appears to have become independent again after the fall of the Nandas. It is described as "Calingae" inMegasthenes'Indica (3rd century BCE):
The Prinas and the Cainas (a tributary of theGanges) are both navigable rivers. The tribes which dwell by the Ganges are the Calingae, nearest the sea, and higher up the Mandei, also the Malli, among whom is Mount Mallus, the boundary of all that region being the Ganges.
— Megasthenes fragm. XX.B. in Pliny.Hist. Nat. V1. 21.9–22. 1.[37]
The royal city of the Calingae is called Parthalis. Over their king 60,000 foot-soldiers, 1,000 horsemen, 700 elephants keep watch and ward in "procinct of war."
— Megasthenes fragm. LVI. in Plin.Hist. Nat. VI. 21. 8–23. 11.[37]
Ashokainvaded Kalinga in 261 BCE and re-annexed intoMagadha Empire.After the final battle near theDhauli hills, the capitalTosali fell to the Mauryas where the headquarters of the Mauryan province of Kalinga was also located.Kalinga broke away from the Mauryan empire during the rule ofDasharatha in 224 BCE.
After the decline of the Mauryan Empire, the region came under the control of theMahameghavahana family, whose kingKharavela described himself as the "supreme Lord of Kalinga".[10] Kharavela was the greatest ruler of empire who ruled during the second or first century BCE and the primary source for his reign is sourced from the rock-cutHathigumpha inscription. The inscription describes yearly records of his reign and also credits him with public infrastructure projects, welfare activities, patronage of the arts, and many military victories and also patronising religions such as Jainism while the inscription also describes him as a devotee of all religions.[38]
Kalinga came under Gupta suzerainty in the 4th century CE. After the Gupta withdrawal, it was ruled by several minor dynasties, whose rulers bore the titleKalingadhipati ("Lord of Kalinga"). These included theMatharas,Pitrbhaktas,Vasishthas andNalas.[39] They were followed by theShailodbhavas and the earlyEastern Gangas.
In the 7th century, the Shailodbhavas ruled parts of eastern India and their core territory was known as Kongoda-mandala, and included parts of the present-day Ganjam, Khordha and Puri districts. King Madhavaraja II claimed the titleSakala-Kalingadhipati ("the lord of the entire Kalinga").[40] During the 8th–10th centuries, theBhauma-Kara dynasty ruled the region, although they called their kingdom "Tosala" (derived from Tosali, the ancient capital of Kalinga).[41]
The Somavamshis ruled parts of present-day Odisha in eastern India between the 9th and the 12th centuries with their capitals included Yayatinagara and Abhinava-Yayatinagara (modern Jajpur). They ruled the Dakshina Kosala region claiming the titleKosalendra ("lord of Kosala"), following which they conquered the Kalinga and the Utkala regions in present-day Odisha, succeeding the Bhauma-Karas. Thus they called themselves the lord of Kalinga,Kosala, and Utkala.[42] They also introduced a new style of art and architecture in Odisha.[43]
During the 11th–15th century, the Eastern Gangas became the dominant power in the region, and bore the titleKalingadhipati. After succeeding the Somavanshis, they assumed various titles viz.Trikalingadhipathi orSakala Kalingadhipathi (Lord of three Kalinga or all three Kalingas namelyKalinga proper (South),Utkala (North), andDakshina Kosala (West)). Their capital was originally located at Kalinganagara (modernMukhalingam), and was later transferred to Kataka (modernCuttack) during the reign ofAnantavarman Chodaganga in the 12th century.[44] He also built the famousJagannath Temple atPuri.
Following repeated invasions from the northern regions,Narasimhadeva I, the son ofAnangabhima Deva III, invaded southern Bengal in 13th cen., defeated its ruler, captured the capital (Gauda), and built theSun Temple at Konark to commemorate his victory. Narasimhadeva I was also the first king to use the title ofGajapati orLord of war elephants orKing with an army of elephants among the Odishan kings in the 1246 CE inscription at theKapilash Temple.[45] With the death of Narasimha in 1264, the Eastern Gangas began to decline and were succeeded by the SuryavamsiGajapatis in 1434.
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The lastEastern Ganga ruler Bhanudeva IV was dethroned byKapilendra Deva in 1435. This event marked the foundation of theGajapati Empire[a] that ruled over the regions ofUtkala (North Odisha) and Kalinga (South Odisha, North Andhra Pradesh).Prataparudra Deva was the last great king of theSuryavamsi Gajapatis.
After the death of Prataprudra Deva in 1540 his sons Kalua Deva and Khakura Deva were made kings and later assassinated by their ministerGovinda Vidyadhara laying the foundation of the Bhoi dynasty. They could only control the Odisha coast, the interior regions fell under theGarhjat Kings.
Mukunda Deva who traced his descent from theEastern Chalukyas ofVengi[47] rebelled and killed the last two successors of the Bhoi dynasty and declared himself an independent ruler in 1559 on Northern Odisha coast over the Bhoi dynasty's territories butSulaiman Khan Karrani formed a kingdom in the region of Bengal which proved a potential threat to Mukunda Deva.[48] The fall of the Gajapatis meant the weakening of the centralised authority in the region and the subsequent fragmentation and independence of the tributary and feudal states.
The merchantKaundinya I, who became the co-founder of theFunan kingdom (centered in modernCambodia) after he married the localNāga princessSoma also has his origins from the ancient Kalinga region.[49][50][51]
According to scholarR. C. Majumdar, the 8th century CEShailendra dynasty of Java likely originated from Kalinga and the dynasty was also powerful in Cambodia and Champa(Annam) region.[52][53] The Shailendras are considered to have been athalassocracy and ruled vast swathes of maritime Southeast Asia and the dynasty appeared to be the ruling family of both theMataram kingdom of Central Java, for some period and theSrivijaya kingdom in Sumatra.
Burma went by the name of Kalinga-rattha (likely observed in the old Indo-Chinese records for Pegu) and there is evidence of very early merchant settlements and Buddhist missions in the southern Mon regions and by the 2nd century CE, the rule of Kalinga migrants centered around Kale, the Arakan River valley and Pegu, around the Gulf of Martaban. The remains of a ship excavated at Tante, near Yangon is thought to have belonged to Kalingan traders. Place names and similarities in architecture also indicate close contacts across the Gulf of Bengal.[54][55]
As per Maldivian history, the first kingdomDheeva Maari was established before 3rd century BC by Soorudasaruna-Adeettiya of the Solar dynasty, an exiled prince and son of King Brahmaadittiya of the Kalinga kingdom and laid the foundation of the Adeetta dynasty.[33]
In the Philippines according to Eric Casino, a king ofButuan was called Kiling; Casino posited that the king was not of Visayan origin but was rather of Indian origin, basing solely on the likelihood that the name Kiling was the same as the Malay termKeling (albeit this term is pronounced with a schwa) which refers to Indians.[56]
Derived from Kalinga is the still current termKeling orKling, used in parts ofSoutheast Asia to denote a person of theIndian subcontinent orIndian diaspora and at present having some derogatory and pejorative connotations, especially in Malaysia.[57][58][59] The 16th-century Portuguese travellerCastanheda wrote of the Keling community in Melaka who lived in the northern part of the city ofMalacca(Melaka). The merchants were known as Quelins (Kling, the people of Kalinga from India).[60]
Nissanka Malla, a ruler from Sri Lanka, who ruled the country from 1187 to 1196, mentioned that he was a member of a royal family ofKalinga, born atSinhapura.[61]
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