Chindaka Nagas of Chakrakota | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| c. 1023 AD–c. 1324 AD | |||||||||
 The Chindaka Nagas at their height under King Somesvara along with their neighbours | |||||||||
| Capital | Barasur | ||||||||
| Religion | Hinduism | ||||||||
| Government | Monarchy | ||||||||
| Maharaja (King) | |||||||||
• c. 1023 | Nrupati Bhushana | ||||||||
• c. 1324 | Harishchandradeva | ||||||||
| History | |||||||||
• Established | c. 1023 AD | ||||||||
• Disestablished | c. 1324 AD | ||||||||
| |||||||||
| Today part of | India | ||||||||
TheChindaka Nagas were a dynasty that ruled over parts of modern-dayOdisha andChhattisgarh. Their kingdom was known as Chakrakota mandala and included the present-day districts ofBastar,Koraput andKalahandi. They were constantly at war with their neighbours- theSomavamshi dynasty, theKalachuris of Ratnapura, theMana dynasty and theWestern Chalukya Empire.[1]
The Chindaka Nagas belonged toKashyapagotra and were of Kannada origin, hailing from theSindavadi country in present-dayKarnataka. They were a branch of the Sinda family ofGulbarga.[1][2][3][4][5] Several historians agree with this theory of the Nagas havingKannada ancestry.
The Nagas are believed by certain historians to have arrived in the Chakrakota Mandala region (Bastar-Koraput district-Kalahandi) in 1022 with the expedition of theChola emperorRajendra Chola.[4]
Historian Hira Lal Shukla is of the opinion that theSomavamshi kings Uddyotakeśarī and Janmejaya II might have helped the Nagas establish a kingdom in Chakrakota.[3] Jitāmitra Prasāda Siṃhadeba has hypothesized that theNagas of Kalahandi were related to the Chindaka Nagas due to the proximity ofKalahandi andBastar, both the states havingManikyadevi as their patron goddess and because around the time the Naga rule in Chakrakota ended, the Kalahandi kingdom was founded.[6]
However, historian Shiv Kumar Tiwari believes that the Nagas ruled in theBastar region ofChhattisgarh since as early as 760 A.D. His take of historical events from theNava-sahasanka-charita epic poem is as follows- the Naga ruler ofBastar, Sankhapala, sought help from theShilahara rulerAparajita when the ruler of theMana tribe invaded his kingdom.[1]
The Chindaka Nagas ruled over parts of the modern-dayIndian state ofOdisha and the historical region ofDakshina Kosala. Their kingdom was known as Chakrakota mandala and included the present-day districts ofBastar,Koraput andKalahandi.Manikyadevi was the patron goddess of these Nagavansi rulers.[7]
TheTelugu Chodas who migrated to the region, settled as their feudal rulers.[8] Chandraditya Maharaja, aTelugu Choda chieftain, was a mahamandalashwara (an Indian feudal title) and ruler of Ammagama (modern Ambogam village inKotapad) was a feudatory of Jagadeka Bhushana.[4]
TheBhanjas ofBoudh branch came into conflict with the Chindaka Nagas. In 1060 AD, theBhanja king Yasobhanja defeated and killed Jagadeka Bhushana. Taking advantage of the power vacuum, Madhurantaka, a close relative of the dead king usurped the throne. However, Somesvara the son of Jagadeka Bhushana claimed the throne as well, leading to a civil war in Chakrakota lasting for 5 years.Kulottunga I, theChola emperor supported Madhurantaka while theChola's archrivals, theChalukyas of Kalyana, supported Somesvara in the struggle. Subsequently, Madhurantaka was killed and Somesvara assumed kingship of Chakrakota.[4] According to N.K. Sahu, Somesvara was the most powerful ruler of the Chindaka Nagas.[9]
Somasvera warred with the decliningSomavamshi dynasty who were ruling in Utkala and Kosala at the time. Yosoraja I , the father of Chandraditya Maharaja andTelugucoda lieutenant of Chindaka Naga king Somesvara conquered the eastern parts ofKosala which were under theSomavamshi dynasty in 1069 AD. Yosoraja I then served as the governor ofKosala for Somesvara.[10] In his Kuruspal inscription, Somesvara claimed to have raided theVengi Kingdom, subjugated theMana tribe, and declared to have defeated theUdra chief (Somavamshi king) and captured six lakh and ninety-six villages ofDakshina Kosala (centralChhattisgarh) from him.[2][1][11] Historian Shiv Kumar Tiwari believes that the conquest ofDakshina Kosala by Somesvara is likely an exaggeration and that he only held a small part of that territory for a short period.[1]
TheSomavamsis, who had declined, began servingEastern Gangas,Kalachuri and Chindaka Nagas as chieftains.[11] The Chindaka Naga rulers called themselves asNagavamsi and thelords of Bhogavati. Bhogavati was the capital of the mythical snake-demons calledNagas.[1][12]
The Chindaka Nagas were defeated by theKakatiya vassal ofSomeshvara I, theChalukya emperor.[13] This dynasty continued to rule the region till the thirteenth century with not many details known about their rulers excepting a few.[14]
TheKalachuri king of Ratanpur,Jajalla-deva I (1090-1120 CE), invaded the Chindaka Naga territory in 1114 AD annexingKosala which was underTelugu Choda governorship. Jajalla-Deva I defeated Somesvara and took him prisoner, only releasing him at the intervention of his mother.[15][4][10]
During the struggle between theGangas of Orissa andKalachuris of Ratnapura for theKalahandi region, the Chindaka Nagas allied themselves with theGangas. TheKalachuri kingPrithvi-deva II retaliated by devastating Chakrakota and destroying the Chindaka Naga capital, in an attempt to terrorise theGanga kingAnantavarman.[16] The Bilaigarh copper plates inscription ofPrithvideva reads- "His son Prithvîdëva (II) of well-known fame, who has planted his lotus-like foot on the rows of hostile princes' heads, has become the lord of kings — (he) who, by devastating Chakrakota, overwhelmed the illustrious Ganga king with anxiety in regard to the crossing of the ocean which was the sole means (of saving his life)."[17]
During the first half of 13th century, Chakrakota was invaded by Kholeshvara, the general ofYadava rulerSinghanadeva of Deogiri.[18] Kakatiya rulerGanapatideva also invaded bastar during 13th century. The last known ruler of this dynasty was Harishchandradeva, known from aSati inscription dated 1324 AD.[1]
A branch of the Chindakas/Chindas led by a Vallabharaja formed a dynasty that ruled fromBodh Gaya from the 11th to 13th centuries. This branch of the Chindakas were patrons of Buddhism and held the title ofmagadhādipati referring to theMagadha region.[19]
The Naga kings' coat of arms included a snake banner and the "tiger-with-cub" crest.[1]
The Chindaka Naga rulers known from inscriptions (dated to regnal years) are-[2][1]
