Gupta Rule in Orissa:

-

 Gupta Rule in Orissa:

The mighty Gupta ruler Samudragupta conquered south Kosala (the upper Mahanadi valley) during his southern campaigns. Along with south Kosala he also conquered the territories of Svamidatta of Kottura, Damana of Erandapalle and Devarastra. All these territories have been identified with the places of Ganjam district and the adjoining Telugu-speaking tract.

Samudragupta directed his army in this campaign through a difficult forests clad routes of Mahakosala and Mahakantara which has been identified with the present Kalahandi, Koraput districts of Orissa and Bastar district of Madhya Pradesh. It is difficult to say why Samudragupta followed this difficult path instead of marching through the plain and easy coastal route of Balasore, Cuttack and Puri districts.



Samudragupta finally reached the coastal strip of Orissa and subjugated the Orissa kings alongwith some southern monarchs with their leader Visnugopa of Kanchi. Allahabad Prasad is very clear in describing the fact that Samudragupta after receiving valuable presents liberated the kings and restored their kingdoms under the principle Anugraha. Thus Samudragupta’s invasion was a passing cloud which did not affect much of the political condition of Kalinga though it brought Kalinga to the cultural orbit of Gupta Empire.

After the death of Samudragupta in about 380 A.D. there is no evidence of any relation of Orissa with Gupta Empire. However, we find the use of Gupta Era in many Orissan copper plate grants. In Sumandal copper plate grant of Prithivi-Vigraha, the copper plate grants of Sambhuyasas and the Soro copper plate grants the Gupta Era has been referred.

From the use of Gupta Era in the inscription of Orissa it is inferred by scholar Dr. D.C. Sircar that Orissa was within the political orbit of the Gupta Empire. But scholar like Dr. N.K. Sahu did not accept this idea and contrary to that he said that Orissa never acknowledged the political supremacy of the Guptas. Further in the Jairampur copper plate inscription the name Maharajadhiraja Gopa Chandra the son of Maharajadhiraja Dhana Chandra has seen mentioned. They were the rulers of the northern Balasore region. Thus it can be concluded that if northern Balasore region did not constitute a part of Gupta Empire how could

Kalinga (Ganjam region) form a part of Gupta Empire. Thus the specula­tion about the suzerainty of Gupta rulers over Kalinga has no historical authenticity.

Popular posts from this blog

Hiuen-Tsang’s Accounts of Orissa

-
Image
 Hiuen-Tsang’s Accounts of Orissa: The Chinese pilgrim Hiuen-Tsang (Yuan Chiang or  Xuanzang ) visited Orissa in 639 A.D. He proceeded from Karna-Suvarna, the capital of Gauda in the south­west direction and covering a distance of 140 miles reached WU-Cha or Odra. His accounts clearly say that Orissa or Kalinga was then divided into three separate kingdoms such as Wu-cha (Odra), Kong-yu-To (Kongoda) and Ki-ling-ka (Kalinga). From his accounts it is also clear that Andhra and Kosala were two distinct neighbouring kingdoms. It is further known from his accounts that Midnapore was then a part of Orissa. The coastal regions of Orissa consisting the modern districts of Midnapore (Bengal) Balasore, Cuttack and a part of Puri district remained under the suzerainty of Harsavardhan. Harsavardhan appointed a military Governor from Datta family to administer this country. About the people of Odra country the pilgrim says that they were tall .and yellowish-black in complexion. The present Oriya ra
Read more

Kalinga under the Chedi Dynasty Kharavela:

-
Image
Kalinga under the Chedi Dynasty Kharavela:  The history of Kalinga following the decline of Mauryan supremacy is obscure and yet to be known exactly when Kalinga regained her indepen­dence. The Hatigumpha inscription in Udayagiri near Bhubaneswar records, the achievement of a mighty ruler of Kalinga named Kharavela. Who belonged to the Mahameghahahan family of the Chedi class. The Chedis were originally ruling is Madhaydesha or Magadha and it has been suggested that a branch of this royal family of the hoary antiquity came to Kalinga and established it power over Kalinga. There is no information readily available to say as to when did they migrate to Kalinga but from the Hatigumpha inscription it becomes apparent that Kharavela was the third member of the Chedi family of Kalinga. The date of the reign of Kharavela is highly controversial one. Some scholars put this date in the 2nd Century B.C. and some others in the 1st Century B.C. Other group of scholars drags him down to the 1st Cen
Read more