Kalinga under the Chedi Dynasty Kharavela:
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 Century A.D. In Hatigumpha inscription in the 3rd line there is a reference of Satakarni, against whom Kharavela lodged a war. In the 6th line the epigraph refers to a canal opened by a Nanda king, one hundred and three years back which Kharavela re-excavated and brought to his capital from Tanasuli.
Again in the 13th line of the same epigraph the name of Bahasatimita of Magadha has been referred to who was defeated by Kharavela. Since there is an agreement about the reading of Satakarni, Nandaraja and Bahasatimita, the correct identification of anyone of them will take a long way in fixing the date of Kharavela.
If the 6th line is taken into consideration (one hundred three years before) the fifth year of Kharavela’s reign will fall in 154 B.C. and the beginning of his reign has to be fixed in 159 B.C. according to the 13th line Bahasatimita or Brihaspatimitra was the king of Magadha after the end of Pusyamitra Sunga’s reign, who was badly defeated by Kharavela.
The reign of Kharavela thus falls beyond 148 B.C. (147 B.C.). When we take the name of Satakarni into consideration there is no doubt to say that Satakarni belonged to the Satakarni dynasty of the Deccan who was ruling over the Deccan region in the 2nd Century B.C. As Kharavela was a Contemporary monarch of Satakarni he belonged to the 2nd Century B.C.
It is just to believe that the dynasty of Kharavela in Kalinga and that of Satavahana of Deccan rose simultaneously into prominence after the decline of Mauryan empire. In the Hatigumpha inscription it is mentioned ti-vasa-sata which means 103 or 300 years. The reading of ti-vasa-sata as has been interpreted by many scholars as 103 years. Hence the fifth year of Kharavela’s reign will be (257- 103). 154 B.C. and the beginning of his reign have to be probably placed in 159 B.C.
A detailed account about the life and achievements of Kharavela up to thirteenth regnal year is known from the Hatigumpha inscription of Udayagiri. The activities prior to his coronation are full of interesting events. Kharavela succeeded his father after his premature death in 149 B.C. at the age of fifteen. He assumed the title of Yubaraj and managed the administration presumably with the help of a regency.
During his early days he received proper education in Lekha (literature), Rupa (coinage), Ganana (Mathematics), Vyavahara (Law) and Vidhi (Regulation of the country). Besides he gained proficiency in the art of dancing, music and military technique. After attaining 24th year he became Maharaja in about 40 B.C. He was the third member of the Mohameghavahan family of Chedi dynasty.
The Hatigumpha inscription presents a clear picture of Kharavela as a ruler of Kalinga. Kharavela in his first year of coronation repaired the gates and ruined structures of Kalinganagari his capital which was damaged by a severe cyclone. He caused to be built embankments and repaired all the gardens of his capital. These undertaking of public utility cost him thirty-five hundred thousand coins.
In the second year of his reign he undertook a well-planned expedition with a huge army consisting of cavalry, elephants, infantry, and chariots towards the west and threatened the city of Musiknagar or Risikanagar on the Krishna River. He did not take notice of the mighty ruler Satakarni, a Satavahana king. It is clear that he had no ill feelings towards Satakarni and had friendly relations with him.
In the third regnal year he entertained the people of his capital with dancing, singing and feasts. A reference has been made in the inscription about the holding of a Samaj as that included animal fights, feasting and merrymaking etc.
In the fourth year he captured the capital of a prince named Bidyadhar and subjugated the Rastrikas and Bhojakas of Berar and Maharashtra region, respectively.
In his fifth regnal year he re-excavated a canal which was built by the Nandaraja, 103 years before and brought a branch of the canal to his capital. He performed a Rajasuya sacrifice in the capital and remitted taxes of the subjects.
The events of the next three years of his reign are not clear and during this period a son was born to him probably on the 6th regnal year.
In the eighth regnal year he started a campaign to the north and destroyed the supremacy of Gorathagiri in the modern Gaya district. The hill forters of Gorathagiri guarding Rajagriha were demolished and the city was put to a great loss. Next he caused a severe damage the city of Rajagriha identified with modern Rajgir in the Nalanda district of Bihar. This attack frightened the Yavana (Indo-Greeks) king who had a desire to attack Pataliputra and he was forced to retreat to Mathura.
In the ninth year of his reign he constructed a vast palace called Mahavijaya Prasad at his capital town at the cost of thirty-eight hundred thousand rupees.
The activities of Kharavela in the tenth and eleventh year are not clear in the epigraph. However, some scholars believe that during these years he was busy in public welfare activities. Some scholars say that in the tenth year he marched against northern India and returned with huge quantity of jewels and valuables.
In the eleventh year Kharavela directed his army against Tamil confederacy in the south which was in supreme command in the south. The Cholas, Pandyas, Satyaputres, Keralaputras and Tamraparni were defeated.
The twelfth regnal year witnessed devastating expedition towards the north and Kharavela proceeded upto Pataliputra attacked the city and subjugated king Bahasatimita or Brihaspatimitra of Magadha. After this he brought back the Kalinga Jina image to his capital as a trophy of his victory. He also collected plenty of wealth from the treasury of Anga and Magadha. The Kalinga Jina which was taken away by Mahapadmanada from Kalinga to Magadha and its restoration was considered to be very glorious from the religious and military points of view.
In the last regnal year (thirteenth) he engaged himself in religious activities, excavated cavas in the Kumari Parvata (Udayagiri Hills) for the Jaina monks and distributed white garments among them. It is very difficult to say whether Kharavela continued to live after his thirteenth regnal year. The Hatigumpha inscription is completely silent about this with an abrupt end of his prasasti during these thirteen years.
