Kalachuris of Ratnapura | |||||||||||
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11th century–1758 | |||||||||||
Capital | Ratnapura | ||||||||||
Religion | Hinduism | ||||||||||
Government | monarchy | ||||||||||
History | |||||||||||
• Conquest of Dakshina Kosala by Kalinga-raja | 11th century | ||||||||||
• Bimbaji Bhonsle becomes governor of Chhattisgarh | 1758 | ||||||||||
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Today part of | India |
The Kalachuris of Ratnapura, also known as the Haihayas of Ratanpur, were a dynasty that ruled in Central India during the 12th and 13th centuries. They ruled parts of present-day Chhattisgarh from their capital at Ratnapura (modern Ratanpur in Bilaspur district). They were an offshoot of the Kalachuris of Tripuri, and ruled as vassals of the parent dynasty for many years.
The Ratnapura branch was established by Kalinga-raja around 1000 CE. His descendants became independent towards the end of the 11th century, and fought with their neighbours to consolidate their rule, including the Eastern Gangas. Pratapa-malla, the last confirmed descendant of Kalinga-raja, ruled in the early 13th century. No information is available about his immediate successors, but towards the end of the 14th century, the family appears to have split into two branches, with their capitals at Ratanpur and Raipur respectively. Vahara, the 15th-16th century king of Ratanpur, can be identified with Bahar Sahai, to whom the later rulers of Ratanpur trace their ancestry. The Ratanpur kingdom accepted the suzerainty of the Maratha Nagpur Kingdom in 1740, and was annexed into that kingdom after the death of its last ruler, Mohan Singh.
The kingdom originated as the eastern province of the Kalachuri or Chedi kingdom, which was centered in the upper Narmada River valley. According to inscriptions, the Tripuri Kalachuri king Kokalla I had 18 sons, the eldest of whom succeeded him on the throne of Tripuri. The younger ones became rulers of mandalas (feudatory governors). The Ratnapuri Kalachuris descended from one of these younger sons. [3] The new branch was established by Kalingaraja around 1000 CE. [4] By the eleventh century the Ratnapura branch became independent.
Several inscriptions and coins of the Ratnapura branch have been found, but these do not provide enough information to reconstruct the political history of the region with complete certainty. [4]
Kalinga-raja conquered the Dakshina Kosala region from the Somavamshi dynasty, and established the Ratnapura kingdom around 1000 CE. [4] He made Tummana (near modern-day Bilaspur) his capital. [5] He was succeeded by Kamala-raja; [4] his grandson Ratna-deva I established Ratnapura (modern Ratanpur). [5] The inscriptions of the next ruler Prithvideva I indicate that the Ratnapura branch continued to rule as feudatories of the Kalachuris of Tripuri. [4]
Prithvi-deva I was succeeded by his son Jajalla-deva I, who was the first powerful king of the dynasty. The Kalachuris of Ratnapura became de facto independent in his reign. In 1114 CE, Jajalla-deva I invaded the Chindaka Naga territory to the south, annexing southern parts of Kosala which were under Telugu Choda governorship. Jajalla-deva I defeated the Chindaka Naga king Somesvara and took him prisoner, only releasing him at the intervention of his mother. [6]
The next ruler, Ratnadeva II, officially declared independence from the Kalachuris of Tripuri [7] and repulsed an invasion by Anantavarman Chodaganga, the king of the Eastern Ganga dynasty. [8] His successor was Prithvi-deva, whose 15 inscriptions are an important source of the political and cultural history of the kingdom. [4]
Prithvi-deva II's successor Jajalla-deva II reigned for a short and troublesome period, as attested by his Amoda, Malhar, and Sheorinarayan inscriptions. His successors included Ratnadeva III and Pratapa-malla. The political history of the dynasty after Pratapa-malla is uncertain. [4]
The Eastern Gangas and the Kalachuris appear to have involved in a long conflict for the control of the Trikalinga and Kosala regions. [9] According to one theory, the Ganga king Anangabhima-deva III defeated Pratpamalla. This theory is based on the Chateswara Temple inscription, according to which Anganabhima's general Vishnu terrorized the king of Tummana (the old Kalachuri capital) so much that the latter "perceived Vishnu every where through out his kingdom." According to the Ananta-vasu-deva temple inscription, Anangabhima's daughter Chandrika-devi married a Haihaya prince named Paramardi-deva; this prince must have belonged to the Ratnapura family, although he is unlikely to have belonged to the main branch of that dynasty. [10] [ better source needed ]
No information is available about Pratapamalla's successors, except a vague reference in Hemadri's Vrata-khanda which suggests that a king named Jajalla may have succeeded Pratapa-malla. [11] The next extant Kalachuri record at Ratnapura is from the reign of king Vahara, who is attested by his 1494 and 1513 CE inscriptions. His relationship to Pratapa-malla is not clear: he traces his genealogy to one Lakshmi-deva. The family appears to have split into two branches after the reign of Lakshmi-deva's son Simhana, with Vahara's ancestor, as suggested by the Raipur stone inscription of Brahmadeva and the Khalari stone inscription of Haribhramadeva. Varaha's ancestor Danghira appears to have ruled at Ratanpur, while Brahmadeva's predecessor Ramachandra appears to have ruled from Raipur. Varaha appears to have moved his capital from Ratnapura to Kosanga (Kosgain), and fought against the Pathanas (Afghans), whose identity is not clear. [12]
No records of Vahara's immediate successors are available, but local traditions mention twelve successors of Bahar Sahai, who can be identified with Vahara. [12] According to the old deshbahis (records) preserved at Ratanpur, examined by the British civil servant J.W. Chisholm, Raja Rajsing (c. 1689-1712) belonged to a "long unbroken line of the Haihayas of Ratanpur". [13] In 1740, the general of the Maratha Nagpur Kingdom, Bhaskar Pant invaded the kingdom and made it recognize Nagpur's suzerainty. [14] The kingdom survived until 1758, when its last ruler Mohan Singh died and the state was annexed by its suzerain, the Maratha Nagpur Kingdom. [13]
The following is a list of the Ratnapura Kalachuri rulers, with estimated period of their reigns: [16]
The next Kalachuri inscriptions are from the reign of the 15th-16th century king Vahara, whose relationship to Pratapa-malla is not clear. The following genealogy can be reconstructed from these records: [12]
No records of Vahara's immediate successors are available. However, according to local traditions, the later rulers of Ratanpur descended from Bahar Sahai, who can be identified with Vahara. [12] The last of these rulers were Raja Raj Singh (c. 1689–1712) and Mohan Singh (c. 1745–1758). [13]
The Ratnapura Kalachuri kingdom was located east of the main routes between northern and southern India, and thus was unaffected by the Muslim invasions of the 13th-16th centuries. The kingdom enjoyed 700 years of peaceful existence due to its borders being protected by precipitous mountain ranges on almost all sides.
According to a popular theory, the old Kalachuri kingdom consisted of thirty-six garhs or feudal territories, and hence, the region of Chhattisgarh was named after the number of forts it had. [17] [18] [19] However, most historians disagree with this theory as 36 forts have not been found and identified. Another view, more popular with experts and historians, is that "Chhattisgarh" is the corrupted form of "Chedisgarh" meaning "Kingdom of the Chedis". [20] [21]
The Kalachuris of Ratnapura are better known as the "Haihayavanshis" (of the Haihaiya family) in Chhattisgarh and in British documents. The kingdom was named "Mahakoshal" by its rulers to make to make their kingdom sound more dignified and their sovereignty seem more pronounced. This was also done to distinguish it from North Kosala, its better known namesake and a region located in North India. [22]
The Kalachuri rulers of Ratnapura issued gold, silver and copper coins, which bear the issuer's name in Nagari script. The coins feature four types of design: [23]
Hoards of their coins have been found at following places: [24]
3 silver coins of Prithvideva were discovered from the Mahanadi riverbed near Balpur. Thousands of copper coins issued by them have also been discovered, including a hoard of 3900 copper coins at Dhanpur in Bilaspur district. [25]
The inscriptions of the Ratnapura Kalachuri rulers have been discovered at several places in present-day Chhattisgarh: [15] [4]
Dakshina Kosala is a historical region of central India. It was located in what is now Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh along with parts of Western Odisha. At its greatest extent, it may have also included a part of the Vidarbha region in present-day Maharashtra.
Ratanpur is a town and a nagar palika in Bilaspur district in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh. It is located about 25 kilometres (16 mi) from Bilaspur on National Highway 130 towards Ambikapur.
The Kingdom of Haihaiyavansi, ruled by the Kalachuris of Raipur was a Garh Under Garha Kingdom which consisted of the central part of the present-day state of Chhattisgarh located in India.
Western Odisha is the western part of the state of Odisha in India, extending from the Kalahandi district in the south to the Sundargarh district in the north.
The Kalachuris of Tripuri, also known the Kalachuris of Chedi, ruled parts of central India during 7th to 13th centuries. They are also known as the Later Kalachuris to distinguish them from their earlier namesakes, especially the Kalachuris of Mahishmati. Their core territory included the historical Chedi region, and their capital was located at Tripuri.
Sallakshana-Varman was a king of the Chandela dynasty of India. He succeeded his father Kirttivarman as the ruler of the Jejakabhukti region. The inscriptions of his descendants suggest that he achieved military successes against the Paramaras, the Kalachuris of Tripuri and the ruler of Kanyakubja.
Madana-Varman was a king of the Chandela dynasty of India. He succeeded his father Prithvi-Varman as the ruler of the Jejakabhukti region. He revived the Chandela glory by subduing the neighbouring kingdoms, and commissioned several tanks and temples.
The Kalachuris of Mahismati, or the Early Kalachuris, were an early medieval Indian dynasty that ruled present-day Maharashtra, as well as parts of mainland Gujarat and southern Madhya Pradesh. Their capital was located at Mahishmati. Epigraphic and numismatic evidence suggests that the earliest of the Ellora and Elephanta cave monuments were built during the Kalachuri rule.
The Yajvapala dynasty ruled parts of central India during the 13th century CE. Their capital was located at Nalapura. They are also known as Jajapella or Jajpella. The Yajvapalas carved out a kingdom in northern Madhya Pradesh during the first half of the 13th century, and successfully resisted invasions by the Chandelas and the Delhi Sultanate over the next few decades. It is not certain how their rule ended, but they probably fell to the Delhi Sultanate by the end of the century.
Yuvarajadeva II was a ruler of the Kalachuri dynasty of Tripuri in central India. His kingdom was centered around the Chedi or Dahala region in present-day Madhya Pradesh. He established matrimonial relations with the Chalukyas of Kalyani, and was defeated by their rival, the Paramara king Munja.
Gangeyadeva was a ruler of the Kalachuri dynasty of Tripuri in central India. His kingdom was centered around the Chedi or Dahala region in present-day Madhya Pradesh.
Gayakarna was a ruler of the Kalachuri dynasty of Tripuri in central India. His kingdom was centered around the Chedi or Dahala region in present-day Madhya Pradesh.
Jayasimha was a ruler of the Kalachuri dynasty of Tripuri in central India. His kingdom was centered around the Chedi or Dahala region in present-day Madhya Pradesh. He unsuccessfully tried to assert his authority over the Kalachuris of Ratnapura, and seems to have suffered a defeat against the Chandelas.
The Panduvamshis or Pandavas were an Indian dynasty that ruled the historical Dakshina Kosala region in present-day Chhattisgarh state of India, during the 7th and the 8th centuries. They may have been related to the earlier Panduvamshis of Mekala: both dynasties claimed lunar lineage and descent from the legendary Pandavas.
Ratnadeva II was the greatest ruler of the Kalachuri dynasty of Ratnapura, in modern-day Indian state of Chhattisgarh. He is known for declaring independence from their overlords, the Kalachuris of Tripuri and defeated an army sent by the Kalachuri king Gayakarna. He is also known for repulsing an invasion by the mighty king of Kalinga, Anantavarman Chodaganga. His predecessor was Jajalla-deva I, his father and was succeeded by Prithvi-deva II, who was most likely his son.
Prithvi-deva II was one of the most powerful Ratnapura Kalachuri kings, who ruled over the present-day Indian state of Chhattisgarh. His reign is placed 1135–1165 CE.
The Chindaka Nagas were a dynasty that ruled over parts of modern-day Odisha and Chhattisgarh. Their kingdom was known as Chakrakota mandala and included the present-day districts of Bastar, Koraput and Kalahandi. They were constantly at war with their neighbours- the Somavamshi dynasty, the Kalachuris of Ratnapura, the Mana dynasty and the Western Chalukya Empire.
Trikalinga is a historical region of central-east India, mentioned in several historical sources. Its identification and its relation to the term "Kalinga" is debated among modern historians, who variously identify it as a distinct region to the west of Kalinga, a larger region comprising Kalinga and two other regions, a constituent of the greater Kalinga, or the three divisions of Kalinga proper.
Kokalla I was a ruler of the Kalachuri dynasty of Tripuri in central India. His kingdom was centered around the Chedi or Dahala region in present-day Madhya Pradesh. He appears to have been the first powerful ruler of the dynasty. He consolidated his kingdom and maintained matrimonial relations with the Rashtrakuta empire, and Chandela dynasty.