HIS
Introduction :
In order to make a
scientific study on the history of any land, a broad and thorough knowledge of
its geography is essential. It will be certainly not easy on the part of a
historian to look into the course of events unless he possesses accurate
information about the precise location of various places that figure
significantly in the narrative. On the other hand, no historian of a state can
overlook the immense influence of its physical features that play a vital role
in shaping the character of its people and their socioeconomic and political
condition of a state.
Historical geography:
The
Geographical importance of places in relation to historical significance brings
forward the concept of 'historical geography'. Historical geography essentially
aims at the reconstruction of geography of a region of a period which has
already passed. By putting together pieces of scattered evidence, all aspects
of geography of that period can be reconstructed. In this context, the
historical geography of ancient Odisha deserves special attention. The region
now known as Odisha, was known in ancient times under various names, the most
prominent of which were Kalinga, Utkala, Odra, Tosali , Kangoda and Kosala. To have
an idea about the ancient geography of Odisha it is necessary to have an idea
about the antiquity and extent of main ancient geographical units. Each of them
during its historical existence found mention in different sources which
provide interesting accounts about it. The ancient geographical units can be
discussed as follows:
Kalinga :
Among the different political
units of this ancient land, Kalinga occupied a prominent place. The fertile
coastal plains stretching from the mouth of the river Ganges up to Godavari,
with mountains and forests, gave a natural boundary to Kalinga. The name
Kalinga occurs in the Puranas in
association with Anga, Vanga, Pundra and Sumha. In the Mahabharata there is an
indication about the location and the extent of Kalinga. In the Vana Parva the
sage Lomasa pointed out, "This is the country of the Kalingas where flows
the river Vaitarani." This evidence clearly indicates that the land now
known as Odisha was included in the Kalinga country, but its extent in the
Mahabharata age cannot be determined. The epic account also finds
substantiation in the works of early Greek writers. In the description of
Megasthenes, the river Ganges forms the eastern boundary of Kalinga. Pliny
divides Kalinga into three parts Viz- Gangarides Calingae, Maceo Calingae and
Calingae. Its southern boundary, as per Pliny's description, is limited on the
bank of the river Godavari basing upon the puranas like Matsya, Kurma and
Skanda, the western frontier of Kalinga is supposed to have stretched upon the
Amrakantaka hills on the river bank of Narmada. Thus, as per the Puranic
tradition, Kalinga is said to have extended up to the Gangetic valley in the
north, the Godavari in the south, the sea in the east and the Amrakantaka hills
in the west.
In the list of the sixteen Mahajanapadas of the sixth century B. C.,
described in the Pali literature Kalinga does not appear as one, but this
omission does not mean that, Kalinga did not exist as a Mahajanapada or a great
state. In the fourth century B. C., Kalinga was under the suzerainty of the
Nandas. In the third century B. C. during the period between the Nandas and
Mauryas, it slipped away from the fold of Magadhan imperialism. With Ashok's Kalinga
war of 261 B. C., it came again under the authority of Magadha. His Special
Edicts (also known as Kalinga Edicts) at Dhauli near Bhubaneswar, are addressed
to the Mahamatras and the Kumaramatya (prince viceroy) of Toshali, while his
same edicts at Jaugada in the Ganjam district are addressed to only the
Mahamatras of Samapa. From these two inscriptions of Asoka now to be found in
Odisha, it becomes apparent that for the sake of administration he had divided
the Kalinga country into two broad divisions, northern and southern. In the
northern division the capital Tosali was situated, while Samapa formed the
second capital in the southern division. The evidence furnished by Asoka's
Inscription thus clearly proves that Kalinga in his time included the entire
region now known as Odisha, though its northern and southern boundaries cannot
exactly be determined. It seems, however, that its southern boundary extended
up to the river Godavari. The northern limits of Kalinga of Asoka's time cannot
be determined.
Duuring the second century B.C. the present state of Odisha was
certainly known as Kalinga as is evident by the fact that in the Hatigumpha
Inscription at Udayagiri near Bhubaneswar, Kharavela is described as
Kalingadhipati. During his reign, Kalinga expanded into an empire, the extent
of which is variously determined by scholars. We do not know when his empire
became dismembered, but even after the fall of his empire the land of Odisha
continued to be called Kalinga. By the fourth century A.D. when Kalidasa wrote
his Raghuvamsam, Kalinga seems to have been divided into two regions, of which
the northern region was known as Utkala. In the fourth stanza of his work it is
stated that the people of Utkala showed Raghu the path to Kalinga. In the
Allahabad Inscription of Samudragupta, it is stated that during his southern
campaigns Samudragupta conquered Kottura, Pishtapura, Erandapalli and
Devarashtra, which have been identified with Kothoor in the Ganjam district,
Pithapuram in the Godavari district, Erandapalli and Yellamachilli in the
Visakhapatanam district respectively. In one of the earliest copper plate
records of Odisha, known as Sumandala Copper Plates of Prithvivigraha, Kalinga
as a rashtra (kingdom) has found mention, but in the subsequent medieval
epigraphic records the name Kalinga does not appear. This does not, however,
mean that Kalinga as a geographical name became extinct. It continued to be
applied to the territory between Ganjam and the river Godavari in the
subsequent ages down to the Ganga and Suryavamsi periods.
Dantapura, one of the early capitals of Kalinga, has not been
identified. Various suggestions made by scholars about its location and its
identity still remains to be confirmed by archaeological evidences.
Kalinganagara which was capital of Kharavela, has tentatively been identified
with Sisupalagarh near Bhubaneswar. The Early Eastern Gangas established their
capital at a place which was also known as Kalinganagara and it has been
identified with Mukhalingam in the Srikakulam district by Mr. R. Subbarao,
though there are also other suggestions for its identification. Kalinganagara
ceased to be the capital of the Gangas when Chodaganga conquered Odisha about
A.D. 1110 and he chose Kataka (Cuttack), more centrally situated in his
extended kingdom, as his new capital.
Utkala
The territory of
Utkala has been narrated in various Puranas. Utkala appears in the Mahabharata
in association with the countries of Odras, Mekala, Kalinga,Darsana and
Andhras. Tradition associates the origin of Utkala which Vaivasvata Manu who
finds mention among the kings of India. It is said that Ila-Sudyumna, of the
ten sons of Manu, who became male and female alternatively, gave birth to
Utkala, Gaya,Vinitasva and Puru. He distributed the portion of his territory
received from Manu among his sons and the land which came under the sway of
Utkala was known as Utkala. This geographical name has also found mention in
the Ramayana and is considered by some scholars to be older than Kalinga.
Utkala has found mention in Kalidasa's Raghuvamsam as a neighbouring kingdom of
Kalinga. The earliest epigraphic evidence of the extent of Utkala is gleaned
from the Midnapur Plates of Somadatta, a feudatory of Sasanka. The name Utkala
is not found thereafter in epigraphic records for a long time. Towards the
final quarter of the seventh century A.D., the name Utkala appears in Adhabhara
plates of Mahanannararaja of Sasivamsa which includes Utkala in the early
Somavamsi Kindgom of Kosala. This geographical name also occurs in the copper
plate grants up to the times of the Gangas of Odisha and Palas of Bengal.
During the reigns of Ramapala of the Pala dynasty and Chodaganga of the Ganga
dynasty the whole territory now known as Odisha appears to have been designated
as Utkala. From the records of these kings it appears that Karnadeva, the last
Somavamsi king, was driven out from his throne by Jayasimha, a lieutenant of
Ramapala, but he was reinstated by Chodaganga. Even now the name Utkala is
applied to the whole of Odisha. The earliest capital of Utkala was Viraja as is
evidenced by the Soro Copper Plates. This place has been identified with Jajpur
where the shrine of Viraja still exists. Viraja has also been mentioned in the
Bhauma copper plate grants. Guhadeva Pataka or Gudhesvara Pataka, mentioned as
the capital of the Bhaumas, was situated in its immediate neighbourhood.
Odra
The present name of Odisha has been
derived from the name Odra or Udra or Odraka. It appears as Urshin or Ursfin in
the accounts of the Muslim geographers of the ninth and tenth century A.D.
These geographers, who apparently collected information during the rule of the
Bhauma-Karas in Odisha, give the divisions of the Bhauma kingdom as Urshin or
Ursfin, Myas, Harkhand and Andras which have been identified with Odisha
proper, Mahishya or Midnapore, Jharkhand (the hilly tracts of Odisha) and
Andhra. Thus, the name Odisha appears to have existed as early as the tenth
century A.D. if not earlier. The Tibetan historian Taranatha refers to Odisha
as Odivisa which is apparently a Tibetan corruption of Odisa. In the later
Muslim accounts and in the early Oriya literature the name Odisha finds
frequent mention. The geographical unit of Odra has found mention in different
ancient texts. The Pali texts make repeated mention of Oddaka and the Greek
writers refer to Oretes which can be equated with Odra, mentioned in various
Sanskrit texts. The Bhagabata Purana mentions Odra, among the six sons of
Dirghatamas by queen Sudesna, after whom the land had been named. Pliny placed
Oretes near mountain Malus which can be identified with Malayagiri near
Pallahara in the pesent Angul district. Odra has also found mention in the
Manusamhita where it is associated with the Paundrakas, Dravidas, Kambojas,
Yavanas, Sakas, Paradas, Palavas, Chinas, Kiratas, Daradas and Khasas. The
earliest epigraphic records in which this geographical name appears as a Visaya
or district, are the Soro Copper Plates of Somadatta from which it becomes
apparent that it was a part of Uttara Tosali. Yuan Chwang mentions Odra or
Wvcha not as a district, but as a kingdom, 7000 li in circuit. From this
description it appears that it was a big kingdom occupying the coastal strip up
to the Puri district from which the kingdom of Kongoda began. In his accounts
of Odra Yuan Chwang mention two important places, Che-li-ta-lo and
Pue-sie-poki-li, of which the later place has been satisfactorily transcribed
as Puspagiri. Recently some scholars have identified the ‘Dimond Triangle’ i.e.
the Buddhist monasteries at Ratnagiri, Udaygiri and Lalitgiri as the probable site
of Puspagiri. However, much research is needed for the exact location of
Puspagiri. In the inscriptions of the Somavamsis and other contemporary
dynasties Odra as a kingdom has also found frequent reference.
Tosali
Tosala or Tosali formed an important political
unit in ancient Odisha. It has been described frequently in ancient Indian
texts. It is mentioned in the 'Parisistha' of Atharva Veda along with Kosala
and the Puranas have associated the people of this territory with Kotalas,
Nisadas, Traipuras, Tumuras, Valdisas etc. The Jaina text Avasyaka Niryukti
mentions about this land as follows: "Lord Mahavira, in the eleventh year
of his monkship, came to Tosali where he was taken to be a robber and hit hard.
From here, the venerable teacher went to Masoli, where too he was taken to be a
robber, was arrested and brought to the king's court, but was released as the
king was a friend of Mahavir's father. On his return jurney from Masoli
Mahavira again came to Tosali. Here, again, he was caused great troubles and
was on the point of being hanged when he was rescued through the timely
interference of the Tosali-Kshatriyas.
In Asoka's inscription at Dhauli, Tosali has found mention as a city
which has been identified by some scholars with modern Sisupalagarh, but Tosali
or Tosala as the name of a territory also occurs in the subsequent literature
and epigraphic records. In the Gandavyuha, a part of the Buddhist Avatamsaka,
there is the mention of a country named Amita Tosala, the chief city of which
was Tosala. Tosali as a territory has found mention in the copper plate records
of Sambhuyasa and Lokavigraha and it also occurs in the Bhauma copper plate
grants. From these references it appears that Tosali was divided into two
parts, northern and southern. With regard to the extent of these divisions. N.
K. Sahu observes that “the extent of the territories of both the Tosalis can be
tentatively known from the Soro, Patiakela, Midnapore and Kanasa Copper Plates.
The modern Midnapore, Mayurbhanj and Balasore districts as well as the northern
part of the Kataka (Cuttack) district may be said to have formed the kingdom of
Uttara Tosali, while Daksina Tosali comprised roughly the modern Puri district
and parts of Cuttack and Ganjam districts upto the river Rishikulya and the
river Mahanadi appears to be the dividing line between the two territories.”
Kangoda
Kangoda was another geographical
unit of ancient Odisha. It was during the Sailodbhava dynasty, Kongoda came
into eminence. Kongoda may be explained as the “Land of Honey” as Kongu in
Tamil means honey. This was a Mandala state and flourished in the sixth-seventh
century A.D. It continued as parts of Kalinga and Odra. The Sailodbhavas gave
this Kongoda Mandala (undivided Ganjam district) its true shape. The Chinese pilgrim
Hiuen Tsang who visited Kongoda about 638 A. D. states that this country was
above 1000 Ii in circuit. The country contained some tens of towns from the
slope of the hills to the edge of the sea". Accordingly, it is presumed
that it was about 200 miles in circumference and it was a hilly country
bordering on the Bay of Bengal. By the time of Hiuen Tsang's visit, Kongoda had
emerged as a powerful kingdom under the Sailodbhavas.
On Hiuen Tsang's observation, T. Watters write that "As the towns
are naturally strong, there was a gallant army which kept the neighbouring
country in awe, and so there was no enemy." The towns referred to in the
Hiuen Tsang's accounts are Gudda, Kondenda, Saumyapura, Matrachandra-pataka,
Jaya Kataka, Devagrama, Nivina and Phasika. These towns have not been
satisfactorily identified. Vijaya Kongodvasaka appears to be the capital of
Kongoda mandala which has been identified with modern Bankada in the light of
the antiquities found there on the river bank of Salia. Harsavardhan, after the
death of King Sasanka of Gauda subjugated Kongoda. R. S. Tripathi observes that
"Harsa made this region a strong military outpost of his far-flung empire,
probably with a view to preventing any foreign incursion on the borders,
threatened as they were by the eastward advance of Pulakesin II". With the
death of Harsa in 647 A.D. Madhavaraja II, the Sailodbhava King of Kongoda
maintained his power and ruled for a long time which is revealed by his Cuttack
charter. Thus, Kongoda got back her independence shortly after the death of
Harsavardhan. With the fall of the Sailodbhavas, in the first half of the
eighth century A.D., Kongoda mandala lost its glory. Subsequently, it was
reduced to a Visaya (district) of Dakshina Tosali when the BhaumaKaras emerged
as a dominant political power and united both the Tosalis i.e. North Tosali and
South Tosali.
Kosala
Kosala as a geographical unit was
existed in ancient Odisha. The earliest depiction of Kosala is found in the
Parisistha of the Atharvaveda. The Epics and the Puranas also throw light on
its ancient history. It was named after- like Kalinga, Utkala and Odra - an
ancient people called Kosalas. The kingdom of Kosala was divided into two
units- Uttara (north) and Daksina (south) from very early time. The territory
of Kosala is attributed to a mythical origin. Rama, the Prince of Kosala, being
banished with his brother Laxmana and his wife Sita travelled south from
Ayodhya to Prayaga. Travelling south-west up to Narmada valley, he came up to a
place identified with modern Chhatisgarh area. He dwelt there for at least a
decade. Pargiter opines that his long stay in that region gave rise to the name
Dakshina Kosala (South Kosala), after his original homeland Kosala. The
Ramayana projects the fact that after Rama, the kingdom of Kosala was divided
between his two sons-Lava and Kusa holding sway over North Kosala and South
Kosala respectively. Sravasti was the centre of political activities for North
Kosala while Kusavati or Kusthalipura, near the Vindhyas, was regarded as the
citadel of political power for Southern Kosala.
Kosala
also finds mention in the "Vana Parva' of the Mahabharata. Of course, the
great epic remains silent about Uttara Kosala (North Kosala) which comprised
the Ayodhya region. However, H. C. Raychaudhuri locates Dakshina Kosala in the
territory comprising the modern districts of Bilaspur, Raipur and undivided
Sambalpur. The Allahabad pillar inscription of Harisena includes Kosala among
the territories of Dakshinapatha which were subjugated by Samudragupta. Kosala
along with Mekala and Malava formed the empire of the Vakatakas and after their
fall, it came under the grip of the Sarbapuriyas. Hiuen Tsang who visited
Kosala in 639 A D. described the kingdom as 6000 li in circuit. As per the description,
it may be presumed that Kosala comprised the districts of Bilaspur and Raipur
in Madhya Pradesh along with the undivided districts of Sundargarh, Sambalpur
and Bolangir in Odisha. Kosala remained under the Somavamsis in the
eighth-ninth century A.D. At about the middle of the ninth century A.D. when
Kalachuris of Dahala became a rival power of the Somavamsis, the latter had to
shift the centre of their political activities to Sripura which was captured by
the Kalachuris subsequently. Then, the Somavamsis had to shift their head
quarters to various places like Murasimakataka, Arama and Vinitapura identified
with Murshing, Rampur and Binaka respectively, all in the Bolangir district. With
the annexation of Khinjali mandala, Yajatinagara became the capital of Kosala.
The formidable Somavamsi king Yajati II brought Kosala and Utkala under one
umbrella about the middle of the eleventh century A. D., making Suvarnapura (at
the confluence Mahanadi and Tel) the capital of Kosala and Yajatinagar, (Viraja
in Jajpur) the capital of Utkala. When the Somavamsi power declined away, the
Telugu Chodas occupied Kosala towards the close of the eleventh century A.D.
They were subsequently driven away by the Kalachuris who established their sway
over the region for a long time till the Gangas established their authority
over this region and their rule continued till the middle of fourteenth century
A.D. Outsting them from power, the Chauhans rose to political prominence and
made Sambalpur the centre of their political ativities. They became the
overlord eighteen states (Atharagarha) comprising almost the whole Kosala
country described by the Chinese pilgrim Hiuen Tsang.
Conclusion
Thus, all these
geographical units have played their roles in the enrichment of political and
cultural history of the Odisha. As we observe that Kalinga, Utkala, Odra,
Tosali , Kongoda and Kosala were territories having distinct boundaries of
their own and the boundary changed from time to time in ancient and early
medieval period. Sometimes, it is noticed that some of these names were used as
interchangeable terms, e.g. Odra was known as Tosali during the Bhaumakara At
the advent of fifteenth century A.D. poet Sarala Dasa made Udisa or Odisha
synonym with Odrarastra which became Odisha rajya during the great Gajapatis.
Right from the days of Kapilendradeva (1435-1467 A.D.), this empire land of the
Odia speaking people has been known as Odisha.
Article is helpful to know part of the History of Ancient India.
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