The History of Orissa spans over 3,500 years and it is a typical from the history of the northern plains in many ways. Orissa was home to the Kalinga and Utkal tribes who played significant roles for the narration of this great history. This fact is evident from the writings of Vedic chronicles. The history of Orissa can be divided into ancient, medieval and modern history.
¤ Ancient History
Orissa was known as Kalinga during the ancient period. Kalinga had been the cradle of civilization of different dynasties of rulers. During the ancient times, the Kalinga region was untouched by the influence of Brahmanical culture. Most of the local inhabitants of the bygone era were the tribal communities who followed completely different cultural traditions. However, by the 15th century, the region was affected by the Brahmanical traditions and the prevailing social customs slowly began to change.
The Kalinga war played a dominant role in changing the social, political and economic condition of the region. The battle between Emperor Ashoka and the King of Kalinga had an impact on the historical development of Orissa. Emperor Ashoka was highly moved by the pitiable condition of the innocent people who lost their near and dear ones in the ruthless fight between two rulers. After the Kalinga War, Emperor Ashoka adopted Buddhism and preached peace and harmony. Under the able guidance of Emperor Ashoka, literature, language, music and dance flourished during the ancient times.
¤ Medieval History
In the medieval period, Orissa came under the influence of Tantrism which is the tribal form of worshipping the Supreme Being. The Yogini Cult of Orissa was one way of expressing the Tantric culture of the olden days.
¤ The Reign of Ashoka
The son of Vindusara - Ashoka The Great, who invaded Kalinga in 261 B.C. and succeeded in occupying Kalinga. The Kalinga War was one of the most dreadful and ponderous nature taking the lives of as many as 1,00,000 people. 1,50,000 were taken as prisoner of war, while about the same number died as a consequences of the war. Ashoka could not the bear the horrendous slaughter caused by the war and therefore took up the path of non-violence and become the follower of Buddhism. Ashoka tried to placate the unconquered Atavika people and desired to conquer their heart by love. That was the principle of Dharmavijaya and was followed by Asoka after the Kalinga War. Kalinga became one of the administrative provisions in the empire of Magadha with headquarters of a Kumara (Viceroy) located at Tosali.
Asoka believed in generous administration and a well organized government. Buddhism spared over Kalinga and was accepted as a state religion. Ashoka also took a great deal of interest in developing the art of stone masonry, edicts were engraved on the Dhauli and Jaugada rocks to teach the religious principles to the people. Asoka died in 232 B.C. and the Maurya empire lasted up to 185 B.C.
¤ Kalinga War
The Kalinga War involved a fierce battle over the region of Kalinga between Emperor Ashoka and the King of Kalinga. The battle of Kalinga was decisive in changing the mindset of Emperor Ashoka. After the war, Ashoka renounced his quest for acquiring new territories and adopted the path of peace and harmony.
The kingdom of Kalinga declared itself independent during the rule of Chandragupta. After several unsuccessful attempts, Vindusara, son of Chandragupta relinquished the hope of getting back the kingdom of Kalinga. However, the indomitable spirit of Ashoka was firm in his determination to bring back Kalinga under his reigns and so he fought the bloodiest battle in the history of the Indian Sub-continent.
¤ Mahameghavahana Kharavela
In the second half of the 1st century BC, the third ruler of this dynasty was Kahravela. The ruler was the descendant of the Mahameghavana dynasty that established its rule in the early half of the century. The Hatigumpha inscription in Udayagiri near Bhubaneswar purveys detailed accounts about the life and flourishing of Kharavela kingdom. On the premature death of Kharavela's father, he took up the administration and become the most successful ruler of his times.
The Hatigumpha inscription records the work of Kharavela up to his thirteenth ruling year after that records are not available. He was probably succeeded by his son Kudepasiri. It is known from some recently discovered inscriptions of Guntupalli and Velpuru in Andhra Pradesh that the Mahameghavahana dynasty continued to rule over Kalinga and Mahishaka up to the 1st century AD.
¤ The Satavahanas and the Murundas
The Satavahana king Goutamiputra Satakarni ruled Kalinga early in the second century. According to some scholars, Mahrarja Rajadhiraja Dharmadamadhara's gold coin was found from Sisupalgarh excavation who is considered as a Jaina king belonging to Murunda family which ruled over parts of Bihar and Orissa. The Bhadrak stone inscription of Maharaja Ganabhadra datable to the third century AD also indicates the rule of the Murundas in Orissa. Thereafter the Murundas of Kalinga were conquered by the rising Naga dynasties of Kausambi, Ahichhatra, Padmavati and Vindhyatavi.
¤ The Durjayas
About the middle of the sixth century A.D. a chief named Ranadurjaya established his rule in South Kalinga with Pishtapura as his capital. The Mudgalas of Tosali were conquered by the Durjaya king Prithvimaharaja. The kingdom was subsequently destroyed by Sasanka who was ruling in some parts of Orissa .
¤ The Royal Gangas
The Eastern Gangas who started their rule in Kalinga about the end of the 5th century AD continued as a small power till the time of Vajrahasta V who came to the throne in 1038 A.D.
¤ Mukundadeva
Mukundadeva came to the throne in 1559 by betrayal and slaughter. He belonged to the Chalukya family. In 1560 Sultan Ghiyasuddin Jallal Shah of Bengal invaded Orissa and marched up to Jajpur. Mukundadeva defeated him and drove him out of Orissa. During that time Akbar was planning to conquer Bengal and made alliance with Mukundadeva for that purpose. In 1567 when Akbar was busy in the invasion of Chitor, Sultan Karrani invaded Orissa. The Mughal Governor of Bihar, Munim Khan became nonchalant and Mukundadeva confronted the invasion of Bengal single-handed. He was defeated by the Sultan Karrani and took refuge in the fort of Kotsima, where Sultan Karrani tormented him. Mukundadeva made a treaty with Suleiman Karranim and fought against Ramachandra Bhanja where he lost his life at the hands of Ramachandra Bhanja. Later on Ramachandra was also defeated and killed by Bayazid and Orissa was conquered by the Afghans of Bengal in 1568 AD.
¤ The Afghan Rulers
Orissa came under the rule of the Afghans with the victory of Karrani in Orissa. But fortunately the new rulers could not establish their authority in the effective manner. Suleiman Karrani died in 1572. Daud Karrani, his younger brother took up the throne as the ruler of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. During this time Mughal Emperor Akbar whose aim was to extend his empire, had his eyes over the state for the long time as he got the opportunity he fought a battle and captured Orissa. There started the rule of Mughals Empire in Orissa.
¤ The Glorious Phase of Mughal Rule
Mughals could never had a very strong footing on the land of Orissa due to its terrain. Akbar was contented that the territory of Orissa is added into its province. Thus, in most parts of Orissa, local rulers enjoyed their autonomous authority and semi-independent status. Orissa constituted into a separate province in 1607 and Cuttack was declared its capital during the rule of Akbar's son Jahangir and his successors. Orissa enjoyed this status till the end of the rule of the Great Mughals.
Orissa was ruled by Mughals for about two centuries, but there was no endeavor on their part to convert the people to Islam. When the Mughal Empire began to decay, the Nazim of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa, Aliverdi Khan, became independent. The Marathas played a major role in declining of the Mughal Empire. There started a conflict between Aliverdi and the Marathas, which finally ended in the Maratha acquisition of Orissa.
¤ Marathas Brought Great Development To The Region
The Maratha administration of Orissa functionally began from the year 1751. Maratha brought lot of developments into the region. They encouraged pilgrimage to Orissa from other parts of India, due to the increasing esteem and fame of the Jagannath Temple. Marathas aslo had a great role in the boosting up of Oriya literature. But this glorious phase of Maratha rule could only lasted for not more then half a century. There rises the British power in the region.
¤ British Rule
In 1633, the British setup a trade centre at Hariharpur, one of the first of their settlements in India. Their subsequent establishment at Baleshwar on river Burhabalanga and at Pipili on river Subarnarekha grew into booming trade centres. After the Battle of Plassey in 1757 and Buxar in 1764 the craving of the British Empire reached its heights, and they wanted to acquire as much of Indian territories as possible. The treaty of Deogarh, signed on 17 December 1803, ended the Maratha rule and Orissa was under the regime of British Rule.
¤ Freedom Struggle In Orissa
The Indian National Congress was born in 1885, the Orissa was all ready for taking up a initiative in the advancing of the Congress beliefs and programs. As the ultimate effort of the National Congress to secure the complete independence, the Quit India Movement was started in August 1942, Orissa had an active role in this revolution. Although Orissa province came into existence on 1st April 1936 but it was declared as a separate state of Indian Union only after India’s independence i.e. in 1949.
¤ Ancient History
Orissa was known as Kalinga during the ancient period. Kalinga had been the cradle of civilization of different dynasties of rulers. During the ancient times, the Kalinga region was untouched by the influence of Brahmanical culture. Most of the local inhabitants of the bygone era were the tribal communities who followed completely different cultural traditions. However, by the 15th century, the region was affected by the Brahmanical traditions and the prevailing social customs slowly began to change.
The Kalinga war played a dominant role in changing the social, political and economic condition of the region. The battle between Emperor Ashoka and the King of Kalinga had an impact on the historical development of Orissa. Emperor Ashoka was highly moved by the pitiable condition of the innocent people who lost their near and dear ones in the ruthless fight between two rulers. After the Kalinga War, Emperor Ashoka adopted Buddhism and preached peace and harmony. Under the able guidance of Emperor Ashoka, literature, language, music and dance flourished during the ancient times.
¤ Medieval History
In the medieval period, Orissa came under the influence of Tantrism which is the tribal form of worshipping the Supreme Being. The Yogini Cult of Orissa was one way of expressing the Tantric culture of the olden days.
¤ The Reign of Ashoka
The son of Vindusara - Ashoka The Great, who invaded Kalinga in 261 B.C. and succeeded in occupying Kalinga. The Kalinga War was one of the most dreadful and ponderous nature taking the lives of as many as 1,00,000 people. 1,50,000 were taken as prisoner of war, while about the same number died as a consequences of the war. Ashoka could not the bear the horrendous slaughter caused by the war and therefore took up the path of non-violence and become the follower of Buddhism. Ashoka tried to placate the unconquered Atavika people and desired to conquer their heart by love. That was the principle of Dharmavijaya and was followed by Asoka after the Kalinga War. Kalinga became one of the administrative provisions in the empire of Magadha with headquarters of a Kumara (Viceroy) located at Tosali.
Asoka believed in generous administration and a well organized government. Buddhism spared over Kalinga and was accepted as a state religion. Ashoka also took a great deal of interest in developing the art of stone masonry, edicts were engraved on the Dhauli and Jaugada rocks to teach the religious principles to the people. Asoka died in 232 B.C. and the Maurya empire lasted up to 185 B.C.
¤ Kalinga War
The Kalinga War involved a fierce battle over the region of Kalinga between Emperor Ashoka and the King of Kalinga. The battle of Kalinga was decisive in changing the mindset of Emperor Ashoka. After the war, Ashoka renounced his quest for acquiring new territories and adopted the path of peace and harmony.
The kingdom of Kalinga declared itself independent during the rule of Chandragupta. After several unsuccessful attempts, Vindusara, son of Chandragupta relinquished the hope of getting back the kingdom of Kalinga. However, the indomitable spirit of Ashoka was firm in his determination to bring back Kalinga under his reigns and so he fought the bloodiest battle in the history of the Indian Sub-continent.
¤ Mahameghavahana Kharavela
In the second half of the 1st century BC, the third ruler of this dynasty was Kahravela. The ruler was the descendant of the Mahameghavana dynasty that established its rule in the early half of the century. The Hatigumpha inscription in Udayagiri near Bhubaneswar purveys detailed accounts about the life and flourishing of Kharavela kingdom. On the premature death of Kharavela's father, he took up the administration and become the most successful ruler of his times.
The Hatigumpha inscription records the work of Kharavela up to his thirteenth ruling year after that records are not available. He was probably succeeded by his son Kudepasiri. It is known from some recently discovered inscriptions of Guntupalli and Velpuru in Andhra Pradesh that the Mahameghavahana dynasty continued to rule over Kalinga and Mahishaka up to the 1st century AD.
¤ The Satavahanas and the Murundas
The Satavahana king Goutamiputra Satakarni ruled Kalinga early in the second century. According to some scholars, Mahrarja Rajadhiraja Dharmadamadhara's gold coin was found from Sisupalgarh excavation who is considered as a Jaina king belonging to Murunda family which ruled over parts of Bihar and Orissa. The Bhadrak stone inscription of Maharaja Ganabhadra datable to the third century AD also indicates the rule of the Murundas in Orissa. Thereafter the Murundas of Kalinga were conquered by the rising Naga dynasties of Kausambi, Ahichhatra, Padmavati and Vindhyatavi.
¤ The Durjayas
About the middle of the sixth century A.D. a chief named Ranadurjaya established his rule in South Kalinga with Pishtapura as his capital. The Mudgalas of Tosali were conquered by the Durjaya king Prithvimaharaja. The kingdom was subsequently destroyed by Sasanka who was ruling in some parts of Orissa .
¤ The Royal Gangas
The Eastern Gangas who started their rule in Kalinga about the end of the 5th century AD continued as a small power till the time of Vajrahasta V who came to the throne in 1038 A.D.
¤ Mukundadeva
Mukundadeva came to the throne in 1559 by betrayal and slaughter. He belonged to the Chalukya family. In 1560 Sultan Ghiyasuddin Jallal Shah of Bengal invaded Orissa and marched up to Jajpur. Mukundadeva defeated him and drove him out of Orissa. During that time Akbar was planning to conquer Bengal and made alliance with Mukundadeva for that purpose. In 1567 when Akbar was busy in the invasion of Chitor, Sultan Karrani invaded Orissa. The Mughal Governor of Bihar, Munim Khan became nonchalant and Mukundadeva confronted the invasion of Bengal single-handed. He was defeated by the Sultan Karrani and took refuge in the fort of Kotsima, where Sultan Karrani tormented him. Mukundadeva made a treaty with Suleiman Karranim and fought against Ramachandra Bhanja where he lost his life at the hands of Ramachandra Bhanja. Later on Ramachandra was also defeated and killed by Bayazid and Orissa was conquered by the Afghans of Bengal in 1568 AD.
¤ The Afghan Rulers
Orissa came under the rule of the Afghans with the victory of Karrani in Orissa. But fortunately the new rulers could not establish their authority in the effective manner. Suleiman Karrani died in 1572. Daud Karrani, his younger brother took up the throne as the ruler of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. During this time Mughal Emperor Akbar whose aim was to extend his empire, had his eyes over the state for the long time as he got the opportunity he fought a battle and captured Orissa. There started the rule of Mughals Empire in Orissa.
¤ The Glorious Phase of Mughal Rule
Mughals could never had a very strong footing on the land of Orissa due to its terrain. Akbar was contented that the territory of Orissa is added into its province. Thus, in most parts of Orissa, local rulers enjoyed their autonomous authority and semi-independent status. Orissa constituted into a separate province in 1607 and Cuttack was declared its capital during the rule of Akbar's son Jahangir and his successors. Orissa enjoyed this status till the end of the rule of the Great Mughals.
Orissa was ruled by Mughals for about two centuries, but there was no endeavor on their part to convert the people to Islam. When the Mughal Empire began to decay, the Nazim of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa, Aliverdi Khan, became independent. The Marathas played a major role in declining of the Mughal Empire. There started a conflict between Aliverdi and the Marathas, which finally ended in the Maratha acquisition of Orissa.
¤ Marathas Brought Great Development To The Region
The Maratha administration of Orissa functionally began from the year 1751. Maratha brought lot of developments into the region. They encouraged pilgrimage to Orissa from other parts of India, due to the increasing esteem and fame of the Jagannath Temple. Marathas aslo had a great role in the boosting up of Oriya literature. But this glorious phase of Maratha rule could only lasted for not more then half a century. There rises the British power in the region.
¤ British Rule
In 1633, the British setup a trade centre at Hariharpur, one of the first of their settlements in India. Their subsequent establishment at Baleshwar on river Burhabalanga and at Pipili on river Subarnarekha grew into booming trade centres. After the Battle of Plassey in 1757 and Buxar in 1764 the craving of the British Empire reached its heights, and they wanted to acquire as much of Indian territories as possible. The treaty of Deogarh, signed on 17 December 1803, ended the Maratha rule and Orissa was under the regime of British Rule.
¤ Freedom Struggle In Orissa
The Indian National Congress was born in 1885, the Orissa was all ready for taking up a initiative in the advancing of the Congress beliefs and programs. As the ultimate effort of the National Congress to secure the complete independence, the Quit India Movement was started in August 1942, Orissa had an active role in this revolution. Although Orissa province came into existence on 1st April 1936 but it was declared as a separate state of Indian Union only after India’s independence i.e. in 1949.
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Something is missing DURING THE WAR OF KALINGA NARESH KRUSNA CHANDRA AS NANDA BANSA KING FOUGHT TO ASHOKA AND WAS DEFEATED BY ASHOKA DUE TO A PROXY ATTACK OF MAGADH SENA AT THE CAMPS OF KALINGA AT RIVER BANK OF BAITARANI DURING THE MIDNIGHT AND AT THAT TIME WAR WAS STRICTLY PROHIBITED AFTER SUNSET ACCORDING INDIAN KHSYATRIYA'S RULE OF WAR.
ReplyDeleteAfter the proxy war of Ashoka he was uncomfortable
ReplyDeleteto face any Khsyatrias and realize himself as coward that he leave the his kingdom and became a Buddhist.