Ajay Kumar at 14:34, 28 August 2023

2023-08-28T14:34:33Z

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{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{Infobox country
| conventional_long_name = Chindaka Nagas of Chakrakota
| common_name = Chindaka Nagas
| image_coat = Chindaka Naga coat of arms.png
| image_map = The Chindaka Nagas of Chakrakota.png
| image_map_caption = The Chindaka Nagas at their height under King Somesvara along with their neighbours
| year_start = {{circa}} 1023 AD
| year_end = {{circa}} 1324 AD
| event_end =
| capital = Barasur
| government_type = [[Monarchy]]
| title_leader = [[Maharaja]] (King)
| leader1 = Nrupati Bhushana
| leader2 = Harishchandradeva
| year_leader1 = {{circa}} 1023
| year_leader2 = {{circa}} 1324
| p1 = Somavamshi dynasty
| p2 =
| s1 = Kalachuris of Ratnapura
| s2 =
| s3 =
| religion = [[Hinduism]]
| today = [[India]]
}}

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 district|Bastar]], [[Koraput district|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]].<ref name="tribal"/>

==Origin==
The Chindaka Nagas belonged to [[Kashyapa]] [[gotra]] and were of Kannada origin, hailing from the [[History of Bellary|Sindavadi]] country in present-day [[Karnataka]]. They were a branch of the Sinda family of [[Gulbarga]].<ref name="tribal">{{cite book |last1=Tiwari |first1=Shiv Kumar |title=Tribal Roots Of Hinduism |date=2002 |publisher=Sarup & Sons |location=New Delhi |page=206-234 |isbn=9788176252997 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=n0gwfmPFTLgC&q=chhindaka+nagas}}</ref><ref name="inscriptions"/><ref name="shuk"/><ref name="kalahandi"/><ref>Dr. Suryanath U. Kamat, ''Concise history of Karnataka''kaushik, 2001, MCC, Bangalore (Reprinted 2002)</ref> Several historians agree with this theory of the Nagas having [[Kannada people|Kannada]] ancestry.

The Nagas are believed by certain historians to have arrived in the Chakrakota Mandala region ([[Bastar state|Bastar]]-[[Koraput district]]-[[Kalahandi]]) in 1022 with the expedition of the [[Chola empire|Chola emperor]] [[Rajendra Chola I|Rajendra Chola]].<ref name="kalahandi">{{cite book |title=Orissa District Gazetteers: Kalahandi |url=https://www.indianculture.gov.in/gazettes/orissa-district-gazetteers-kalahandi |language=en}}</ref>

Historian Hira Lal Shukla is of the opinion that the [[Somavamshi dynasty|Somavamshi kings]] Uddyotakeśarī and Janmejaya II might have helped the Nagas establish a kingdom in Chakrakota.<ref name="shuk">{{cite book |last1=Shukla |first1=Hira Lal |title=Language, Ethnicity, and History: Dimensions in Anthropological Linguistics |date=1985 |publisher=B.R. Publishing Corporation |isbn=978-81-7018-239-9 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4M5hAAAAMAAJ&q=Chakrakota |language=en}}</ref> Jitāmitra Prasāda Siṃhadeba has hypothesized that the [[Kalahandi State|Nagas of Kalahandi]] were related to the Chindaka Nagas due to the proximity of [[Kalahandi]] and [[Bastar district|Bastar]], both the states having [[Manikeswari|Manikyadevi]] as their patron goddess and because around the time the Naga rule in Chakrakota ended, the Kalahandi kingdom was founded.<ref name="orissa">{{cite book |last1=Siṃhadeba |first1=Jitāmitra Prasāda |title=Archaeology of Orissa: With Special Reference to Nuapada and Kalahandi |date=2006 |publisher=R.N. Bhattacharya |isbn=978-81-87661-50-4 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2ypuAAAAMAAJ&q=Chakrakota |language=en}}</ref>

However, historian Shiv Kumar Tiwari believes that the Nagas ruled in the [[Bastar district|Bastar]] region of [[Chhattisgarh]] since as early as 760 A.D. His take of historical events from the ''[[Nava-sahasanka-charita]]'' epic poem is as follows- the Naga ruler of [[Bastar district|Bastar]], Sankhapala, sought help from the [[Shilahara]] ruler [[Aparajita]] when the ruler of the [[Mana dynasty|Mana tribe]] invaded his kingdom.<ref name="tribal"/>

==History==
The Chindaka Nagas ruled over parts of the modern-day [[India]]n state of [[Odisha]] and the historical region of [[Dakshina Kosala]]. Their kingdom was known as Chakrakota mandala and included the present-day districts of [[Bastar district|Bastar]], [[Koraput district|Koraput]] and [[Kalahandi]]. [[Manikeswari|Manikyadevi]] was the patron goddess of these Nagavansi rulers.<ref name="chanda">{{cite web |title=Central Provinces District Gazetter- Chanda|url=https://gazetteers.maharashtra.gov.in/cultural.maharashtra.gov.in/english/gazetteer/Chanda%20District/chanda_history/history.html#. |website=Gazetteers- Maharashtra Government}}</ref>

The [[Telugu Chodas]] who migrated to the region, settled as their feudal rulers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.gopabandhuacademy.gov.in/sites/default/files/gazetter/Nabarangapur_Gazetteer.pdf|title=Odisha District Gazeteers, Nabarangpur|website=www.gopabandhuacademy.gov.in|page=41|access-date=22 September 2018}}</ref> Chandraditya Maharaja, a [[Telugu Chodas|Telugu Choda]] chieftain, was a mahamandalashwara (an Indian feudal title) and ruler of Ammagama (modern Ambogam village in [[Koraput district|Kotapad]]) was a feudatory of Jagadeka Bhushana.<ref name="kalahandi"/>

The [[Bhanja dynasty|Bhanjas]] of [[Baudh State|Boudh branch]] came into conflict with the Chindaka Nagas. In 1060 AD, the [[Bhanja dynasty|Bhanja king]] Yasobhanja defeated and killed Jagadeka Bhushana. Taking advantage of the power vacuum, Madhurantaka, a close relative of the dead king usurped the throne. However, Somesvara the son of Jagadeka Bhushana claimed the throne as well, leading to a civil war in Chakrakota lasting for 5 years. [[Kulottunga I]], the [[Chola Empire|Chola emperor]] supported Madhurantaka while the [[Chola Empire|Chola]]'s archrivals, the [[Western Chalukya Empire|Chalukyas of Kalyana]], supported Somesvara in the struggle. Subsequently, Madhurantaka was killed and Somesvara assumed kingship of Chakrakota.<ref name= "kalahandi"/> According to N.K. Sahu, Somesvara was the most powerful ruler of the Chindaka Nagas.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Sahu |first1=N. K. |title=History of Orissa |date=1981 |publisher=Nalanda |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ajduAAAAMAAJ&q=Chakrakota |language=en}}</ref>

Somasvera warred with the declining [[Somavamshi dynasty]] who were ruling in Utkala and Kosala at the time. Yosoraja I , the father of Chandraditya Maharaja and [[Telugu Chodas|Telugucoda]] lieutenant of Chindaka Naga king Somesvara conquered the eastern parts of [[Dakshina Kosala|Kosala]] which were under the [[Somavamshi dynasty]] in 1069 AD. Yosoraja I then served as the governor of [[Dakshina Kosala|Kosala]] for Somesvara.<ref name="Patnaik"/> In his Kuruspal inscription, Somesvara claimed to have raided the [[Eastern Chalukyas|Vengi Kingdom]], subjugated the [[Mana dynasty|Mana tribe]], and declared to have defeated the [[Somavamshi dynasty|Udra chief]] ([[Somavamshi dynasty|Somavamshi king]]) and captured six lakh and ninety-six villages of [[Dakshina Kosala]] (central [[Chhattisgarh]]) from him.<ref name="inscriptions">{{cite book |last1=DASIA |first1=Z. A. |title=EPIGRAPHIA INDICA VOL IX |date=August 1907 |publisher=MANAGER OF PUBLICATIONS,DELHI |url=https://archive.org/details/epigraphiaindica014770mbp/page/n203/mode/2up?view=theater |language=Portuguese}}</ref><ref name="tribal"/><ref name="Magazine">{{cite web |last1=Panda |first1=Harihar |title=Princely State of Gangpur |url=http://magazines.odisha.gov.in/Orissareview/2015/Oct/engpdf/61-75.pdf |website=Magazines Odisha |publisher=Magazines Odisha}}</ref> Historian Shiv Kumar Tiwari believes that the conquest of [[Dakshina Kosala]] by Somesvara is likely an exaggeration and that he only held a small part of that territory for a short period.<ref name="tribal"/>

The [[Somavamshi dynasty|Somavamsis]], who had declined, began serving [[Eastern Ganga dynasty|Eastern Gangas]], [[Kalachuris of Ratnapura|Kalachuri]] and Chindaka Nagas as chieftains.<ref name="Magazine"/> The Chindaka Naga rulers called themselves as ''Nagavamsi'' and the ''lords of Bhogavati''. Bhogavati was the capital of the mythical snake-demons called [[Nāga|Nagas]].<ref name="tribal"/><ref name="GUPTA">{{cite journal |last1=Gupta |first1=Karunakana |title=Proceedings of the Indian History Congress Vol. 3 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/44252377 |website=JSTOR |publisher=JSTOR|jstor=44252377 }}</ref>

The Chindaka Nagas were defeated by the [[Kakatiya dynasty|Kakatiya vassal]] of [[Someshvara I]], the [[Western Chalukya Empire|Chalukya emperor]].<ref name="mani">Chopra, Ravindran and Subrahmanian (2003), p.138</ref> This dynasty continued to rule the region till the thirteenth century with not many details known about their rulers excepting a few.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.gopabandhuacademy.gov.in/sites/default/files/gazetter/Nabarangapur_Gazetteer.pdf|title=Odisha District Gazeteers, Nabarangpur|website=www.gopabandhuacademy.gov.in|page=41|access-date=22 September 2018}}</ref>

==Decline==
The [[Kalachuris of Ratnapura|Kalachuri king of Ratanpur]], [[Kalachuris of Ratnapura#List of rulers|Jajalla-deva I]] (1090-1120 CE), invaded the Chindaka Naga territory in 1114 AD annexing [[Dakshina Kosala|Kosala]] which was under [[Telugu Cholas|Telugu Choda]] governorship. Jajalla-Deva I defeated Somesvara and took him prisoner, only releasing him at the intervention of his mother.<ref name="mirashi">{{cite book |last1=Mirashi |first1=Vasudev Vishnu |title=Inscriptions of the Kalachuri-Chedi Era |date=1955 |publisher=Government Epigraphist for India |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=c0JgAAAAMAAJ&q=chakrakota+kingdom |language=en}}</ref><ref name= "kalahandi"/><ref name="Patnaik">{{cite web |last1=Patnaik |first1=Jeeban Kumar |title=Temples of South Kosala 6th century A D 11th century A D a case study of stellate temples-Chapter II: Historical background of South Kosala |url=https://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/187259/13/13_chapter%202.pdf |website=Shodaganga Inflibnet |publisher=Shodaganga Inflibnet}}</ref>

During the struggle between the [[Eastern Ganga Dynasty|Gangas of Orissa]] and [[Kalachuris of Ratnapura]] for the [[Kalahandi]] region, the Chindaka Nagas allied themselves with the [[Eastern Ganga Dynasty|Gangas]]. The [[Kalachuris of Ratnapura|Kalachuri]] king [[Prithvi-deva II]] retaliated by devastating Chakrakota and destroying the Chindaka Naga capital, in an attempt to terrorise the [[Eastern Ganga Dynasty|Ganga]] king [[Anantavarman Chodaganga|Anantavarman]].<ref name="man">{{cite book |last1=Click |first1=Samachar Just |title=Manikyadevi Manikeshwari: A Goddess who exemplifies cultural assimilation |date=22 October 2020 |url=https://www.samacharjustclick.com/featured/manikyadevi-manikeshwari-a-goddess-who-exemplifies-cultural-assimilation/}}</ref> The Bilaigarh copper plates inscription of [[Prithvi-deva II|Prithvideva]] reads- "His son Prithvîdëva (II) of well-known fame, who has planted his lotus-like foot on the rows of hostile princes' heads, has become the lord of kings — (he) who, by devastating Chakrakota, overwhelmed the illustrious Ganga king with anxiety in regard to the crossing of the ocean which was the sole means (of saving his life)."<ref name="V">{{cite book |last1=Mirashi |first1=Vasudev Vishnu |title=CORPUS INSCRIPTIONIUM INDICARIUM VOL IV PART 2: INSCRIPTIONS OF THE KALACHURI-CHEDI ERA |date=21 August 2011 |publisher=Nabu Press |isbn=978-1175755339 |pages=57–58 |edition=Paperback |url=https://archive.org/stream/corpusinscriptio014674mbp#page/n235/mode/2up |access-date=15 December 2020}}</ref>

During the first half of 13th century, Chakrakota was invaded by Kholeshvara, the general of [[Yadava dynasty|Yadava]] ruler [[Simhana|Singhanadeva]] of Deogiri.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Shastri|first1=Ajay Mitra |title=Yadava Inscriptions from Ambe Jogai |publisher=Vishveshvaranand Institute; Hoshiarpur |pages=40–46 |url=https://archive.org/details/in.gov.ignca.53130/page/n57/mode/2up}}</ref> Kakatiya ruler [[Ganapatideva]] also invaded bastar during 13th century. The last known ruler of this dynasty was Harishchandradeva, known from a [[Sati (practice)|Sati]] inscription dated 1324 AD.<ref name="tribal"/>

==Coat of arms==
The Naga kings' coat of arms included a snake banner and the "tiger-with-cub" crest.<ref name="tribal"/>

==List of rulers==
The Chindaka Naga rulers known from inscriptions (dated to regnal years) are-<ref name="inscriptions"/><ref name="tribal"/>
* Nrupati Bhushana ({{circa}} 1023 – ?)
* Jagadeka Bhushana or Dharavarsha
* Madhurantaka (1060-1069)
* Somesvara ({{circa}} 1069 - ?)
* Kanhara I
* Raja Bhushana
* Kanhara II
* Jagadeka Bhushana Narasimhadeva
* Somesvara II
* Harishchandradeva ({{circa}} 1324 - ?)

==See also==
*[[Kalachuris of Ratnapura]]
*[[Dakshina Kosala]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Dynasties of India]]

Chindaka Naga - Revision history

Ajay Kumar at 14:34, 28 August 2023