Kalinga Kingdom
Encyclopedia
Kalinga forms the sea shore of Orissa
and Andhra region of Andhra pradesh
state in India
. Kuru
king Duryodhana
's wife was from Kalinga. Kalingas sided with Duryodhana in the Kurukshetra War
. The founders of five eastern kingdoms, which included: Angas
(east, central Bihar
), Vangas
(southern West Bengal
and Bangladesh
), Kalingas (Sea shore of Orissa
), Pundras
(western Bangladesh
and West Bengal, India), Suhmas
(north-western Bangladesh
and West Bengal
) shared common ancestry. Two capitals (Dantapura
and Rajapura
) of Kalinga were mentioned in Mahabharata
, probably there were many Kalinga kings, ruling different territories of Kalinga.
, Vanga
, Kalinga, Pundra
and Suhma
were born from the adopted sons of king Vali. This Vali's kingdom was either Magadha Kingdom
or some kingdom close to it. There existed an Asura kingdom to the south of Magadha as per many Puranas
. King Vali seems to be an Asura
king, like the famous king Mahabali
, who was also known as Vali or Bali. The five royal sons were actually the sons of the sage Dīrghatamas
. Dīghatamas was a sage born in the race of Gautama and Angiras. He was also known as Gautama. His eldest son also was known as Gautama.(1,104).
Though Dīrghatamas
was a great sage he was blind. He was cast away by his sons and wife who threw him into river Ganges
in a raft. King Vali saved him. Knowing who he was the childless king chose him to raise offspring upon the queen, according to the ordinances of those times. Thus was born the famous five kings. After their names five countries were formed. It is after their names that their dominions have come to be called Anga, Vanga, Kalinga, Pundra and Suhma (1,104)
Gautama's abode was in Girivraja, the capital of Magadha
. Gautama begat on the Sudra
woman Ausinari (the daughter of Usinara) the royal sage Kakshivat and the other five celebrated sons. These five monarchs used to visit Gautama in his abode. (2,21)
, along with Chandrasena the mighty son of Samudrasena (Vanga
king), Jarasandha
(Magadha
king), Vidanda, and Danda—the father and son, Paundraka-Vasudeva (Pundra
king), Bhagadatta
(king of Pragjyotisha
who also ruled Suhma Kingdom
, Tamralipta, the king of Pattana etc. (1,188), (1,189)
brought under his subjection and exacted tributes from the Paundrayas
(or Pandya Kingdom
?) and the Dravidas
along with the Udrakeralas
and the Andhras
and the Talavanas, the Kalingas and the Ushtrakarnikas, and also the delightful city of Atavi and that of the Yavanas. (2,30)
Dantapura,now known as Puri
city of Orissa was mentioned as the capital of Kalinga conquered by Sahadeva (5,23)
conquered and brought under subjection all the kings inhabiting the Himavat, and made them pay dues. Then descending from the mountain and rushing to the east, he reduced the Angas
, and the Bangas
, and the Kalingas, and the Mandikas, and the Magadhas
. the Karkakhandas; and also included with them the Avasiras, Yodhyas, and the Ahikshatras. (3,252)
entering his new palace at Indraprastha, along with Jayasena the king of Magadha
.
and Vrihadvala was the king of Kosala Kingdom
, his another friend.
King Bhagadatta
of Pragjyotisha
accompanied by all Mlechcha tribes inhabiting the marshy regions on the sea-shore; and many mountain kings, and king Vrihadvala; and Vasudeva the king of the Paundrayas
, and the kings of Vanga
and Kalinga came to the sacrifice. Similarly the Akastha and Kuntala and the kings of the Malavas
and the Andhrakas
; and the Dravidas
and the Singhalas
also came. (2,33). Kalinga king was mentioned as a charioteer at (2,43). Kalingas have brought tribute to the king Yudhisthira
along with other kings like the Vangas, the Magadhas, the Tamraliptas, the Supundrakas, the Dauvalikas, the Sagarakas. (2,51)
. This was different from the south Kalinga kingdom, with the capital at Dantapura
vanquished by Sahadeva
.
Once on a time many kings repaired to a self-choice at the capital of Chitrangada, the ruler of the country of the Kalingas. The city full of opulence, was known by the name of Rajapura
. Duryodhana
also, on his golden car, proceeded thither, accompanied by Karna
. There were amongst them Sisupala and Jarasandha and Bhishmaka and Vakra, and Kapotaroman and Nila and Rukmi of steady prowess, and Sringa who was ruler of the kingdom of females, and Asoka and Satadhanwan and the heroic ruler of the Bhojas. Besides these, many in the countries of the South, and many preceptors in arms of the mlechcha tribes, and many rulers from the East and the North, came there. That fair maiden passed by Duryodhana without selecting him. Duryodhana, however, could not tolerate that rejection. He abducted her with force, protected by Karna. (12,4)
visited all the regions of sacred waters and other holy palaces in Vanga
and Kalinga during his 12 year old pilgrimage, travelling the whole of ancient India. (1,127)
Pandavas started from the river Kausiki (now known as Kosi in Bihar
) and repaired in succession to all the sacred shrines. They came to the sea where the river Ganges
falls into it; and there in the centre of five hundred rivers, performed the holy ceremony of a plunge. Then they proceeded by the shore of the sea towards the land where the Kalinga tribes dwell. Through it passeth the river Vaitarani (now known as river Baitarni in Orissa
) (3,114)
, made a list of kings to be summoned to assist the Pandavas in the Kurukshetra War
In the list is mentiones Srutayus, with other Kalinga kings, Samudrasena (Vanga king) etc. (5,4).
Bhima
, which proved fatel to all the Kalinga heroes. (6-53,54), (8,70)
Then king Duryodhana
urged the ruler of the Kalingas supported by a large division, for the protection of Bharadwaja’s son, Drona
. Then that terrible and mighty division of the Kalingas rushed against Bhima
. And then commenced a fierce battle between the Kalingas and the high-souled Bhima. (6,53).
The mighty king of the Kalingas, Srutayush, accompanied by a large army advanced towards Bhima’s car. The ruler of the Kalingas with many thousands of cars, supported by Ketumat, the son of the king of the Nishadas, with 10000 elephants and the Nishada army, surrounded Bhimasena, on all sides. Then the Chedis, the Matsyas, and Karushas, with Bhimasena at their head, with many kings impetuously rushed against the Nishadas. Terrific was the collision that took place between the few and many, between the Chedis on the one side and the Kalingas and the Nishadas on the other. The Chedis, abandoning Bhima, turned back. But Bhima, encountering all the Kalingas, did not turn back. Bhima, staying on his car whose steeds had been slain, hurled at Sakradeva, the son of the Kalinga King Srutayush, a mace made of the hardest iron. And slain by that mace, the son of the ruler of the Kalingas, from his car, fell down on the ground, with his standard and charioteer. Later he slew Bhanumat, the prince of Kalingas, by ascending the back of his elephant and cutting his body in half, with sword. Bhima drawing his bow slew the ruler of the Kalingas, Srutayush, with seven shafts made wholly of iron. And with two shafts he slew the two protectors of the car-wheels of the Kalinga King. And he also dispatched Satyadeva and Satya. (6,54)
rebukes Shalya
during the Kurukshetra War
, and his race, and all the other tribes who had slightest similarity with Shalya's tribe.
is worshipped in the country of the Kalingas in the form of a tiger. Siva has an image in the country of the Kalingas that is called Vyaghreswara. (13,17)
The passage gives signs of the cultural differences prevailed in Kalinga with the mainstream culture prevailed in the plains of the Ganges.(13,33)
Orissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
and Andhra region of Andhra pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
state in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Kuru
Kuru Kingdom
Kuru was the name of an ancient kingdom in Vedic India, and later a republican Mahajanapada state. The kingdom was located in the area of modern Haryana, Delhi and western Uttar Pradesh in India. They formed the first political center of the of the Vedic India, with its capital at Hastinapur. It...
king Duryodhana
Duryodhana
In the Hindu epic the Mahābhārata, Duryodhana is the eldest son of the blind king Dhritarashtra by Queen Gandhari, the eldest of the one hundred Kaurava brothers, Emperor of the world at that time which means Emperor of India or Bharatvarsha as it was known at that time, cousin and the chief...
's wife was from Kalinga. Kalingas sided with Duryodhana in the Kurukshetra War
Kurukshetra war
According to the Indian epic poem Mahābhārata, a dynastic succession struggle between two groups of cousins of an Indo-Aryan kingdom called Kuru, the Kauravas and Pandavas, for the throne of Hastinapura resulted in the Kurukshetra War in which a number of ancient kingdoms participated as allies of...
. The founders of five eastern kingdoms, which included: Angas
Anga Kingdom
Anga was a kingdom ruled by non-Vedic rulers. Anga king Lomapada was a friend of Kosala king Dasaratha. Kosala Princess Santha, elder to Raghava Rama, lived as the daughter of Lomapada, since he was childless. Duryodhana established Karna as the ruler of Angas. It is believed that there were many...
(east, central Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
), Vangas
Vanga Kingdom
Vanga orBengal was a kingdom located in the eastern part of the Indian Subcontinent, comprising part of West Bengal, India and present-day modern Bangladesh. It was a seafaring nation of Ancient India.- References in Mahabharata :...
(southern West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
and Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
), Kalingas (Sea shore of Orissa
Orissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
), Pundras
Pundra Kingdom
Pundra was an eastern kingdom located in West Bengal, Bangladesh and Purnia . A Pundra king challenged Vasudeva Krishna by imitating his attributes. He called himself Paundraka Vasudeva. He was later killed by Vasudeva Krishna in a battle...
(western Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
and West Bengal, India), Suhmas
Suhma Kingdom
Suhma was an eastern kingdom located in regions now occupied by West Bengal, India and Bangladesh. This kingdom was mentioned in the epic Mahabharata along with its neighbouring kingdom Prasuhma, which was in the present day Bangladesh...
(north-western Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
and West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
) shared common ancestry. Two capitals (Dantapura
Dantapura
Dantapura was mentioned as the capital of Kalinga in the epic Mahabharata . Sahadeva the Pandava general had visited this city. Kalinga is mentioned to have another capital named Rajapura....
and Rajapura
Rajapura
Rajapura was the capital of Kalinga king Chitrangada. Duryodhana's wife was the daughter of Chitrangada. He abducted the Kalinga princess with the help of his friend Karna. Kamboja Kingdom also had its capital named as Rajapura.-Rajapura at Present:...
) of Kalinga were mentioned in Mahabharata
Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
, probably there were many Kalinga kings, ruling different territories of Kalinga.
Birth of the five royal lines
The five royal lines of AngaAnga Kingdom
Anga was a kingdom ruled by non-Vedic rulers. Anga king Lomapada was a friend of Kosala king Dasaratha. Kosala Princess Santha, elder to Raghava Rama, lived as the daughter of Lomapada, since he was childless. Duryodhana established Karna as the ruler of Angas. It is believed that there were many...
, Vanga
Vanga Kingdom
Vanga orBengal was a kingdom located in the eastern part of the Indian Subcontinent, comprising part of West Bengal, India and present-day modern Bangladesh. It was a seafaring nation of Ancient India.- References in Mahabharata :...
, Kalinga, Pundra
Pundra Kingdom
Pundra was an eastern kingdom located in West Bengal, Bangladesh and Purnia . A Pundra king challenged Vasudeva Krishna by imitating his attributes. He called himself Paundraka Vasudeva. He was later killed by Vasudeva Krishna in a battle...
and Suhma
Suhma Kingdom
Suhma was an eastern kingdom located in regions now occupied by West Bengal, India and Bangladesh. This kingdom was mentioned in the epic Mahabharata along with its neighbouring kingdom Prasuhma, which was in the present day Bangladesh...
were born from the adopted sons of king Vali. This Vali's kingdom was either Magadha Kingdom
Magadha Kingdom
Magadha was a kingdom ruled by non-Vedic kings. Jarasandha was the greatest among them during epic times. His capital was Rajagriha or Rajgir a modern hill resort in Bihar. Jarasandha's continuous assault on the Yadava kingdom of Surasena resulted in their withdrawal from central India to western...
or some kingdom close to it. There existed an Asura kingdom to the south of Magadha as per many Puranas
Puranas
The Puranas are a genre of important Hindu, Jain and Buddhist religious texts, notably consisting of narratives of the history of the universe from creation to destruction, genealogies of kings, heroes, sages, and demigods, and descriptions of Hindu cosmology, philosophy, and geography.Puranas...
. King Vali seems to be an Asura
Asura
-In Hinduism:In Hinduism, the Asuras constitute a group of power-seeking deities, sometimes considered sinful and materialistic. The Daityas and Danavas were combinedly known as Asuras. The Asura were opposed to the Devas. Both groups are children of Kasyapa...
king, like the famous king Mahabali
Mahabali
Mahabali , also known as Bali or Māveli was a benevolent Asura King, and the grandson of Prahlada. The festival of Onam commemorates his yearly homecoming after being sent down to the underworld by Vamana, the fifth avatar of Vishnu.-Conquest of the Universe and banishment:Bali, an asura, was the...
, who was also known as Vali or Bali. The five royal sons were actually the sons of the sage Dīrghatamas
Dirghatamas
Dīrghatamas was an ancient sage well known for his philosophical verses in the RgVeda. He was author of Suktas 140 to 164 in the first Mandala of the RgVeda.-Background:...
. Dīghatamas was a sage born in the race of Gautama and Angiras. He was also known as Gautama. His eldest son also was known as Gautama.(1,104).
Though Dīrghatamas
Dirghatamas
Dīrghatamas was an ancient sage well known for his philosophical verses in the RgVeda. He was author of Suktas 140 to 164 in the first Mandala of the RgVeda.-Background:...
was a great sage he was blind. He was cast away by his sons and wife who threw him into river Ganges
Ganges River
The Ganges or Ganga, , is a trans-boundary river of India and Bangladesh. The river rises in the western Himalayas in the Indian state of Uttarakhand, and flows south and east through the Gangetic Plain of North India into Bangladesh, where it empties into the Bay of Bengal. By discharge it...
in a raft. King Vali saved him. Knowing who he was the childless king chose him to raise offspring upon the queen, according to the ordinances of those times. Thus was born the famous five kings. After their names five countries were formed. It is after their names that their dominions have come to be called Anga, Vanga, Kalinga, Pundra and Suhma (1,104)
Gautama's abode was in Girivraja, the capital of Magadha
Magadha Kingdom
Magadha was a kingdom ruled by non-Vedic kings. Jarasandha was the greatest among them during epic times. His capital was Rajagriha or Rajgir a modern hill resort in Bihar. Jarasandha's continuous assault on the Yadava kingdom of Surasena resulted in their withdrawal from central India to western...
. Gautama begat on the Sudra
Shudra
Shudra is the fourth Varna, as prescribed in the Purusha Sukta of the Rig veda, which constitutes society into four varnas or Chaturvarna. The other three varnas are Brahmans - priests, Kshatriya - those with governing functions, Vaishya - agriculturalists, cattle rearers and traders...
woman Ausinari (the daughter of Usinara) the royal sage Kakshivat and the other five celebrated sons. These five monarchs used to visit Gautama in his abode. (2,21)
The eastern kings mentioned in the self-choice of Panchali
Kalinga King attended the self-choice event of DraupadiDraupadi
In the epic Mahābhārata, Draupadi, also known as ' is the "emerged" daughter of King Drupada of Panchāla and the wife of the five Pandavas. When Yudhisthira becomes the king of Hastinapura at the end of the war, Draupadi becomes the queen of Indraprastha...
, along with Chandrasena the mighty son of Samudrasena (Vanga
Vanga Kingdom
Vanga orBengal was a kingdom located in the eastern part of the Indian Subcontinent, comprising part of West Bengal, India and present-day modern Bangladesh. It was a seafaring nation of Ancient India.- References in Mahabharata :...
king), Jarasandha
Jarasandha
Jarasandha was a great and legendary king of Magadha. He was the son of a vedic king named Brihadratha. He was also a great devotee of Lord Shiva. But he is generally held in negative light owing to his enmity with the Yadav clan in the Mahābhārata....
(Magadha
Magadha Kingdom
Magadha was a kingdom ruled by non-Vedic kings. Jarasandha was the greatest among them during epic times. His capital was Rajagriha or Rajgir a modern hill resort in Bihar. Jarasandha's continuous assault on the Yadava kingdom of Surasena resulted in their withdrawal from central India to western...
king), Vidanda, and Danda—the father and son, Paundraka-Vasudeva (Pundra
Pundra Kingdom
Pundra was an eastern kingdom located in West Bengal, Bangladesh and Purnia . A Pundra king challenged Vasudeva Krishna by imitating his attributes. He called himself Paundraka Vasudeva. He was later killed by Vasudeva Krishna in a battle...
king), Bhagadatta
Bhagadatta
Bhagadatta, was the son of Narakasura. He was a king of the city Pragjyotisha in the epic Mahabharata. In the Battle of Kurukshetra, Bhagadatta fought on the side of the Kauravas. He was very well known to attack his enemies with his elephant in the warfare. In the Mahabharata war, he was...
(king of Pragjyotisha
Pragjyotisha Kingdom
Pragjyotisha was a mythological kingdom first mentioned in the Hindu epics and later Hindu literature. According to later versions of the epic, King Bhagadatta ruled the kingdom during the time of the Kurukshetra War where he met his death. In historical times, it came to be named as the Kamarupa...
who also ruled Suhma Kingdom
Suhma Kingdom
Suhma was an eastern kingdom located in regions now occupied by West Bengal, India and Bangladesh. This kingdom was mentioned in the epic Mahabharata along with its neighbouring kingdom Prasuhma, which was in the present day Bangladesh...
, Tamralipta, the king of Pattana etc. (1,188), (1,189)
Sahadeva's conquests
SahadevaSahadeva
Sahadeva was one of the five Pandava brothers according to the epic Mahābhārata. He was one of the twin sons of Madri, who invoked Ashvins using a mantra shared by Kunti for a son. His twin brother was named Nakula...
brought under his subjection and exacted tributes from the Paundrayas
Pundra Kingdom
Pundra was an eastern kingdom located in West Bengal, Bangladesh and Purnia . A Pundra king challenged Vasudeva Krishna by imitating his attributes. He called himself Paundraka Vasudeva. He was later killed by Vasudeva Krishna in a battle...
(or Pandya Kingdom
Pandya Kingdom
The Pandyas were fierce warriors who took part in the Kurukshetra War as per the epic Mahabharata. A Pandya king named Sarangadhwaja, is mentioned as participating in the Kurukshetra War, siding with the Pandavas. It is not clear if Pandyas were linked to the Pandavas of North India...
?) and the Dravidas
Dravida Kingdom
During the time of Mahabharata Dravida was mentioned as one among the kingdoms ruled by non-Vedic tribes, in southern India. Its territories include the southern part of modern day Andhra Pradesh and the northern part of Tamil Nadu...
along with the Udrakeralas
Kerala Kingdom
This article is about the Kingdom of Kerala in Indian epic literature. For the present-day region, see Kerala, For the historical kingdom, see Chera dynasty...
and the Andhras
Andhra Kingdom
Andhra in Indian epic literature was a kingdom mentioned in the epic Mahabharata. It was a southern kingdom. Andhra and Kalinga are often used interchangeably. Andhras are sub-tribes of Andhra satavahanas. The state Andhra Pradesh got its name from this kingdom.Andhra Tribes are also mentioned in...
and the Talavanas, the Kalingas and the Ushtrakarnikas, and also the delightful city of Atavi and that of the Yavanas. (2,30)
Dantapura,now known as Puri
Puri
Puri is district headquarter, a city situated about south of state capital Bhubaneswar, on the eastern coast of the Bay of Bengal in the Indian state of Orissa. It is also known as Jagannath Puri after the Jagannath Temple . It is a holy city of the Hindus as a part of the Char Dham pilgrimages...
city of Orissa was mentioned as the capital of Kalinga conquered by Sahadeva (5,23)
Karna's conquests
KarnaKarna
Karna or Radheya is one of the central characters in the epic Mahābhārata, from ancient India. He was the King of Anga...
conquered and brought under subjection all the kings inhabiting the Himavat, and made them pay dues. Then descending from the mountain and rushing to the east, he reduced the Angas
Anga Kingdom
Anga was a kingdom ruled by non-Vedic rulers. Anga king Lomapada was a friend of Kosala king Dasaratha. Kosala Princess Santha, elder to Raghava Rama, lived as the daughter of Lomapada, since he was childless. Duryodhana established Karna as the ruler of Angas. It is believed that there were many...
, and the Bangas
Vanga Kingdom
Vanga orBengal was a kingdom located in the eastern part of the Indian Subcontinent, comprising part of West Bengal, India and present-day modern Bangladesh. It was a seafaring nation of Ancient India.- References in Mahabharata :...
, and the Kalingas, and the Mandikas, and the Magadhas
Magadha Kingdom
Magadha was a kingdom ruled by non-Vedic kings. Jarasandha was the greatest among them during epic times. His capital was Rajagriha or Rajgir a modern hill resort in Bihar. Jarasandha's continuous assault on the Yadava kingdom of Surasena resulted in their withdrawal from central India to western...
. the Karkakhandas; and also included with them the Avasiras, Yodhyas, and the Ahikshatras. (3,252)
Other conquests of Kalinga
- Vasudeva Krishna also is mentioned to have vanquished a Kalinga king, along with the PandyasPandya KingdomThe Pandyas were fierce warriors who took part in the Kurukshetra War as per the epic Mahabharata. A Pandya king named Sarangadhwaja, is mentioned as participating in the Kurukshetra War, siding with the Pandavas. It is not clear if Pandyas were linked to the Pandavas of North India...
and the city of Varnasi (Banaras) in Kasi. (5,48), (16,6)
- BhimaBhimaIn the Mahābhārata, Bhima is one of the central characters of Mahabharata and the second of the Pandava brothers...
also is mentioned to have vanquished the Kalingas along with all the people of Kasi and AngaAnga KingdomAnga was a kingdom ruled by non-Vedic rulers. Anga king Lomapada was a friend of Kosala king Dasaratha. Kosala Princess Santha, elder to Raghava Rama, lived as the daughter of Lomapada, since he was childless. Duryodhana established Karna as the ruler of Angas. It is believed that there were many...
and MagadhaMagadha KingdomMagadha was a kingdom ruled by non-Vedic kings. Jarasandha was the greatest among them during epic times. His capital was Rajagriha or Rajgir a modern hill resort in Bihar. Jarasandha's continuous assault on the Yadava kingdom of Surasena resulted in their withdrawal from central India to western...
(5,50)
- Bhargava Rama is mentioned to have conquered the Kalingas along with the Angas and Vangas (6,68)
Yudhisthira's entry into his new palace at Indraprastha
Kalinga king Srutayus, attended the event of YudhisthiraYudhisthira
In the great Hindu epic Mahabharata, Yudhisthira , the eldest son of King Pandu and Queen Kunti, was king of Indraprastha and later of Hastinapura. He was the leader of the Pandava side in the Kurukshetra War...
entering his new palace at Indraprastha, along with Jayasena the king of Magadha
Magadha Kingdom
Magadha was a kingdom ruled by non-Vedic kings. Jarasandha was the greatest among them during epic times. His capital was Rajagriha or Rajgir a modern hill resort in Bihar. Jarasandha's continuous assault on the Yadava kingdom of Surasena resulted in their withdrawal from central India to western...
.
Yudhisthira's Rajasuya sacrifice
King Bhagadatta seems to have sway over all the eastern kingdoms including Pundra, Suhma, Vanga and Kalinga. Anga kingdom was ruled by his friend KarnaKarna
Karna or Radheya is one of the central characters in the epic Mahābhārata, from ancient India. He was the King of Anga...
and Vrihadvala was the king of Kosala Kingdom
Kosala Kingdom
Kosala Proper or Uttara Kosala is the kingdom of the celebrated personality of Treta Yuga, Raghava Rama. Ayodhya was its capital, presently in Faizabad district, Uttar Pradesh. Rama's sons Lava and Kusha inherited parts of this kingdom. Lava ruled from the city called Sravasti and Kusa from the...
, his another friend.
King Bhagadatta
Bhagadatta
Bhagadatta, was the son of Narakasura. He was a king of the city Pragjyotisha in the epic Mahabharata. In the Battle of Kurukshetra, Bhagadatta fought on the side of the Kauravas. He was very well known to attack his enemies with his elephant in the warfare. In the Mahabharata war, he was...
of Pragjyotisha
Pragjyotisha Kingdom
Pragjyotisha was a mythological kingdom first mentioned in the Hindu epics and later Hindu literature. According to later versions of the epic, King Bhagadatta ruled the kingdom during the time of the Kurukshetra War where he met his death. In historical times, it came to be named as the Kamarupa...
accompanied by all Mlechcha tribes inhabiting the marshy regions on the sea-shore; and many mountain kings, and king Vrihadvala; and Vasudeva the king of the Paundrayas
Pundra Kingdom
Pundra was an eastern kingdom located in West Bengal, Bangladesh and Purnia . A Pundra king challenged Vasudeva Krishna by imitating his attributes. He called himself Paundraka Vasudeva. He was later killed by Vasudeva Krishna in a battle...
, and the kings of Vanga
Vanga Kingdom
Vanga orBengal was a kingdom located in the eastern part of the Indian Subcontinent, comprising part of West Bengal, India and present-day modern Bangladesh. It was a seafaring nation of Ancient India.- References in Mahabharata :...
and Kalinga came to the sacrifice. Similarly the Akastha and Kuntala and the kings of the Malavas
Malava Kingdom
Malava kingdom was one among the many kingdoms ruled by the Yadava kings in the central and western India, corresponding to the Malwa region. Sometimes Avanti and Malava were described to be the same country. They were originally a western tribe, in Punjab province of Pakistan. Later they migrated...
and the Andhrakas
Andhra Kingdom
Andhra in Indian epic literature was a kingdom mentioned in the epic Mahabharata. It was a southern kingdom. Andhra and Kalinga are often used interchangeably. Andhras are sub-tribes of Andhra satavahanas. The state Andhra Pradesh got its name from this kingdom.Andhra Tribes are also mentioned in...
; and the Dravidas
Dravida Kingdom
During the time of Mahabharata Dravida was mentioned as one among the kingdoms ruled by non-Vedic tribes, in southern India. Its territories include the southern part of modern day Andhra Pradesh and the northern part of Tamil Nadu...
and the Singhalas
Sinhala Kingdom
Sinhala was a kingdom in the island Lanka, modern day Sri Lanka, mentioned in the epic Mahabharata. From 'Sinhala Diva' are derived the Tamil 'Eelam', Persian/Arabic Serendipor Sarandib, and the European 'Ceilao', 'Zeylan' and 'Ceylon'....
also came. (2,33). Kalinga king was mentioned as a charioteer at (2,43). Kalingas have brought tribute to the king Yudhisthira
Yudhisthira
In the great Hindu epic Mahabharata, Yudhisthira , the eldest son of King Pandu and Queen Kunti, was king of Indraprastha and later of Hastinapura. He was the leader of the Pandava side in the Kurukshetra War...
along with other kings like the Vangas, the Magadhas, the Tamraliptas, the Supundrakas, the Dauvalikas, the Sagarakas. (2,51)
Duryodhana marries from Kalinga
Duryodhana married the daughter of Chitrangada, who was a Kalinga king, with the capital at RajapuraRajapura
Rajapura was the capital of Kalinga king Chitrangada. Duryodhana's wife was the daughter of Chitrangada. He abducted the Kalinga princess with the help of his friend Karna. Kamboja Kingdom also had its capital named as Rajapura.-Rajapura at Present:...
. This was different from the south Kalinga kingdom, with the capital at Dantapura
Dantapura
Dantapura was mentioned as the capital of Kalinga in the epic Mahabharata . Sahadeva the Pandava general had visited this city. Kalinga is mentioned to have another capital named Rajapura....
vanquished by Sahadeva
Sahadeva
Sahadeva was one of the five Pandava brothers according to the epic Mahābhārata. He was one of the twin sons of Madri, who invoked Ashvins using a mantra shared by Kunti for a son. His twin brother was named Nakula...
.
Once on a time many kings repaired to a self-choice at the capital of Chitrangada, the ruler of the country of the Kalingas. The city full of opulence, was known by the name of Rajapura
Rajapura
Rajapura was the capital of Kalinga king Chitrangada. Duryodhana's wife was the daughter of Chitrangada. He abducted the Kalinga princess with the help of his friend Karna. Kamboja Kingdom also had its capital named as Rajapura.-Rajapura at Present:...
. Duryodhana
Duryodhana
In the Hindu epic the Mahābhārata, Duryodhana is the eldest son of the blind king Dhritarashtra by Queen Gandhari, the eldest of the one hundred Kaurava brothers, Emperor of the world at that time which means Emperor of India or Bharatvarsha as it was known at that time, cousin and the chief...
also, on his golden car, proceeded thither, accompanied by Karna
Karna
Karna or Radheya is one of the central characters in the epic Mahābhārata, from ancient India. He was the King of Anga...
. There were amongst them Sisupala and Jarasandha and Bhishmaka and Vakra, and Kapotaroman and Nila and Rukmi of steady prowess, and Sringa who was ruler of the kingdom of females, and Asoka and Satadhanwan and the heroic ruler of the Bhojas. Besides these, many in the countries of the South, and many preceptors in arms of the mlechcha tribes, and many rulers from the East and the North, came there. That fair maiden passed by Duryodhana without selecting him. Duryodhana, however, could not tolerate that rejection. He abducted her with force, protected by Karna. (12,4)
Arjuna's pilgrimage
ArjunaArjuna
Arjuna in Indian mythology is the greatest warrior on earth and is one of the Pandavas, the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahābhārata. Arjuna, whose name means 'bright', 'shining', 'white' or 'silver' Arjuna (Devanagari: अर्जुन, Thai: อรชุน, Orachun, Tamil: Arjunan, Indonesian and Javanese: Harjuna,...
visited all the regions of sacred waters and other holy palaces in Vanga
Vanga Kingdom
Vanga orBengal was a kingdom located in the eastern part of the Indian Subcontinent, comprising part of West Bengal, India and present-day modern Bangladesh. It was a seafaring nation of Ancient India.- References in Mahabharata :...
and Kalinga during his 12 year old pilgrimage, travelling the whole of ancient India. (1,127)
Pandavas's pilgrimage
Pandavas, during their 12 year exile from their kingdom, set for a pilgrimage travelling the whole of ancient India, guided by sage Lomasa.Pandavas started from the river Kausiki (now known as Kosi in Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
) and repaired in succession to all the sacred shrines. They came to the sea where the river Ganges
Ganges River
The Ganges or Ganga, , is a trans-boundary river of India and Bangladesh. The river rises in the western Himalayas in the Indian state of Uttarakhand, and flows south and east through the Gangetic Plain of North India into Bangladesh, where it empties into the Bay of Bengal. By discharge it...
falls into it; and there in the centre of five hundred rivers, performed the holy ceremony of a plunge. Then they proceeded by the shore of the sea towards the land where the Kalinga tribes dwell. Through it passeth the river Vaitarani (now known as river Baitarni in Orissa
Orissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
) (3,114)
Drupada's list of kings
Drupada, the father in law of the Pandavas and the king of PanchalaPanchala Kingdom
This article is about the kingdom of Panchala during the epic-ages. For the historical kingdom, see Panchala.Panchala Kingdom extended from Himalayas in the north to river Charmanwati in the south during the period of Mahabharata. It had Kuru, Surasena and Matsya kingdoms to the west and the forest...
, made a list of kings to be summoned to assist the Pandavas in the Kurukshetra War
Kurukshetra war
According to the Indian epic poem Mahābhārata, a dynastic succession struggle between two groups of cousins of an Indo-Aryan kingdom called Kuru, the Kauravas and Pandavas, for the throne of Hastinapura resulted in the Kurukshetra War in which a number of ancient kingdoms participated as allies of...
In the list is mentiones Srutayus, with other Kalinga kings, Samudrasena (Vanga king) etc. (5,4).
Kalingas in Kurukshetra War
Kalingas were mentioned as allied to Kauravas at many places like at (5-62,95). Kalinga king Srutayudha also known as Srutayus and Srutayush, was one among the generals in the Kaurava army.(6,16). The generals of Kaurava army were:-- Sakuni, a chief from Gandhara KingdomGandhara KingdomGandhara is a kingdom grouped among the western kingdoms in the epic Mahabharata. The epic Ramayana also mentions it as a western kingdom. Gandhara prince Sakuni was the root of all the conspiracies of Duryodhana against the Pandavas, which finally resulted in the Kurukshetra War. Sakuni's sister...
- ShalyaShalyaIn the epic Mahabharata, King Shalya was the brother of Madri , as well as the ruler of Madra-desa or the kingdom of Madra. Thus, he was the maternal uncle of Nakula and Sahadeva and was loved and revered by the Pandavas. When he was young, he entered a competition among princes and nobilities to...
, the king of Madra KingdomMadra KingdomMadra Kingdom was a kingdom grouped among the western kingdoms in the epic Mahabharata. Its capital was Sagala, modern Sialkot . The Kuru king Pandu's second wife was from Madra kingdom and was called Madri. The Pandava twins, Nakula and Sahadeva, were her sons. Madri's brother Shalya was the king... - JayadrathaJayadrathaIn the epic Mahābhārata, Jayadratha was the king of Sindhu Kingdom . He was married to Dushala, the only sister of the 100 Kaurava brothers. He was the son of the sinful king Vridhakshtra.- Abduction of Draupadi:...
, the king of Sindhu KingdomSindhu KingdomSindhu&sandhu was a kingdom mentioned in the epic Mahabharata. It stretched along the banks of river Sindhu in the Ancient Greater India, which is now Pakistan. It is believed that Sindhu kingdom was founded by Vrsadarbh, one of sons of Sivi... - Vinda and Anuvinda, two brothers and kings of Avanti KingdomAvanti KingdomThe former Avanti kingdom was one among the many kingdoms ruled by the Yadava kings in the central and western India. Ujjayani was its capital along the river Kshipra, a tributary of river Charmanuati, which itself is a tributary of river Ganges. The Ujjayani of the past is currently known as...
- The Kekaya brothers from Kekeya KingdomKekeya KingdomKekeya is a kingdom grouped among the western kingdoms in the epic Mahabharata. The epic Ramayana also mentions Kekeya as a western kingdom. One of the wives of Dasaratha, the king of Kosala and father of Raghava Rama, was from Kekeya kingdom and was known as Kaikeyi...
(oppoesed the Kekayas on the Pandava side) - Sudakshina the king of Kamboja Kingdom
- Srutayudha the king of Kalinga Kingdom
- Jayatsena a king of Magadha KingdomMagadha KingdomMagadha was a kingdom ruled by non-Vedic kings. Jarasandha was the greatest among them during epic times. His capital was Rajagriha or Rajgir a modern hill resort in Bihar. Jarasandha's continuous assault on the Yadava kingdom of Surasena resulted in their withdrawal from central India to western...
- Vrihadvala the king of Kosala KingdomKosala KingdomKosala Proper or Uttara Kosala is the kingdom of the celebrated personality of Treta Yuga, Raghava Rama. Ayodhya was its capital, presently in Faizabad district, Uttar Pradesh. Rama's sons Lava and Kusha inherited parts of this kingdom. Lava ruled from the city called Sravasti and Kusa from the...
- Kritavarma, a YadavaYaduYadu is one of the five Indo-Aryan tribes mentioned in the Rig Veda . The Mahabharata, the Harivamsha and the Puranas mention Yadu as the eldest son of king Yayati and his queen Devayani. The prince of King Yayati, Yadu was a self-respecting and a very established ruler...
chief from Anarta KingdomAnarta KingdomAnarta was a kingdom of ancient India, roughly forming the northern Gujarat state of India. It was ruled by Yadavas after they fled from Mathura of Surasena Kingdom, due to the attacks of Jarasandha, the king of Magadha. The Yadava chiefs like Vasudeva Krishna, Bala Rama , Kritavarma and Satyaki,...
Bhima slew Kalinga king Srutayush and other Kalinga heroes
The battle of Kalingas is mentioned at various places (6-17,56,70,71,88,118), (7-4,7,11,20,44,72,90,118,138,152,191) (8-5,8,17,22) (9,33). The prominent among them was their battle with PandavaPandava
In the Hindu epic Mahābhārata, the Pandava are the five acknowledged sons of Pandu , by his two wives Kunti and Madri. Their names are Yudhisthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva. Although, Karna is told by Lord Krishna that according to the laws and ethics he is the first son of Kunti making...
Bhima
Bhima
In the Mahābhārata, Bhima is one of the central characters of Mahabharata and the second of the Pandava brothers...
, which proved fatel to all the Kalinga heroes. (6-53,54), (8,70)
Then king Duryodhana
Duryodhana
In the Hindu epic the Mahābhārata, Duryodhana is the eldest son of the blind king Dhritarashtra by Queen Gandhari, the eldest of the one hundred Kaurava brothers, Emperor of the world at that time which means Emperor of India or Bharatvarsha as it was known at that time, cousin and the chief...
urged the ruler of the Kalingas supported by a large division, for the protection of Bharadwaja’s son, Drona
Drona
In the epic Mahābhārata, Drona or Dronacharya was the royal guru to Kauravas and Pandavas. He was a master of advanced military arts, including the Devastras. Arjuna was his favorite student. Dronas love for Arjuna was second only to his love for his son Ashwatthama...
. Then that terrible and mighty division of the Kalingas rushed against Bhima
Bhima
In the Mahābhārata, Bhima is one of the central characters of Mahabharata and the second of the Pandava brothers...
. And then commenced a fierce battle between the Kalingas and the high-souled Bhima. (6,53).
The mighty king of the Kalingas, Srutayush, accompanied by a large army advanced towards Bhima’s car. The ruler of the Kalingas with many thousands of cars, supported by Ketumat, the son of the king of the Nishadas, with 10000 elephants and the Nishada army, surrounded Bhimasena, on all sides. Then the Chedis, the Matsyas, and Karushas, with Bhimasena at their head, with many kings impetuously rushed against the Nishadas. Terrific was the collision that took place between the few and many, between the Chedis on the one side and the Kalingas and the Nishadas on the other. The Chedis, abandoning Bhima, turned back. But Bhima, encountering all the Kalingas, did not turn back. Bhima, staying on his car whose steeds had been slain, hurled at Sakradeva, the son of the Kalinga King Srutayush, a mace made of the hardest iron. And slain by that mace, the son of the ruler of the Kalingas, from his car, fell down on the ground, with his standard and charioteer. Later he slew Bhanumat, the prince of Kalingas, by ascending the back of his elephant and cutting his body in half, with sword. Bhima drawing his bow slew the ruler of the Kalingas, Srutayush, with seven shafts made wholly of iron. And with two shafts he slew the two protectors of the car-wheels of the Kalinga King. And he also dispatched Satyadeva and Satya. (6,54)
- A Kalinga ruler other than Srutayush, lead the Kalinga army, during the rest of the days in battle. (7-7,90)
- Two brothers Kalinga and Vrishaka were mentioned as slain in battle at (8,5)
- A Kalinga king is mentioned to be slain at (11,25)
Karna's opinion on the Kalingas
KarnaKarna
Karna or Radheya is one of the central characters in the epic Mahābhārata, from ancient India. He was the King of Anga...
rebukes Shalya
Shalya
In the epic Mahabharata, King Shalya was the brother of Madri , as well as the ruler of Madra-desa or the kingdom of Madra. Thus, he was the maternal uncle of Nakula and Sahadeva and was loved and revered by the Pandavas. When he was young, he entered a competition among princes and nobilities to...
during the Kurukshetra War
Kurukshetra war
According to the Indian epic poem Mahābhārata, a dynastic succession struggle between two groups of cousins of an Indo-Aryan kingdom called Kuru, the Kauravas and Pandavas, for the throne of Hastinapura resulted in the Kurukshetra War in which a number of ancient kingdoms participated as allies of...
, and his race, and all the other tribes who had slightest similarity with Shalya's tribe.
- The Karashakas, the MahishakasMahisha KingdomMahisha or Mahishaka was a kingdom in ancient India, ruled by the Asura king Mahisha. His capital, Mahisha City, is currently known as Mysore a city in Karnataka. This kingdom is mentioned in Mahabharata, though Puranas gives more information...
, the Kalingas, the KeralasKerala KingdomThis article is about the Kingdom of Kerala in Indian epic literature. For the present-day region, see Kerala, For the historical kingdom, see Chera dynasty...
, the Karkotakas, the Virakas, and other peoples of no religion, one should always avoid. (8,44)
- The KauravasKuru KingdomKuru was the name of an ancient kingdom in Vedic India, and later a republican Mahajanapada state. The kingdom was located in the area of modern Haryana, Delhi and western Uttar Pradesh in India. They formed the first political center of the of the Vedic India, with its capital at Hastinapur. It...
with the PanchalasPanchala KingdomThis article is about the kingdom of Panchala during the epic-ages. For the historical kingdom, see Panchala.Panchala Kingdom extended from Himalayas in the north to river Charmanwati in the south during the period of Mahabharata. It had Kuru, Surasena and Matsya kingdoms to the west and the forest...
, the SalwasSalwa KingdomSalwa is a kingdom grouped among the western kingdoms in the epic Mahabharata. It is close to Madra Kingdom as both are mentioned together in many places. Saubha is its capital. Martikavati also is mentioned as the capital of Salwa kingdom. The famous prince Satyavan was from Salwa...
, the MatsyasMatsya KingdomMatsya or Machcha , classically called the Mese , was the name of a tribe and the state of the Vedic civilization of India. It lay to south of the kingdom of Kurus and west of the Yamuna which separated it from the kingdom of Panchalas...
, the Naimishas, the KoshalasKosala KingdomKosala Proper or Uttara Kosala is the kingdom of the celebrated personality of Treta Yuga, Raghava Rama. Ayodhya was its capital, presently in Faizabad district, Uttar Pradesh. Rama's sons Lava and Kusha inherited parts of this kingdom. Lava ruled from the city called Sravasti and Kusa from the...
, the Kasapaundras, the Kalingas, the MagadhasMagadha KingdomMagadha was a kingdom ruled by non-Vedic kings. Jarasandha was the greatest among them during epic times. His capital was Rajagriha or Rajgir a modern hill resort in Bihar. Jarasandha's continuous assault on the Yadava kingdom of Surasena resulted in their withdrawal from central India to western...
, and the ChedisChedi KingdomChedi kingdom was one among the many kingdoms ruled during early periods by Paurava kings and later by Yaduvanshi Rajput kings in the central and western India. It falls roughly in the Bundelkhand division of Madhya Pradesh regions to the south of river Yamuna and along river Betwa or Vetravati...
who are all highly blessed, know what the eternal religion is. (8,45)
Siva worship in Kalinga
SivaShiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
is worshipped in the country of the Kalingas in the form of a tiger. Siva has an image in the country of the Kalingas that is called Vyaghreswara. (13,17)
Absence of Brahmins in Kalinga
It is in consequence of the absence of Brahmanas from among them that the Sakas, the Yavanas, the Kamvojas and other Kshatriya tribes have become fallen and degraded into the status of Sudras. The Dravidas, the Kalingas, the Pulandas, the Usinaras, the Kolisarpas, the Mahishakas and other Kshatriyas, have, in consequence of the absence of Brahmanas from among their midst, become degraded into Sudras. (13,33)The passage gives signs of the cultural differences prevailed in Kalinga with the mainstream culture prevailed in the plains of the Ganges.(13,33)
Other references
- A Kalinga princess named Karambha was wedded to Akrodhana a PuruPuruThe Purus were a tribe, or a confederation of tribes, mentioned many times in the Rigveda, formed around 3180 BCE. RV 7.96.2 locates them at the banks of the Sarasvati River. There were several factions of Purus, one being the Bharatas...
king. Devatithi was their son. (1,95) - An ally of Karitkeya, generallissimo of Deva army is mentioned as Kalinga (9,45)