Kalachuris of Ratnapura
The Kalachuris of Ratnapura, also known as the Haihayas of Ratanpur, were a central Indian dynasty during 11th and 12th centuries. They ruled parts of present-day Chhattisgarh from their capital at Ratnapura (modern Ratanpur in Bilaspur district). They were an offshoot of the Kalachuris of Tripuri, and ruled as vassals of the parent dynasty for many years.
Kalachuris of Ratnapura | |||||||||||
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| 11th century–13th century | |||||||||||
 Coinage of the Kalachuris of Ratnapura. Gold coin of Prithvi Deva, c. 1079 CE.
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 .png.webp){kind=small} South Asia 1175 CE ◁ ▷ Location of the Kalachuris of Ratnapura and neighbouring South Asian polities in 1175, on the eve of the Ghurid Empire invasion of the subcontinent.[1][2] | |||||||||||
| Capital | Ratnapura | ||||||||||
| Religion | Hinduism | ||||||||||
| Government | monarchy | ||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||
• Established | 11th century | ||||||||||
• Disestablished | 13th century | ||||||||||
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| Today part of | India | ||||||||||
History
Several inscriptions and coins of the Ratnapura branch have been found, but these do not provide enough information to reconstruct the political history of the region with complete certainty.[3] According to the 1114 CE Ratanpur inscription of Jajjalla-deva I, the Tripuri Kalachuri king Kokalla had 18 sons, the eldest of whom succeeded him on the throne of Tripuri. The younger ones became rulers of mandalas (feudatory governors). The Kalachuris of Ratnapura descended from one of these younger sons.[4]
Kalinga-raja established the Ratnapura brach around 1000 CE.[3] He conquered the Dakshina Kosala region, and made Tummana his capital.[5] He was succeeded by Kamala-raja;[3] his grandson Ratna-deva alias Ratna-raja established Ratnapura (modern Ratanpur).[5] The inscriptions of the next ruler Prithvideva I indicate that the Ratnapura branch continued to rule as feudatories of the Kalachuris of Tripuri.[3]
In 1114 CE, the Prithvideva's successor Jajalla-deva I invaded the Chindaka Naga territory to the south, annexing Kosala which was under Telugu Choda governorship. Jajalla-deva I defeated the Chindaka Naga king Somesvara and took him prisoner, only releasing him at the intervention of his mother.[6]
The next ruler, Ratnadeva II, repulsed an invasion by Anantavarman Chodaganga, the king of the Eastern Ganga dynasty.[7] His successor was Prithvi-deva, whose 15 inscriptions are an important source of the political and cultural history of the kingdom.[3]
Decline
Prithvi-deva's successor Jajalla-deva II reigned for a short and troublesome period, as attested by his Amoda, Malhar, and Sheorinarayan inscriptions. His successors included Ratnadeva III and Pratapa-malla.[3] The political history of the dynasty after Pratapa-malla is uncertain.[3]
According to one theory, the Ganga king [[[Anangabhima Deva III|Anangabhima-deva III]] defeated Pratpamalla. This theory is based on the Chateswara Temple inscription, according to which Anganabhima's general Vishnu terrorized the king of Tummana (the old Kalachuri capital) so much that the latter "perceived Vishnu every where through out his kingdom." According to the Ananta-vasu-deva temple inscription, Anangabhima's daughter Chandrika-devi married a Haihaya prince named Paramardi-deva; this prince must have belonged to the Ratnapura family, although he is unlikely to have belonged to the main branch of that dynasty.[8]
By the end of the 14th century, the Kalachuris of Raipur - a junior branch of the family ruled from Raipur, while the main branch continued to rule at Ratnapura. The Raipur branch ruled until the 18th century, until the Marathas subjugated them.[3]
List of rulers
- ^ Rajiv Kumar Verma 2015, p. 59.
- ^ Om Prakash Misra 2003, p. 14.
The following is a list of the Ratnapura Kalachuri rulers, with estimated period of their reigns:[9]
- Kalinga-raja (1000-1020 CE)
- Kamala-raja (1020-1045 CE)
- Ratna-raja (1045-1065 CE), alias Ratna-deva I
- Prithvi-deva I (1065-1090 CE), alias Prithvisha
- Jajalla-deva I (1090-1120 CE)
- Ratna-Deva II (1120-1135 CE) (declared independence)
- Prithvi-deva II (1135-1165 CE)
- Jajalla-deva II (1165-1168 CE)
- Jagad-deva (1168-1178 CE)
- Ratna-deva III (1178-1200 CE)
- Pratapa-malla (1200-1225 CE)
Coinage
The Kalachuri rulers of Ratnapura issued gold, silver and copper coins, which bear the issuer's name in Nagari script. The coins feature four types of design:[10]
- Gaja-shardula: Depicts a fight between a lion and an elephant. This design occurs on all their gold coins, and some copper coins.
- Hanumana: Depicts Hanuman in various poses, such as flying, crushing a demon (while sitting or standing), holding a trishula, or holding a flag. Only copper coins feature this design.
- Lion: Depicts a lion, sometimes with a human head. Featured on copper and silver coins.
- Dagger: Features a dagger on copper coins.
Hoards of their coins have been found at following places:[11]
- Sanasari (or Sonsari)
- 36 gold coins of Jajjaladeva
- 96 gold coins of Ratnadeva
- 459 gold coins of Prithvideva
- Sarangarh
- 26 gold coins of Jajjaladeva
- 29 gold coins of Ratnadeva
- 1 gold coin of Prithvideva
- Bhagaund
- 12 gold coins of Prithvideva
- Dadal-Seoni
- 136 gold coins of Jajjaladeva, Ratnadeva and Prithvideva
- Bachchhanda
- 9 gold coins, plus some other conins
- Ratanpur
- 10 gold coins of Ratnadeva
- Sonpur and Baidyanatha
- 11 gold coins of Jajjaladeva
- 9 gold coins of Ratnadeva
- 5 gold coins of Prithvideva
3 silver coins of Prithvideva were discovered from the Mahanadi riverbed near Balpur. Thousands of copper coins issued by them have also been discovered, including a hoard of 3900 copper coins at Dhanpur in Bilaspur district.[12]
Inscriptions
The inscriptions of the Ratnapura Kalachuri rulers have been discovered at several places in present-day Chhattisgarh:[13][3]
- Prithvideva I: Amora (or Amoda), Lapha, Raipur
- Jajalladeva I: Pali, Ratanpur
- Ratandeva II: Akaltara, Paragaon, Shivrinarayan (or Sheorinarayan), Sarkhon (or Sarkho)
- Prithvideva II: Dahkoni (or Daikoni), Rajim, Bilaigarh, Koni, Amora, Ghotia,
- Jajalladeva II: Amora, Malhar (or Mallar), Shivrinarayan
- Ratnadeva III: Kharod, Pasid
- Pratapamalla: Pendrawan (or Pendrabandh) and Bilaigarh
See also
- Mahamaya Temple in Ratanpur, said to be built by the Kalachuri king Ratnadeva
References
- Schwartzberg, Joseph E. (1978). A Historical atlas of South Asia. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. p. 37, 147. ISBN 0226742210.
- Eaton, Richard M. (25 July 2019). India in the Persianate Age: 1000-1765. Penguin UK. p. 38. ISBN 978-0-14-196655-7.
- Om Prakash Misra 2003, p. 14.
- F. Kielhorn 1888, pp. 137–138.
- F. Kielhorn 1888, p. 138.
- Mirashi, Vasudev Vishnu (1955). Inscriptions of the Kalachuri-Chedi Era. Government Epigraphist for India.
- Hermann Kulke & Dietmar Rothermund 1998, pp. 172–173.
- "ANANGABHIMADEVA III(1211-1238 A. D.)" (PDF). www.shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in. pp. 27–30. Retrieved 18 October 2018.
- V. V. Mirashi 1957, p. 503.
- P. C. Roy 1980, pp. 20–22.
- P. C. Roy 1980, pp. 18–20.
- P. C. Roy 1980, p. 19.
- Rajiv Kumar Verma 2015, p. 59.
Bibliography
- F. Kielhorn (1888). "Rajim stone inscription of Jagapala of the Kulachuri year 896". The Indian Antiquary.
- Hermann Kulke; Dietmar Rothermund (1998). A History of India. Psychology Press. ISBN 978-0-415-15482-6.
- Om Prakash Misra (2003). Archaeological Excavations in Central India: Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Mittal Publications. ISBN 978-81-7099-874-7.
- P. C. Roy (1980). "The Coinage of the Kalachuris of Ratnapura". The Coinage of Northern India. Abhinav Publications. ISBN 978-81-7017-122-5.
- Rajiv Kumar Verma (2015). "Kalachuri Inscriptions : A Reflection of Dwindling Political Power" (PDF). Veethika. 1 (3).
- V. V. Mirashi (1957). "The Kalacuris". In R. S. Sharma (ed.). A Comprehensive history of India: A.D. 985-1206. Vol. 4 (Part 1). Indian History Congress / People's Publishing House. ISBN 978-81-7007-121-1.