Eastern Ganga Dynasty of Odisha

Jagannatha temple of Puri

Eastern Ganga dynasty was a kingdom in India, ruling over an area corresponding to present day Odisha, the coastal plain between the Ganga and the Godavari. Eastern Gangas, who had been ruling since the close of the 5th century, were great temple builders. The temples built by them survive to be awe-inspiring spectacles for the people who throng to them. Chief among them are Jagannatha temple of Puri and the Sun Temple (also known as Black Pagoda) at Konark. The dynasty is called Eastern Gangas to differentiate them from Western Gangas, a separate dynasty, ruling in Mysore.

Nothing much can be said with certainty about the early history of the Eastern Ganga dynasty. One of the rulers of the dynasty was Vajrahasta III whose coronation took place in AD 1038. He adopted the titles of Trikalingadhipati and Anantavarman. He was succeeded by his son Rajaraja I who entered into a conflict with the Cholas. Peace was concluded by a marriage alliance under which Rajaraja I married a Chola princess, Rajasundari.

Rajasundari gave birth to Anantavarman Chodagangadeva who succeeded his father, Rajaraja I, in 1077. Anantavarman Chodagangadeva was so called because he was the son of Rajaraja I (a Ganga ruler) and Rajasundari (a Chola princess). Anantavarman Chodagangadeva is known for starting the construction of famed Jagannatha Temple at Puri. He ruled for 72 years till 1150.

Recently inscriptions of Anantavarman were found in Jami of Vizianagaram district in Andhra Pradesh. These inscriptions were preserved in the premises of Venugopala Swamy, Triuparantaka Swamy and Janardana Swamy temples of Jami, which is 20 km away from Vizianagaram.

In 1206 Ghiyas-ud-din Iwaz Shah, a lieutenant of Afghan military chief Bakhtiyar Khilji, invaded Odisha and defeated Rajaraja III who had ascended the Eastern Ganga throne in 1198. However, his son Anangabhima III (A.D.1207-1238) succeeded in driving the Muslims from Odisha. Anangabhima III had dedicated his kingdom to Lord Purushottama Jagannath and proclaimed himself as the deputy of the divinity of Puri. After Anangabhima III his son Narasimha I came to the throne. Narasimha I built the famous temple of Sun God at Konark. With his death in A.D. 1264, the Ganga dynasty began to lose its prominence.

Narasiriiha I was succeeded by his son Bhanudeva I, who after a reign of fifteen years, was succeeded by his infant son Narasiriiha II. Narahari Tirtha, the famous Vaishnava scholar and disciple of Madhvacharya (founder of Dvaita school of philosophy), acted as the regent of Narasiriiha II for the first twelve years of latter's reign.

Another ruler of the dynasty was Bhanudeva III (reigned 1352–1378) during whose reign the kingdom was invaded by Tughlaq Sultan, Firuz Tughluq, resulting in the flight of Bhanudeva III and desecration of the famous temple of Jagannatha at Puri.

The throne of Bhanudeva IV, the last ruler of the dynasty, was usurped by his minister Kapilendra who founded a new dynasty, the Suryavamsha dynasty or Gajapati dynasty in c. A.D. 1434-5.

Muhammad Shah Rangila

Aurangzeb, the last great Mughal emperor, died in 1707. Muhammad Shah became Mughal emperor in 1719. During the interregnum, Bahadur Shah I , JahandarShah , Farrukhsiyar r, Rafi-ud-Darajat and Rafi-ud-Daula ascended the Mughal throne. Jahandar Shah was murdered on the orders of Farrukhsiyar who had the support of the two powerful Mughal nobles Sayyid Abdullah and his brother Sayyid Husain Ali at that time. They are famous in history as Sayyid brothers, the King-makers. In 1719, Farrukhsiyar were murdered in utter disregard of a Mughal emperor by Sayyid brothers. Rafi-ud-Darajat died of consumption in a few months. Rafi-ud-Daula was addicted to opium and died in 4 months. Sayyid brothers now chose Raushan Akhtar, a son of Jahan Shah (the fourth son of Bahadur Shah I), to be the emperor. Raushan Akhtar ascended the throne under the title of Muhamamd Shah in September 1719. In the beginning Muhammad Shah was a puppet in the hands of Sayyid brothers who soon began to lose their...

Ghaseti Begum: The Begum of Motijheel

Clive meeting Mir Jafar after the Battle of Plassey, (By Francis Hayman) Ghaseti Begum, originally named Mehar un-Nisa, was the eldest daughter of Alivardi Khan, the Nawab of Bengal. She was married to Nawazish Muhammad Khan. Ghaseti Begum went all out to conspire against her nephew Siraj-ud-Daula who was the last independent Nawab of Bengal. Siraj-ud-Daula was defeated by the British under Lord Clive in the Battle of Plassey in 1757 and was killed on the orders of Miran, the son of Mir Jafar who was now made the Nawab of Bengal by the British. Ghaseti Begum was called the Begum of Motijheel due to her residence at the bend of this reservoir in Murshidabad. Motijheel or Pearl Lake is an oxbow lake in Murshidabad. The lake was created by her husband Nawazish Muhammad Khan. Nawazish Muhammad Khan died of grief when his adopted son Ekram-ud-Daulah succumbed to smallpox at a yo...

Chauth and sardeshmukhi: Two important taxes in the Maratha taxation system

Chauth and sardeshmukhi were the two most important taxes in the taxation system of the powerful Maratha state founded by brilliant Maratha leader Shivaji (1627-1680). According to Mahadev Govind Ranade , a famous Indian scholar and freedom fighter, chauth was a military tribute that was levied as a quid pro quo for protection against the invasion of a third power. But eminent historian Jadunath Sarkar does not ascribe to this view. According to him, chauth, 25% tax on revenue or produce, was realized from the alien territories to save themselves from the unwelcome presence of the Maratha soldiers and civil underlings. Shivaji was not under obligation to guard the territory from foreign invasion or internal disorder. According to another authority S. G Sardesai , chauth was a military tribute paid by the conquered or hostile territories. Since Shivaji was the hereditary sardeshmukh (Chief Headmand) of Maharashtra, he demanded an additional levy of 10 percent know...

Indian History

Search This Blog