The Bhanj dynasty is an ancient dynasty that originated in the Utkal region of modern Odisha post the decline of Gupta empire. The dynasty was of ancient local Kshatriya lineage[1] and succeeded the Naga dynasty of the Vindhyatabi branch of Nagavanshi rulers in the Utkal (mostly modern-day northern and central Odisha) region as the local chieftains and were the feudatories under the reign of Bhauma-Kara dynasty.[2]

The successor branches of the Early Bhanja rulers became local feudatories to the united realms of Eastern Ganga dynasty, Gajapati Kingdom and eventually with the advent of British rule became ruling dynasties of the regional princely states and zamindaries. Prominent branches include princely states of Mayurbhanj State, Keonjhar State etc.

History

The Early Bhanjas emerged as leading chieftains succeeding the Naga dynasty of the Vindhyatabi branch of Nagavanshi rulers in the Kendujhar and Western Odisha region, inheriting the region that consisted of the preceding Naga ruler Satrubhanja's domains and with the decline of Gupta Empire who retreated from the Utkal (northern Odisha) region. With the supremacy of Bhauma-Kara dynasty rule in the Utkal region, the ruled as their feudatories which consisted of mandalas.[3][4][5]

Khinjali and Khijjinga mandala were among the prominent mandalas under Bhauma-Kara rule.[6]

Khinjali mandala

Khinjili mandala comprises of areas of modern-day Boudh, Phulbani and Sonepur districts. Its captial was located at Dhritipura (modern day Boudh).[7] The territory passed into the hands of the Somavanshis after Ranabhanja after which his son Netribhanja established new territory named after Khinjali. Copper plate inscriptions of Yasobhanja and his brother, Jayabhanja at Antirigam and Kanakabhanja at Baudh show Bhanja rule continued in Khijali region until 12th cen CE.[8]

During the early 10th cen CE with political instablities in the Bhauma-Kara kingdom, the neighbouring Somavamshi and Bhanja dynasties attempted to to conquer the region, leading to dissensions and political intrigues. The Bhanjas of Khinjali also married two of their princesses (Vakula Mahadevi and Dharma Mahadevi) to the Bhauma-Kara kings Shubhakaradeva V and hsi father Shantikaradeva III, and later controlled the Bhauma-Kara kingdom through them. Later the Bhauma-Kara territory eventually came under the control of the dominant Somavamshis.[9]

Khijjinga mandala

Khijjinga mandala or Khijjinga-Kotta comprises of areas of modern-day Mayurbhanj and Kendujhar. They are referred to as the founders of Adi-Bhanja dynasty in their inscriptions. The early history of Bhanja rule at Khijjinga is known form the copper plate inscriptions found at Bamanghaty near Rairangpur. The founder of the dynasty was Virabahdra Adi Bhanja with their capital located at Khijjinga Kota (now modern Khiching). The Kichakeshwari Temple was also constructed by the Khijjinga Bhanja ruler Rajabanja as per inscriptions.[10][8] The descendants of Khijjinga mandala would later form the royal house of Mayurbhanj and its branches post the decline of Somavamshis which occurred as a result of the advent of Eastern Ganga rule and subsequent unification of the Trikalinga (Utkala, Kalinga and Dakshin Koshala).

Bhanja Successor States

Mayurbhanj branch

Keonjhar branch

Baudh branch

Daspalla branch

Nilgiri branch

The Nilgiri state was said to be founded by a scion of the Chota-nagpur region. In mid 1800s, the NIlgiri ruler Krishna Chandra Mardraj Harichandan adopted the son the King of Mayurbhanj, Krishna Chandra Bhanj Deo, who became the first Bhanja ruler of Nilgiri as Raja Shyamchandra Mardraj Harichandan in 1893.

Bastar branch

The Bastar state was long ruled by the descendants of the Kakatiya dynasty until the 1920s when King Rudra Pratap Deo's daughter and heir Rani Prafulla Kumari Devi married Prince Prafulla Chandra Bhanj Deo, who was nephew of the King of Mayurbhanj Sriram Chandra Bhanj Deo. Their son Pravir Chandra Bhanj Deo became the first and only Bhanja ruler of Bastar from 1936 until 1948 when it acceded to India following Independance.

Kanika branch

The Kanika Bhanja branch was established by Bhujabal Bhanja, the brother of the Mayurbhanj state most likely around 3th century. It remained a prominent zamindari during the reigns of the Trikalingapati and Gajapati monarchs and also supported the Khurda rulers against the British after they took over Orissa from the Maratha Empire in 1803. It eventually merged into the state of Odisha after independence in 1947 following which the zamindari estates were abolished.[11][12]

Ghumusar branch

The rulers of Ghumusar zamindari were descendants of the Bhanja rulers of Khinjali mandala whose rule ended in the Boudh region as the Somavanshis conquered their territory during their conflicts with the Bhauma-Kara rulers during the 10th cen CE[13] and were eventually pushed into the Ghumusar region post 12th cen where they set up their kingdom. They established their capital at a place called Russelkonda (now called Bhanjanagar). Ghumusar Bhanja rulers contributed much to the development of Odia literature during the Riti Yuga phase like Dhanajaya Bhanja and his grandson Kabi Samrat Upendra Bhanja.[14]

The Ghumusar branch came to an end during the rule of Dhananjaya Bhanja II in 1835 when British annexed the region after suppressing the Kondha rebellion.[15]

See also

References

  1. ^ Hermann Kulke (1976), Kshatriyaization and social change: A Study in Orissa setting (PDF), Popular Prakashan, p. 404
  2. ^ Agrawal, Ashvini (1989). Rise And Fall Of The Imperial Guptas. Motilal Banarsidass. p. 60. ISBN 9788120805927. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
  3. ^ Sinha, S.; Centre for Studies in Social Sciences (1987). Tribal polities and state systems in pre-colonial eastern and north eastern India. Published for Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta, by K.P. Bagchi & Co. p. 44. ISBN 978-81-7074-014-8. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  4. ^ YoshÄ«, A. (1983). History & Culture of Khijjingakotta Under the Bhanjas. Vikas Publishing House. p. 53. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  5. ^ Umakanta Subuddhi (1997). "Economic Life of Orissa under the Bhauma-Karas". In Nihar Ranjan Patnaik (ed.). Economic History of Orissa. Indus. ISBN 978-81-7387-075-0. ((cite book)): Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  6. ^ Das Gupta, Charu Chandra (1931), SOME NOTES ON THE ĀDI-BHAÑJAS OF KHIJJIṄGA KOṬṬA, EARLIER BHAÑJAS OF KHIÑJALI-MAṆḌALA, BHAÑJAS OF BAUDA AND LATER BHAÑJAS OF KHIÑJALI, Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute
  7. ^ Acharya, Subrata Kumar (1991). "IDENTIFICATION OF SHILABHANJADEVA OF THE MADRAS MUSEUM PLATES OF NARENDRADHAVALA on JSTOR". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 52: 1026–1029. JSTOR 44142745.
  8. ^ a b Sahu, NK (1956), THE BHANJA KINGS OF ORISSA, Indian History Congress
  9. ^ Walter Smith 1994, p. 23.
  10. ^ Chanda, Ramapradas (1929), Bhanja Dyansty of Mayurbhanja and their ancient capital at Khiching, AD, Mayurbhanj, p. 26
  11. ^ Hemanta Kumar Mohapatra (August 2005). "Oriya Speaking Feudatory States" (PDF). Orissa Review.
  12. ^ ODISHA DISTRICT GAZETTEERS KENDRAPARA (PDF), GAD, Govt of Odisha, 2012
  13. ^ Jadumani Mahapatra (December 2013). "REMAPPING OÒRA: THE LAND AND THE PEOPLE" (PDF). Odisha History Congress. p. 20. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
  14. ^ Mansingha, Mayadhar (1960). "History of Oriya Literature". Sahitya Akademi.
  15. ^ Rabindra Nath Dash (August 2016). "Ghumsar Resistance Against British Imperialism" (PDF). Odisha Review.

Bibliography

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