Mahameghavahana
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The Mahameghavahana dynasty ( (
Brahmi Brahmi ( ; ; ISO: ''Brāhmī'') is a writing system from ancient India. "Until the late nineteenth century, the script of the Aśokan (non-Kharosthi) inscriptions and its immediate derivatives was referred to by various names such as 'lath' or ...
:𑀫𑀳𑀫𑁂𑀖𑀯𑀸𑀳𑀦) 2nd or 1st century BC to early 4th century CE) was an ancient ruling dynasty of Kalinga after the decline of the
Maurya Empire The Maurya Empire was a geographically extensive Iron Age historical power in South Asia with its power base in Magadha. Founded by Chandragupta Maurya around c. 320 BCE, it existed in loose-knit fashion until 185 BCE. The primary source ...
.For a map of their territory see: In the first century B.C., Mahameghavahana, a king of Chedirastra (or Cetarattha, i.e., kingdom of the Chedis) conquered Kalinga and
Kosala Kosala, sometimes referred to as Uttara Kosala () was one of the Mahajanapadas of ancient India. It emerged as a small state during the Late Vedic period and became (along with Magadha) one of the earliest states to transition from a lineage ...
. During the reign of
Kharavela Kharavela was the emperor of Kalinga (present-day eastern coast of India) in the 2nd or 1st century BC. The primary source for Kharavela is his rock-cut Hathigumpha inscription. The inscription is undated, only four of its 17 lines are complet ...
, the third king of Mahameghavahana dynasty, South Kosala became an integral part of the kingdom. He patronised
Jainism Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religions, Indian religion whose three main pillars are nonviolence (), asceticism (), and a rejection of all simplistic and one-sided views of truth and reality (). Jainism traces its s ...
, but did not discriminate against other religions. He is known by his
Hathigumpha inscription The Hathigumpha Inscription (pronounced: ɦɑːt̪ʰiːgumpʰɑː) is a seventeen line inscription in a Prakrit language incised in Brahmi script in a cavern called Hathigumpha in Udayagiri hills, near Bhubaneswar in Odisha, India. Dated betwe ...
. South Kosala was later conquered by
Gautamiputra Satakarni Gautamiputra Satakarni ( Brahmi: 𑀕𑁄𑀢𑀫𑀺𑀧𑀼𑀢 𑀲𑀸𑀢𑀓𑀡𑀺, ''Gotamiputa Sātakaṇi'', IAST: ) was a ruler of the Satavahana Empire in present-day Deccan region of India. He was mentioned as the important a ...
of the
Satavahana dynasty The Satavahanas (; ''Sādavāhana'' or ''Sātavāhana'', IAST: ), also referred to as the Andhras (also ''Andhra-bhṛtyas'' or ''Andhra-jatiyas'') in the Puranas, were an ancient Indian dynasty. Most modern scholars believe that the Satavaha ...
in the early part of the 2nd century CE and remained in their possession up to the second half of the 2nd century CE. It was during the second and third century CE, the Meghas or Meghavahanas reappeared in the political scene and regained their suzerainty over South Kosala.
Samudragupta Samudragupta (Gupta script: ''Sa-mu-dra-gu-pta'', ( 335–375 CE) was the second emperor of the Gupta Empire of ancient India. A military genius and a patron of arts, he is regarded among the greatest rulers in Indian history. As a son of th ...
during his
Dakshinapatha __NOTOC__ Dakshinapatha is a historical region which is the ancient equivalent of the present-day Deccan. It can also mean: *the "Ancient South of the Indian subcontinent" below Uttarapatha. The term usually encompasses the Deccan and sometimes T ...
expedition, defeated
Mahendra of Dakshina Kosala Mahendra was a king of Dakshina Kosala, whose identity is not completely verified, and is mentioned as a king of Dakshinapatha or Southern India. He was one of the many kings who were subjugated, captured and later released by the powerful Gupta em ...
who probably belonged to the Megha dynasty according to a speculation. As a result, the South Kosala during the fourth century A.D, became a part of the Gupta empire.


List of rulers

The Hathigumpha inscription describes the following rulers. It does not directly mention the relationship between Mahameghavahana and Kharavela, or the number of kings between them. Some historians have interpreted the inscription to create the following hypothetical family tree:


Kharavela

The third ruler of the dynasty,
Khārabēḷa Kharavela was the Kalinga (historical region), emperor of Kalinga (present-day eastern coast of India) in the 2nd or 1st century BC. The primary source for Kharavela is his rock-cut Hathigumpha inscription. The inscription is undated, only four ...
, conquered much of
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
in a series of campaigns at the beginning of the common era. Kaḷingan military might was reinstated by Khārabēḷa: under Khārabēḷa's generalship, the Kaḷinga state had a formidable maritime reach with trade routes linking it to the then-Simhala (Sri Lanka), Burma (Myanmar), Siam (Thailand), Vietnam, Kamboja (Cambodia), Borneo, Bali, Samudra (Sumatra) and Jabadwipa (Java). Khārabēḷa led many successful campaigns against the states of Magadha,
Anga Anga was an ancient Indo-Aryan peoples, Indo-Aryan tribe of eastern South Asia whose existence is attested during the Iron Age in India, Iron Age. The members of the Aṅga tribe were called the Āṅgeyas. Counted among the "sixteen great na ...
, the Satavahanas and the
South Indian South India, also known as Southern India or Peninsular India, is the southern part of the Deccan Peninsula in India encompassing the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana as well as the union territories of ...
regions ruled by the
Pandyan dynasty The Pandya dynasty (), also referred to as the Pandyas of Madurai, was an ancient Tamil dynasty of South India, and among the four great kingdoms of Tamilakam, the other three being the Pallavas, the Cholas and the Cheras. Existing sinc ...
(modern
Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (ISO 15919, ISO: , , AP) is a States and union territories of India, state on the East Coast of India, east coast of southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, seventh-largest state and th ...
) and expanded Kaḷinga as far as the
Ganges The Ganges ( ; in India: Ganga, ; in Bangladesh: Padma, ). "The Ganges Basin, known in India as the Ganga and in Bangladesh as the Padma, is an international which goes through India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China." is a trans-boundary rive ...
and the
Kaveri The Kaveri (also known as Cauvery) is a Rivers of India, major river flowing across Southern India. It is the third largest river in the region after Godavari River, Godavari and Krishna River, Krishna. The catchment area of the Kaveri basin i ...
. The Kharavelan state had a formidable maritime empire with trading routes linking it to
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,
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,
Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
,
Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...
,
Cambodia Cambodia, officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. It is bordered by Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the north, and Vietnam to the east, and has a coastline ...
,
Borneo Borneo () is the List of islands by area, third-largest island in the world, with an area of , and population of 23,053,723 (2020 national censuses). Situated at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, it is one of the Greater Sunda ...
,
Bali Bali (English:; Balinese language, Balinese: ) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller o ...
,
Sumatra Sumatra () is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the list of islands by area, sixth-largest island in the world at 482,286.55 km2 (182,812 mi. ...
and
Java Java is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea (a part of Pacific Ocean) to the north. With a population of 156.9 million people (including Madura) in mid 2024, proje ...
. Colonists from Kaḷinga settled in Sri Lanka, Burma, as well as the
Maldives The Maldives, officially the Republic of Maldives, and historically known as the Maldive Islands, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in South Asia located in the Indian Ocean. The Maldives is southwest of Sri Lanka and India, abou ...
and
Maritime Southeast Asia Maritime Southeast Asia comprises the Southeast Asian countries of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and East Timor. The terms Island Southeast Asia and Insular Southeast Asia are sometimes given the same meaning as ...
. Even today Indians are referred to as
Keling ''Keling'' () or ''Kling'' is an exonym to denote a Tamilian or someone deemed to have originated from South India. Originally a neutral term, since the mid-20th century it has been considered derogatory and an ethnic slur, and it is sometime ...
in Malaysia because of this. Although religiously tolerant, Khārabēḷa patronised
Jainism Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religions, Indian religion whose three main pillars are nonviolence (), asceticism (), and a rejection of all simplistic and one-sided views of truth and reality (). Jainism traces its s ...
, and was responsible for the propagation of Jainism in the
Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a physiographic region of Asia below the Himalayas which projects into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west. It is now divided between Bangladesh, India, and Pakista ...
but his importance is neglected in many accounts of Indian history. The main source of information about Khārabeḷa is his famous seventeen line rock-cut Hātigumphā inscription in the
Udayagiri and Khandagiri Caves Udayagiri and Khandagiri caves, formerly called Kattaka Gumpha or Cuttack caves, are partly natural and partly artificial caves of archaeological, historical and religious importance 3 km south of the city of Bhubaneswar in Odisha, Indi ...
near
Bhubaneswar Bhubaneswar () is the capital and the largest city of the States and territories of India, Indian state of Odisha. It is located in the Khordha district. The suburban region, especially the old town, was historically often depicted as ''Chakra ...
, Odisha. According to the Hathigumpha inscription, he attacked
Rajagriha Rajgir, old name Rajagriha, meaning "The City of Kings," is an ancient city and university town in the Nalanda district of Bihar, India. It was the capital of the Haryanka dynasty, the Pradyota dynasty, the Brihadratha dynasty, the Mauryan Em ...
in Magadha, thus inducing the Indo-Greek king
Demetrius I of Bactria Demetrius I Anicetus (, "Demetrius the Unconquered"), also called Dimetriya in Indian sources, was a Greco-Bactrian king and the founder of the Indo-Greek Kingdom, Indo-Greek kingdom, who ruled areas from Bactria to ancient northwestern of Subcon ...
to retreat to
Mathura Mathura () is a city and the administrative headquarters of Mathura district in the states and union territories of India, Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is located south-east of Delhi; and about from the town of Vrindavan. In ancient ti ...
.


Branches of Mahameghavahana Dynasty

The Sada dynasty who ruled form
Amaravati Amaravati ( , Telugu language, Telugu: ) is the capital city of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is located in Guntur district on the right bank of the Krishna River, southwest of Vijayawada. The city derives its name from the nearby his ...
region in their inscription from Guntapalli describe themselves as Maharaja of Kalinga Mahisaka countries belonging to Mahameghavahana family. Meghas of Dakshina Kosala -During the reign of
Kharavela Kharavela was the emperor of Kalinga (present-day eastern coast of India) in the 2nd or 1st century BC. The primary source for Kharavela is his rock-cut Hathigumpha inscription. The inscription is undated, only four of its 17 lines are complet ...
, the third king of Mahameghavahana dynasty, South Kosala became an integral part of the Kalinga,from there originated the Kosala branch of the Mahameghavahana dynasty. Mahendra a king of
Dakshina Kosala Dakshina Kosala (IAST: Dakṣiṇa Kosala, "southern Kosala") is a historical region of central India. It was located in what is now Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh along with parts of Western Odisha. At its greatest extent, it may have also ...
,was often identified with the Meghas of Kosala, who ruled over Kosala from the 3rd century AD to the 6th century AD.


Architecture

Udayagiri and Khandagiri Caves Udayagiri and Khandagiri caves, formerly called Kattaka Gumpha or Cuttack caves, are partly natural and partly artificial caves of archaeological, historical and religious importance 3 km south of the city of Bhubaneswar in Odisha, Indi ...
is the most prominent example of Mahameghavahana dynasty work. These caves were built in 2nd century BCE during the rule of
King Kharavela Kharavela was the Kalinga (historical region), emperor of Kalinga (present-day eastern coast of India) in the 2nd or 1st century BC. The primary source for Kharavela is his rock-cut Hathigumpha inscription. The inscription is undated, only four ...
. Udayagiri means "Sunrise Hill" and has 18 caves while Khandagiri (means "Broken Hill") has 15 caves. The Hathigumpha cave ("Elephant Cave") has the
Hathigumpha inscription The Hathigumpha Inscription (pronounced: ɦɑːt̪ʰiːgumpʰɑː) is a seventeen line inscription in a Prakrit language incised in Brahmi script in a cavern called Hathigumpha in Udayagiri hills, near Bhubaneswar in Odisha, India. Dated betwe ...
, written by Raja Kharavela, the king of Kalinga in India, during the 2nd century BCE. The Hathigumpha inscription consists of seventeen lines incised in deep cut Brahmi letters starting with Jain
Namokar Mantra The Ṇamōkāra mantra is the most significant mantra in Jainism, and one of the oldest mantras in continuous practice. This is the first prayer recited by the Jains while meditating. The mantra is also variously referred to as the ''Pancha ...
. In Udayagiri, ''Hathigumpha'' (cave 14) and ''Ganeshagumpha'' (cave 10) are especially well known due to art treasures of their sculptures and reliefs as well as due to their historical importance. ''Rani ka Naur'' (Queen's Palace cave, cave 1) is also an extensively carved cave and elaborately embellished with sculptural friezes. Khandagiri offers a fine view back over Bhubaneswar from its summit. The ''Ananta cave'' (cave 3) depicts carved figures of women, elephants, athletes, and geese carrying flowers. File:Udaygiri and Khandagiri cave.jpg, Udaygiri and Khandagiri cave File:Hathigumpha inscription (2020).jpg, Hathigumpha inscription File:Yavanaraja Dimita inscription at Hathigumpha.jpg, Yavanaraja Dimita inscription at Hathigumpha File:Udayagiri and Khandagiri Caves8 (2).JPG, Brahmi script Inscription of King
Kharavela Kharavela was the emperor of Kalinga (present-day eastern coast of India) in the 2nd or 1st century BC. The primary source for Kharavela is his rock-cut Hathigumpha inscription. The inscription is undated, only four of its 17 lines are complet ...
File:Udayagiri and Khandagiri Caves 2024 53.jpg, Carvings on Udayagiri Caves File:Door Carving of Ancient Caves, Udaygiri and Khandagiri Hills, Jagmara, Odisha.jpg, Door Carving of Ancient Caves, Udaygiri and Khandagiri Hills, Jagmara, Odisha. File:Khandagiri and Udaygiri Caves6.JPG, Khandagiri and Udaygiri Caves6 File:KHANDAGIRI AND UDAYGIRI CAVES 8.jpg, KHANDAGIRI AND UDAYGIRI CAVES 8 File:Udaygiri and Khandagiri Cave - 2.jpg, Udaygiri and Khandagiri Cave - 2 File:Udaygiri and Khandagiri Cave - 3.jpg, Udaygiri and Khandagiri Cave - 3. File:Door and arch in Udaygiri caves.jpg, Door and arch in Udaygiri caves File:A KHANDAGIRI AND UDAYGIRI CAVE picture 5.jpg


References


External links


Map of India depicting Maha-Meghavahana kingdom
{{Odisha Jain dynasties History of Odisha Dynasties of Odisha States and territories established in the 3rd century BC 250s BC establishments