Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Kalinga was a powerful kingdom during the Mauryan era. The kingdom fell when emp
eror Ashoka led a war against the kingdom, leading to its bloody defeat in the K
alinga War. It seems to have gained independence soon by the time of king Kharav
ela.[9]
Pre-Mauryan[edit]
Mahapadma Nanda the ruler of Magadha is presumed to have conquered Kalinga durin
g his reign around c. 350 BCE. The Hathigumpha inscriptions mentions the suzerai
nty of the Nandas in the Kalinga region.[10] The inscriptions also mention irrig
ation projects undertaken by the Nanda kings in the state during their reign.[11
]
In Asurgarh, beads and punched coins belonging to an unknown king dating to the
pre-Mauryan period have been discovered.[12]
Ashoka's conquest[edit]
Main article: Kalinga War
Ashoka campaigned against the Kalingans and routed them in about 260 BC.[13] He
defeated Raja Anantha Padmanabhan in the war resulting in the conquest of Kaling
a and its incorporation into Maurya Empire.[citation needed]
Anantavarman Chodaganga[edit]
Main article: Anantavarman Chodaganga
In the twelfth century, one of the most important ruler of the Eastern Ganga dyn
asty, King Anantavarman Chodaganga, decided to erect a temple for Purrushotama J
agannatha at Puri. Subsequently, in 1230 AD, King Anangabhima III dedicated his
kingdom to the deity and proclaimed himself as the "deputy" of the God. As the t
emple gained in importance as a center of pilgrimage, its authority in social an
d political matters also increased. All those who conquered Kalinga(Odisha), suc
h as the Mughals, the Marathas and the English East India Company,attempted to g
ain control over the temple. They felt that this would make their rule acceptabl
e to the local people.
In Mahabharata[edit]
Main article: Kalinga Kingdom
Kalinga is mentioned in the legendary epic Mahabharata, along with the Vodhas an
d again along with the Kiratas residing in the east, at (6,9). Kalinga King Srut
ayu is stated to have fought the Mahabharata war for the Kauravas. Kuru king Dur
yodhana's wife was from Kalinga. Kalingas sided with Duryodhana in the Kurukshet
ra War. The founders of five eastern kingdoms, which included: Angas (east, cent
ral Bihar), Vangas (southern West Bengal and Bangladesh), Kalingas (Sea shore of
Orissa), Pundras (western Bangladesh and West Bengal, India), Suhmas (north-wes
tern Bangladesh and West Bengal) shared common ancestry. Two capitals (Dantapura
and Rajapura) of Kalinga were mentioned in Mahabharata, probably there were man
y Kalinga kings, ruling different territories of Kalinga.[citation needed]