Bhanj dynasty

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The Bhanja dynasty was an ancient dynasty that originated in the Utkala region of modern Odisha before the Gupta Empire arose as an imperial power. The dynasty, of ancient Suryavamsha Kshatriya lineage,^[1][2] as documented by Indologist Hermann Kulke, succeeded the Vindhyatabi branch of the Nagas of Padmavati, who ruled from the Keonjhar district of Odisha and included Satrubhanja, of the Asanpat inscription.^[3][4] The Bhanj later became feudatories of the Bhauma-Kara dynasty.^[5]

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

History[]

The early Bhanjas emerged as leading chieftains succeeding the Nagas of the Vindhyatabi 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 the Gupta Empire who retreated from the Utkal (northern Odisha) region. With the supremacy of Bhauma-Kara dynasty rule in the Utkal region, they ruled as their feudatories which consisted of mandalas.^[6][7][8]

According to early mandala inscriptions, the Bhanjas describe their origins from the mythical peahen likely pointing out to the early peafowl-related traditions of the ancient Bhanja clans which is observed on their emblems which are also shared by the successive branches.^[9][10]

Khinjali and Khijjinga mandala were among the prominent mandalas under Bhauma-Kara rule.^[11]

Khinjali mandala[]

Khinjili mandala comprised areas of modern-day Boudh, Phulbani, Nayagarh, Ghumusar and Sonepur. Its capital was at Dhritipura (modern Boudh).^[12] Nettabhanja, who ruled over the Dhenkanal-Anugul region and made Nava-angulakapatana his capital, was regarded by R.D. Banerji and R.C. Majumdar as the earliest Bhanja king of the khinjali mandala line. The early Bhanjas were powerful feudatory rulers of independent sovereign principalities in early medieval Odisha. The territory passed into the hands of the Somavanshis after Ranabhanja, then his son Netribhanja established a new territory named after Khinjali. Copperplate inscriptions of Yasobhanja and his brother Jayabhanja at Antirigam and Kanakabhanja at Baudh show Bhanja rule continued in the Khijali region until the 12th century CE.^[10]

During the early 10th century CE, with political instabilities in the Bhauma-Kara kingdom, the neighboring Somavamshi and Bhanja dynasties attempted 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 his father Shantikaradeva III, and later controlled the Bhauma-Kara kingdom through them. The Bhauma-Kara territory eventually came under the control of the dominant Somavamshis.^[13]

Early Bhanjas of Khinjali mandala[]

• Silabhanja I (8th cen CE)
• Satrubhanja (8th cen CE)
• Ranabhanja (9th cen CE)
• Netribhanja I (Nettabhanja I)
• Digbhanja
• Silabhanja II
• Vidyadharbhanja
• Nettabhanja II

Baudh Bhanjas of Khinjali mandala[]

• Solanabhanja
• Durjayabhanja
• Kanakabhanja

Later Bhanjas of Khinjali mandala[]

• Devabhaja
• Rayabhanja I
• Virabhanja
• Rayabhanja II
• Yasobhanja (12th cen CE)
• Jayabhanja (12th cen CE)
• Virabhanja II

Khijjinga mandala[]

Khijjinga, or Khijjinga-Kotta, comprised areas of modern-day Mayurbhanj and Kendujhar. Inscriptions refer to them as the founders of the Adi-Bhanja dynasty. The early history of Bhanja rule at Khijjinga is known from the copper plate inscriptions found at Bamanghaty near Rairangpur of Ranabhanja and Rajabhanja and the Khandadeuli inscription of Ranabhanja. The founder of the dynasty was Virabahdra Adi Bhanja with his capital located at Khijjinga Kota (now Khiching). The Kichakeshwari Temple was also built, by Khijjinga Bhanja ruler Rajabanja, according to inscriptions.^[14][10] The descendants of the Khijjinga mandala would later form the royal house of Mayurbhanj and its branches after the decline of the Somavamshis which occurred as a result of the advent of Eastern Ganga rule and subsequent unification of the Trikalinga (Utkala, Kalinga and Dakshin Koshala).

• Virabhadra Adi-Bhanja (6th cen CE)
• Kottabhanja
• Digbhanja
• Rajabanja
• Ranabhanja (924 CE Bamanghaty inscription)
• Narendrabhanja

Bhaumakara kingdom[]

Two princesses of the Khinjali Bhanjas, Vakula Mahadevi and Dharma Mahadevi, married the Bhauma-Kara kings Shubhakaradeva V and his father Shantikaradeva III, and later became the regnal monarchs of the Bhauma-Kara kingdom in their own right.^[13]

• Vakula Mahadevi (934–940)
• Dharma Mahadevi (940–943)

Bhanja successor states[]

Mayurbhanj branch[]

The influence of the Khijjinga Bhanjas declined following the dominance of the Somavamshis in the Utkal region, but centuries later came back to prominence in the region with the rise of the Eastern Ganga dynasty after uniting the three realms of Trikalinga with the Bhanjas as their feudatories. Traditions point to numerous origins of the dynasty, but lack of records renders them unlikely although it is generally accepted that the founder, Adi Bhanja of the 6th century CE established the current dynasty of the Mayurbhanj state with his brother Jyoti Bhanja founding the Keonjhar State succeeding from the Khijjinga Adi Bhanja dynasty.^[15]

Keonjhar branch[]

According to traditions, Keonjhar State was founded sometime during the 12th century during the rule of the Eastern Ganga dynasty when the founder Jyoti Bhanj of the Bhanj dynasty, who was the brother of Adi Bhanj of Mayurbhanj, was enthroned as the Raja of Keonjhar with the help of dominant local Bhuyan clans. The influence of Bhuyans on the enthronement rituals and regnal traditions of Keonjhar suggests a long-standing relationship with the kingdom.^[16]

Baudh branch[]

With the advent of Eastern Ganga rules over the region post the defeat of the Somavamshis, there were local chieftains ruling over Baudh as Eastern Ganga feudatories. Upon a time the Brahmin chieftain was childless and hence adopted the nephew of the neighboring Raja of Keonjhar who belonged to the Bhanj dynasty. This prince named Ananga Bhanja named himself Ananga Deva and became the King of Baudh in the 14th century.^[17][18][19]

Daspalla branch[]

In the late 15th century around 1498 CE, Naren Bhanja, the brother of the Raja of Baudh was made chieftain of the Daspalla region, from which he later seceded and declared his independent kingdom leading to the creation of the Daspalla State.^[20]

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 the 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 Independence.

Kanika branch[]

The Kanika Bhanja branch was established by Bhujabal Bhanja, the brother of the Mayurbhanj state most likely around the 3rd 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. After the Independence in the year 1947, it was certainly merged into the state of odisha following which the zamindari estates were abolished.^[21][22]

Garh Haladia branch[]

The Haladia estate was an ancient Vassal state of the Gajapati Empire which was ruled on their behalf by the Bhanj Monarchs. They are a branch of Mayurbhanj State but swore allegiance to the Gajapati Maharaja of Puri. It was founded by Anu Bhanj Deo, a scion of the Mayurbhanj Raj family who around the 11th century CE, came to Puri, married the daughter of the then Gajapati Maharaja of Puri, and obtained the estate as her dowry.^[23] Legend has it, that Anu Bhanj Deo along with his elder brother Chani Bhanj Deo came to Puri to attend the court of the Gajapati Maharaja at the behest of the then Maharaja of Mayurbhanj. It was during a Court proceeding that Chani Bhanj dossed off, this angered the Gajapati Maharaja who then threw a grape at him. Seeing this, Anu Bhanj, who was also present at the court threw his dagger at the grape and sliced it before it touched his elder brother. This Act of Loyalty towards his brother and the vigor with which he defended him impressed the Gajapati Maharaja. The Maharaja gave his daughter in marriage to Anu Bhanj Deo and made him the Raja of Haridra Estate, commonly known as Haldia Estate. Ramesh Chandra Bhanja prominent Linguist and Historian, belongs to this Branch.

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 century CE^[24] and were eventually pushed into the Ghumusar region post 12th century where they set up their kingdom. They established their capital at a place called (A place near Bhanjanagar). Ghumusar Bhanja rulers contributed much to the development of Odia literature during the Riti Yuga/Bhanja Yuga phase like Balabhadra Bhanja, Tribikram Bhanja, Dhanajaya Bhanja,Ghana Bhanja and Kabi Samrat Upendra Bhanja.^[25]

The Ghumusar branch came to an end during the rule of Dhananjaya Bhanja II in 1835 when the British annexed the Ghumusar region after suppressing the Ghumusar rebellion of 1835-36.^[26][27]

Gallery[]

• 

  Kichakeshwari Temple at Khiching

• 

  File:Kechakeshari temple, Khiching

• 

  Shri Hari Baladev Jiu Temple, Baripada

External Link[]

• "Indian royal princesses transform family palace into hotel dubbed 'a living museum'. The Belgadia Palace is located in the princely province of Mayurbhanj, in the country's eastern Odisha state". By Neeta Lal, "The National", Nov. 4, 2021

See also[]

• List of rulers of Odisha

References[]

Bibliography[]