History of Orissa from the Earliest Times to the British Period v1.c19.42

Language: English

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Neṭribhañja II had another brother named Digbhañja. His son was Śīlabhañja II and his son Vidyādharabhañja is the next king of the Bhañja dynasty of whom we possess records. We possess no means of ascerṭaing whether Neṭribhañja II was succeeded by his own son or by his brother Digbhañja. Again, we are not in a position to ascertain whether Vidyādharabhañja’s father, Śīlabhañja II, was a king or not, because it is also possible that after the extinction of the direct line of Neṭribhañja II in the second or third generation after him, his brother's grandson succeeded him. Vidyādharabhañja is known to us from two inscriptions, only one of which was published in 1887 and the other in 1917. The plates published in 1837 were in the possession of Mr. C. T. Metcalfe, then Commissioner of the Orissa division, and are now in the collection of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, Calcutta. The verses in the beginning of this inscription are the same as those to be found at the beginning of the three charters of Neṭribhañja II. This inscription was also issued from Vijayavañjulvaka but is not dated. The genealogy begins from Raṇabhañja I, who was the great-grandfather, then came Digbhañja and after them came Śīlabhañja II, who was the father of Vidyādharabhañja. The king possessed the *biruda* of *Amogha-kalaśa* and in the genealogical table his great-grandfather and the king himself are given the titles of *Mahārāja*, but no titles are given to his father and grandfather.

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The object of the charter was to grant the village of Mūla-Machhāḍa (the original village minus the outlying hamlets) in the district of Machhāḍa-khaṇḍa to a Brāhmaṇa named Bhaṭṭa-Purandara of the Rauhita *gotra* and of the Vājasaneya *caraṇa* of the Yajur-veda who was an immigrant from the village of Mamana in the district of Taḍisamā in Varendri. The grant was composed by the *Sandhi-vigrahika* Stambha and engraved by the Akshaśāli Kumārachandra. The order was sealed by the queen from Trikaliṅga through the agency of the minister Bhaṭṭa Keśavadeva.¹ Mr. Hira Lal has wrongly identified the village of Mamana with Mandara in the Ghumsur *Taluga* and Taḍisamā with Taḍasiṅgā in the same *Taluga*, on the supposition that the name of the province is Varebdhi; but this is clearly Varendhī and equal to Varendri or Northern Bengal.¹ The only other known inscription of Vidyādhara-bhañja was discovered in the Ghumsur *Taluga* of the Ganjam district, while two charters of Neṭribhañja II and one of Vidyādharabhañja were discovered at Aska in the same district. The Ghumsur plates were also issued from Vijayavañjulvaka. They agree in all respects with the recently discovered charter of the same king. The object of the second charter is to record the grant of the village of Tuṇḍurava in the district of Rāmalavva to a Brāhmaṇa of the Aupamanyava *gotra* and of the Vahvṛicha *śākhā* named Bhaṭṭa Dārukhaṇḍi.

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The grant was written by the *Sāndhi-vigrahika* Stambha and engraved by Akshaśāli Kumāra-chandra. It was entered or recorded by Keśava and sealed by the queen from Tri-Kaliṅga through the agency of the minister (*Mantrin*) Stambhadeva.² The mention of the Tri-Kaliṅga *Mahādevī* in these two charters of Vidyādharabhañja shows that he had married in the family which was then ruling over Tri-Kaliṅga. The village of Tuṇḍurava has been identified with Tuṇḍura in the Aska *Taluga* and the district of Rāmalavva with Rāvulabado in the same *Taluga* of the Ganjam district.³ Vidyādharabhañja was succeeded by his son Neṭribhañja III (Neṭṭabhañja) who is known from one inscription only. A set of three plates discovered in the State of Daspalla bears this inscription. This grant is not dated and was issued from Vijayavañjulvaka. By this charter the King granted a field called Valkākhaṇḍa in the village of Drolladā in the district (*vishaya*) of Rāmalavva in the Maṇḍala of Khiñjali to a Brāhmaṇa named Bhaṭṭa Purushottama of the Krishṇātreya *gotra* and the Chhandaga *charaṇa* and the Kauthuma *śākhā* of the Sāmaveda. The charter was sealed by Jaya Mahādevī, recorded by the minister Bhaṭṭa Bāpuka, entered by the *Mahāpratihāra* Kumāra and composed by the *Sāndhi-vigrahika* Jayastambha. The mason, Durgadeva,¹ engraved one of the charters of this king's father.

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The dynasty founded by Śīlabhañja I and Śatrubhañja appears to have come to an end after the death of Neṭribhañja III or one or two of his immediate successors. Neṭribhañja II, Vidyādharabhañja and Neṭribhañja III ruled at Vijayavañjulvaka and not at Dhṛitipura. The villages granted by them were for the most part situated in Koṅgoḍa and not in Khiñjali but Neṭribhañja III regained control over Khiñjali. It is, therefore, certain that they ruled over a kingdom which extended over the Ghumsur and Aska Taluqas of the Ganjam district. We do not know what became of them and how their rule came to an end in Southern Orissa.