[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Studies](https://indike.org/pramana/ins) › [General history and culture](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.general) › [History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.)](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.general.vaidya-1921) › v1.c19.s1 # History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v1.c19.s1: Chhattisgarh or Ancient Kośala History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v1.c19.s1 - **Language:** English ### Chhattisgarh or Ancient Kośala ### [v1.c19.s1.1](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.general.vaidya-1921.v1.c19.s1.1) We have identified Chattisgarh of the Central Provinces with the Kośala kingdom of Hiuen Tsang and the Mahākośala of inscriptions. The following information given by Grant in Central Provinces Gazetteer 1879 pages 153-160 is interesting in this connection. ### [v1.c19.s1.2](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.general.vaidya-1921.v1.c19.s1.2) Chhattisgarh corresponds with the modern Raipur and Sambalpur districts of C. P. On the north-west corner of it is the Maikala range a continuation of Satpura and from it rises the Nerbudda flowing west and the Soṇa flowing north. Amarakantaka peak is thus in this country and the Mahānadi also flows through it. There are mountain ranges surrounding it and the whole country is drained by the "Great river". The enclosed area is plain, for the most part culturable, and in places very rich. It is called Chhattisgarh because there are 36 divisions of it, each with a garh of its own. Its chief divisions are: I the valley of the Sheonath river and the tract between that river and the Sāle-tekdi hill; II the tract between the Sheonath and Hasda rivers; III the tract between the Sheonath and the Mahānadi and IV the tract south of Raipur extending towards the Mahānadi. The chief products are rice, wheat, pulses and oilseeds. The jungles on the borders are full of tigers, boars and buffalos and in the north towards Bengal side there were wild elephants. The population in the jungles consists chiefly of Gonds, Bhumias and Bigas The latter are purely jungly tribes never mixing with the plain people and fly into the jungles further if Europeans approach them. In the plains a prepondering portion of the people are chamārs who are however agriculturists and being better off than usual, they have thrown off latterly Brahminism and started a new religion of their own akin to Hinduism. They are called Satnāmis. Of the rest Brahmins, Rajputs, Kurmis and Rāuts are prominent. The country is now being opened up by railways. Formerly immense amounts of corn were produced only to lie undisposed of. In ancient days the carriers of the country were the Banjaras who kept hundreds and thousands of bullocks and carried grain to Jubbulpore in the west, Benares in the north, Nagpur in the south and Cuttack or Orissa in the east. ### [v1.c19.s1.3](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.general.vaidya-1921.v1.c19.s1.3) Hindu tradition records, (states the author) that this tract was from ancient times ruled by the Haihayas. After the Satyuga a king named Sudyumna ruled the East. One of his sons Naladhvaja got Māhishmatī or Mandla or Maheśvara, a second got Chandrapura or Chanda and a third got the kingdom of Ratanpur or Manipur (Chhattisgarh). The tenth king of the 3rd line Karṇapāla reigned from Samvat 172 to 251 (or 115-194 A. D.). He made a city at Amarakantaka and raised temples there. Between Sam. 367-467 a successor of Karṇapāla named Madanpāla built a city called Dhanapur on a high flat hill between Pendra and Amarkantaka and a formidable fort called Ajmir-garh, ruins of which are still visible. In the 8th century two sons of a king, Suradeva and Brahmadeva divided the kingdom, the older branch remaining at Ratanpur the younger proceeding to Raipur. The latter however remained subordinate. The Ratanpur Rajas ruled Bilaspur, Sarguja and Sambhalpur, the Raipur chiefs ruled Raipur with Bastar and Karond. These seem to have been long the limits of the Haihaya Raj until the time of the Marathas. ### [v1.c19.s1.4](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.general.vaidya-1921.v1.c19.s1.4) The old capital of Manipur was situated on the top of the Lapha hills 15 miles north of Ratanpur. There is a large expanse of table-land on the top of the hills at an elevation of about 3400 ft. above the sea level. The remains of a fort, tanks, temples and buildings are still apparent and the position possesses the advantages of prominence and security From Sam. 895 to 1620, beyond the record of temples erected and towns established of which no traces remain the Brahminical narrative\* is occupied with the imaginery virtues of different rulers. In Sam. 1620 (A. D. 1563) a Mahomedan emperor of Delhi made his influence felt and Raja Kalyansing went to Delhi and got himself recognised as ruler of Ratanpur after payment of tribute. His successors ruled until the Marathas came. Under the Marathas eventually the kingdom fell as also Raipur and under the British a poor representative of the Haihaya line is in the enjoyment of a few rent-free villages. This line seems to have been devoid of any great rulers nor are any great buildings remaining. And there are now very few Haihaya Rajput families in the province of Chhattisgarh (p. 161). ### [v1.c19.s1.5](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.general.vaidya-1921.v1.c19.s1.5) The following further facts from Cunningham's Coins of Central India are worth noticing: "The chief cities of the country of the Mahānadi are Rajim, Supur, and Seori Narayan, all on the Mahānadi. At these three places there are many magnificent temples and inscriptions to attest the former power and wealth of the country" (p. 73). "The king visited by Huen Tsang was a Kshatriya and his name was Sātavāhana. But there is no name like this in the Haihaya-Vamśi Rajas of Ratanpur and Raipur. Something like history begins with Suradeva of the chronicles who is said to have conquered Telingana. His date is about 749 A. D. But this should be Chedi date and hence equal to 749+249=998 A. D. The earliest inscription of A. D. 1115 mentions Sri Koḳalla Chediśvara, Ratana Raja, Prithvideva, Jājalladeva. The only known coins upto now are those of Prithvi Deva which are of gold and very rare and of copper. On these copper coins on the obverse is a figure of Hanumān with four arms. On the gold coins the figure is indistinct. They are coins of Jājjala Deva (1120) and Ratna Deva also (1140 A. D.) ### [v1.c19.s1.6](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.general.vaidya-1921.v1.c19.s1.6) ∗ The narrative has not been published anywhere and is worth securing for purposes of history. --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/ins.general.vaidya-1921.v1.c19.s1](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.general.vaidya-1921.v1.c19.s1) · Pramāṇa