Dakshina Kosala

Dakshina Kosala (IAST: Dakṣiṇa Kosala,

"southern Kosala") is a historical region of
central India. It was located in what is now
Chhattisgarh and parts of western Odisha.[1]
At its greatest extent, it may have also
included a part of the Vidarbha region in
present-day Maharashtra.[2]

Its capitals at various times included

Bhadravati, Sirpur (ancient Shripura), Tuman
(ancient Tummana), and Ratanpur (ancient
Ratnapura).[3]

Contents
Extent
Capitals
Legends
History
Dakshina Kosala (in east-central India), c. 375 CE
See also
References
Bibliography

Extent
Dakshina Kosala ("South Kosala"), sometimes simply called Kosala, is so-called to distinguish it from Uttara Kosala ("North
Kosala") in present-day Uttar Pradesh.[4]

Epigraphic evidence suggests that the area bounded by the Raipur, Bilaspur, and Sambalpur districts was definitely a part of the
Dakshina Kosala region. The inscriptions found in these districts record grants of villages located in the Kosala country, and the
rulers mentioned in these inscriptions are given the titles indicating their lordship over Dakshina Kosala (such as Kosaladhisha,
Kosaladhipati, and Kosala-narendra).[5]

According to the 7th century Chinese traveler Xuanzang, the extent of the contemporary Kosala kingdom was 6,000 li in circuit,
that is, around 81,000 square miles in area.[6] This suggests that in the 7th century, the Dakshina Kosala region encompassed an
area much larger than the region bounded by the above-mentioned districts. The Somavamshi inscriptions suggest that other areas
of present-day Odisha, bordering Sambalpur, were also part of the Dakshina Kosala. During Xuanzang's period, Kosala appears
to have extended from 78th meridian east to the 85th meridian east in the east-west direction.[5]

The northern boundary of Kosala was located a little to the south of Amarakantaka, which was a part of the Mekala kingdom.[5]
The Puranas, including the Vayu Purana and the Matsya Purana, mention Mekala and Kosala as distinct regions. The ancient
epigraphs, such as the Balaghat inscription of the Vakataka king Prithvishena II, also distinguish between these two regions.
However, at one place, the Vayu Purana mentions the Mekalas as one of the Pancha Kosalas ("Five Kosalas"), which suggests
that at some point, the chiefs of the Mekala region were subordinate to the rulers of the Kosala proper.[5]

In the south, the Dakshina Kosala region, at its greatest extent, appears to have included a part of present-day Vidarbha region of
Maharashtra. The legend of king Nala states that he reached the capital of Kosala: the description of the route of his march
suggests that this capital was present-day Bhadravati.[7]

In the 19th century Alexander Cunningham, the founder of Archaeological Survey of India, mentioned Dakshina Kosala as a
synonym of Mahakoshal (or Maha-Kosala), without mentioning any source for this claim.[8] However, none of the ancient texts
or inscriptions support the claim that Dakshina Kosala and Mahakoshal refer to the same geographical unit.[9] The ancient
Sanskrit texts frequently mention Dakshina Kosala, but do not mention Mahakoshal as the name of a region.[4]

Capitals
Besides Bhadravati, the other capitals of Dakshina Kosala at various times included Sirpur (ancient Shripura), Tuman (ancient
Tummana), and Ratanpur (ancient Ratnapura). Bhadravati may have been the capital of Dakshina Kosala as late as during
Xuanzang's time,[7] although Sirpur is another candidate for the contemporary capital of the region.[10]

The 601 CE Arang inscription of king Bhimasena II suggests that Shripura was the capital of the local Rishitulyakula kings,
possibly since the 5th century.[11] In the subsequent period, it served as the capital of the Panduvamshi kings, who are described
as the lords of Kosala in their inscriptions.[12]

Tummana and Ratnapura became the capitals of Dakshina Kosala centuries later. Tummana was founded by Kalingaraja, a
descendant of the Tripuri Kalachuri king Kokalla I (c. 875 CE). Ratnapura was established by Ratnadeva, a later descendant of
Kalingaraja and a king of the Ratnapura Kalachuri dynasty.[7]

Legends
In ancient Indian literature as well as the epic Ramayana, Mahabharata and Puranas there are many references to the ancient
Kosala Kingdom of northern India. Surya Vanshi Ikshvaku dynasty kings ruled Kosala with Ayodhya as their capital. Sri
Ramachandra was a king of that clan, based on whose character and activities, the Ramayana was written. This work mentions
that after Rama, the kingdom was divided among his two sons, Lava and Kusha. North Kosala went to Lava as his share with
Shravasti Nagari as his capital while Kusha received South Kosala. He established his new capital, Kushasthalipura on the
riverKushavrate near the Vindhya mountain range, which divides north and south India. Kushasthalipura is identified as near
Malhar in the present-day Bilaspur district of Chhattisgarh state.

As part of his military campaigns, Sahadeva targeted the kingdoms in the regions south of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. Vanquishing
the invincible Bhismaka, Sahadeva then defeated the king of Kosala in battle and the ruler of the territories lying on the banks of
the Venwa, as well as the Kantarakas and the kings of the eastern Kosalas.[13]

History
After the fall of the imperial Guptas, the Dakshina Kosala region was ruled by a number of small dynasties, including the
Amarāryakulas, the Panduvamshis of Mekala (Pāṇḍavas of Mekala), the Panduvamshis of Dakshina Kosala (Pāṇḍuvaṃśīs of
Śripura), and the Sharabhapuriyas. The chronology of these dynasties not very clear, because their inscriptions are dated in regnal
years instead of a calendar era.[14] The only ancient inscription found in this region that appears to be dated in a calendar era is
the Arang copper-plate inscription of Bhimasena II of Sura family. However, it is not connected to any other records from the
area, and therefore, is not much useful for reconstructing the region's chronology.[15]
The Pāṇḍavas of Mekala are known from two Malhar inscriptions issued by king Śūrabala, the last member of the dynasty.[16]
The king claimed descent from the legendary hero Pāṇḍu of the lunar dynasty (somavaṃśa).[17]

The Amarāryakulas (Amarārya family) are known from the Malhar inscription of Vyaghraraja.[18] D. C. Sircar believes this
family to be same as the Sharabhapuriyas, Ajaya Mitra Shastri believes it to an independent dynasty, while Hans T. Bakker
believes it to be a vassal of the Sharabhapuriyas.[19]

The Sharabhapuriyas initially ruled as Gupta vassals, and may have fought with the Nalas of Pushkari.[20] They laid foundation
of the distinct Dakshina Kosala style of art and architecture.[21]

The Panduvamshis of Dakshina Kosala seem to have been related to the Panduvamshis of Mekala, and initially served as
feudatories to the Sharabhapuriyas.[22] The early kings of the dynasty were Vaishnavites, but its last known king Mahāśivagupta
Bālārjuna called himself a devotee of Shiva (parama-māheśvara), and also patronized the Buddhists. The Chinese traveler
Xuanzang visited the region during his reign, and described his kingdom ("Kiao-sa-lo" or Kosala) as follows:[23]

“ The capital is about 40 li round; the soil is rich and fertile, and yields abundant
crops. [...] The population is very dense. The men are tall and black
complexioned. The disposition of the people is hard and violent; they are brave
and impetuous. There are both heretics and believers here. They are earnest in
study and of a high intelligence. The king is of the Kshattriya race; he greatly
honours the law of Buddha, and his virtue and love are far renowned. There are
about one hundred saṅghārāmas, and somewhat less than 10,000 priests; they
all alike study the teaching of the Great Vehicle. There are about seventy Deva
temples, frequented by heretics of different persuasions. Not far to the south of
the city is an old saṅghārāma, by the side of which is a stūpa that was built by
Aśoka-rāja. ”
The Panduvamshis of Dakshina Kosala may have been related to the later Somavamshi dynasty, who ruled in present-day
Odisha.[24]

See also
Kingdoms of Ancient India

References
1. Nava Kishor Das (2012). Odisha (https://books.google.com/books?id=Sz7m_yM-hJsC). Seagull. p. 5. ISBN 978-
81-7046-293-4. "Dakshina Kosala is the territory now divided in the districts of Chhattisgarh and Sambalpur and
neighbouring areas of western Odisha."
2. Hira Lal 1986, p. 162-163.
3. Hira Lal 1986, p. 163-165.
4. Hira Lal 1986, p. 161 footnote.
5. Hira Lal 1986, p. 162.
6. Hira Lal 1986, pp. 161-162.
7. Hira Lal 1986, p. 163.
8. Hira Lal 1986, p. 161:"General Cunningham endeavoured to fix the boundaries of Daksina Kosala, to which he
gave the alternative name of Maha-Kosala, without stating where he found that name."
9. Madan Mohan Upadhyay (2005). Inscriptions of Mahakoshal: Resource for the History of Central India (https://bo
oks.google.com/books?id=dzkaAAAAYAAJ). B.R. pp. 2–3. ISBN 978-81-7646-496-3. "Mahakoshal as a territorial
unit synonymous with Kosala or Daksina Kosala (modern Chhattisgarh) has never appeared in the ancient Indian
literature as well as epigraphs."
10. Hira Lal 1986, pp. 165-166.
11. Hira Lal 1986, p. 164.
12. Hira Lal 1986, pp. 164-165.
13. Mahabharata, Book 2, Chapter 30
14. Hans T. Bakker 1994, p. 1.
15. Hans T. Bakker 1994, pp. 1-2.
16. Hans T. Bakker 1994, p. 3.
17. Hans T. Bakker 1994, p. 5.
18. Hans T. Bakker 1994, p. 6.
19. Hans T. Bakker 1994, pp. 7-8.
20. Hans T. Bakker 1994, p. 10.
21. Hans T. Bakker 1994, p. 13.
22. Hans T. Bakker 1994, p. 14.
23. Hans T. Bakker 1994, p. 21.
24. A. M. Shastri I 1995, pp. 172-175.

Bibliography
Hans T. Bakker (1994). "Observations on the History and Culture of Dakṣiṇa Kosala". In Nalini Balbir; J Bautze
(eds.). Festschrift : Klaus Bruhn zur Vollendung des 65. Lebensjahres (https://www.academia.edu/17301262/Dak
sina_Kosala). Reinbek: Inge Wezler. pp. 1–66. OCLC 37840411 (https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/37840411).
Hira Lal (1986) [1933]. "The Extent and Capital of Daksina Kosala" (https://books.google.com/books?id=aG5DAA
AAYAAJ). Indian Antiquary. Swati. 62.
Ajay Mitra Shastri (1995). Inscriptions of the Śarabhapurīyas, Pāṇḍuvaṁśins, and Somavaṁśins: Part I (https://
books.google.com/books?id=Idd9i5nP160C&pg=PA47). Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 978-81-208-0635-1.

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