Thursday, August 29, 2013

The Eastern Gangas : A Kings List



Eastern Gangas were probably an offshoot of the Western Gangas that ruled the Mysore regions of Karnataka.
The Eastern Gangas had their capital at Kalinganagara (Mukhalingam in the Ganjam district/ modern Srimukhalingam in Srikakulam District of Andhra Pradesh) and secondary capital at Dantapura (Palur).Their kingdom comprised of regions in Orissa,W.Bengal , Chattisgad,Jharkand and Andhra Pradesh. The family satarted around 550 AD and ruled for around 400 years.

They constructed the famous temples of Jagannatha and Konark (a world heritage site) which are a testimony to their architecture and grandeur.

Early Eastern Ganga kings

Indravarman founder of the dynasty.Ruled in the year 39 of the Ganga era.

Devendravarman IV last known ruler of this dynasty. Issued a grant in the year 39 of the Ganga era (c.893AD)

In the next century Kalinga was conquered by the Eastern Chalukyas and later the Chola kings Rajaraja the Great and Rajendra.

Later Eastern Ganga Kings

Vajrahasta Anantavarman 1038 AD. first ruler of this dynasty.

Rajaraja (son)

Anantavarman Chodaganga (son).1078-1147. formally ascended the throne in 1078 (before he assisted in father in the rule of the kingdom). He gave shelter to the Eastern Chalukya king Vijayaditya which proved the wrath of his rival ,the Chola king Kulotunga, who twice attacked Kalinga. But Anantavarman recovered his kingdom and also wrested Vizagapatnam from the Cholas (but it was recovered later by Kulotunga Chola). Annatavarman later invaded the Bengal regions of the Palas and pushed is conquests upto Hooghli district (After Anantavarman, the Bengal regions were conqured by the Sena kings). Gangas under Anantavarman also conquered ther parts of Orissa and and called themselves Lord of Utkala and Lords of Trikalinga. Anantavarman ruled at least upto 1147 AD.

Anantavarman constructed the famous temple of Jagannatha at Puri.

Anangabhima II (son)1178-1198

Rajaraja II (grandson)1198-1211. resisted attacks(1205 AD) by Mohameddans under Muhammed Bakhtyar who invaded Orissa after occupying Bengal from the Senas.

Anangabhima III (son) 1211-1238. He also resisted attacks from the Mohammedans under Khilji Ghiyasuddin Iwaz, the ruler of Bengal. He successfully fought the Kalachuris of Tumanna but was defeated by Kakatiya Ganapati.

Narsimha I (son) 1238-1264. He invaded muslim dominions of Bengal in 1243 AD and advanced upto Gauda but when the Muslim king of Awadh came to te help of the Bengal king, their collective might defeated the force of Narasimha and occupied some Ganga territories as well.

Narsimha built the famous temple of Konark at Puri.

Bhanudeva (son) 1264-79

Narsimha II (son)1279-1306. recovered Ganga territories from the Mohammedans. And advanced as far as the Ganga banks (from where he issued some land grants in 1296AD).

Bhanudeva II (son)1306-28. repulsed attack of Mohamedans under Ulugh Khan sometime in 1323.

Narsimha III (son) 1328-52

Bhanudeva III (son)1353-78 AD. suffered greatly under repeated invasions from Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah of Bengal, Bukka of Vijayanagara and lastly Firoz Tughluq of Delhi. Bhanudeva III submitted to Tughlaq, but redeclared his independence after his departure.

Narsimha IV (son)1379-1424. During his reign the Mulim rulers of Deccan,Jaunpur and Malwa led military expeditions in Orissa, but Narsimha IV stoicly resisted these attacks.

Bhanudeva IV (1424-1434) son, His throne was usurped by his minister Kapilendra, who started his own independent dynasty called Suryavamsa in AD.1434, marking the end of the Ganga dynasty.


source: http://indianhistory-ace.blogspot.in

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