Early Medieval History of Dakshina Koshala (Odisha & Chattisgarh)

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The Dakshina Koshala was an important political unit of Odisha and Chhattisgarh during ancient period. Regional history is important in the context that it helps us to understand the specifications of a region. Regional history is not a geographical expression but an important source of national history. It should not be viewed in the limit of any geographical boundary. It helps us to know the history of a particular region at a particular point of time. It enables us to understand evolution of history of a region, how it impact and get impacted by the historical changes at pan-Indian level. The present work makes an attempt to find out information from the archaeological, historical and from the Literature. The scope of the present work is an attempt for the understanding and re-writing of regional history of Dhaksina Koshala. The present publication encompasses a remarkable research study on modern day western part of Odisha and Chhattisgarh region. The authors draw their casing up mainly from the five years of research work carried out in this region. This book can be useful for students, research scholars and academicians having interest on history, culture, and archaeology of Odisha and Chhattisgarh region which was called as Daksina Koshala.

Dr. Tirtharaj Bhoi, took his Post- Graduation, M. Phil and Doctoral Degree from Central University of Hyderabad. Presently, he is working as Senior Assistant Professor in Department of History, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Jammu. His interest areas include Indian History, Ethno- archaeology and Religious study. His publications include 05 books and more than 45 research papers. The books are Religion in Western Orissa: from B.C 200 to 600 A.D. (2011), Ethnography of Megalithic Culture in Chhattisgarh (2018), Archaeology, History and Culture of Jammu and Kashmir (2019), Archeology, History, Culture and Literature of Jammu and Kashmir (2021), Archaeology and Identity in Medieval Jammu and Kashmir (2023). Now he is engaged in two ICSSR Projects on "Abrogation of Article 370" in Jammu and Kashmir and "Social Memory of Tribes in Padder Valley of Kistwar District."

Dr. Sakshi Sharma (ICHR-JRF) took his Post-Graduation, Doctoral Degree and Bachelor of Education, from University of Jammu. Presently, she is working in Education Department, Government of JKUT. Her research interest is Regional History and Archaeology.

The Dakshina Koshala was an important political unit of Odisha during ancient period. For a long the region of Dakshina Koshala like other hinterlands had not been the centre of any historical research, mainly due to the attraction towards focal areas. The present area of study is referred as western part of Odisha and Chhattisgarh, neither of which formed a historical region on its own. They were rather the product of administrative decision and taken together they manifested shared traits, evolved through a long process of historical developments. From centric approach this region was seen either as a buffer zone or an extension of coastal Odisha or as a site of contestation between various dynasties. However, on the basis of earlier perceptions we cannot say that this region had no personality of its own. Like other regions the region of Dakshina Koshala too holds importance and a special characteristic in the ancient Indian history, the only need is to give away the epicentric approach. In order to understand the process of historical developments in this region, there is need to identify the answer of questions related to change, cultural forms, agencies of change etc. The present work deals with the history of Dakshina Koshala and the Ancient literature is well acquainted with the name of Koshala. It was an important Mahajanapada was divided into two parts-north Koshala and south Koshala. There are different traditions regarding the division of Koshala Mahajanapada and the emergence of Dakshina Koshala is discussed in the chapters. In this book an attempt is being made to reconstruct the regional history of Dakshina Koshala from 600 to 1200 A. D., all the way through archeological and literary sources.

The study of history for long remains confined to political arena as a game between kings and nobles, wars or conspiracies. But now historians seem more concerned with the social, economic, as well as religious aspects of the life of our fore-fathers. For a long the focus of historical research remained limited to the historical developments that took place in focal areas like in Gangetic valley or in south in Krishna-Kaveri region but now the regions located outside these focal points also began to get attention of historians. The modern historical writings on ancient Indian history began with Colonial writings. In these writings India was either represented as a homogeneous and static unit or as unit which was full of diversities which were hard to keep together. These rigid notions about India were refuted by Nationalist historians and they highlighted the variations in Indian history by bringing regions into light. Thus, credit goes to them for bringing regions into historical writings but these writings lack serious attempts to understand variations in Indian history. It was only during post-independence period an important shift is witnessed in terms of historical writings.