Chhattisgarh
Regional Dynasties: Rajarshitulya, Nala, Sharabhpuriya, Pandu and Somvanshi
Rajarshitulya Kula and the Nala Dynasty
Rajarshitulya kula of Arang and the Nalas of Bastar for CGPSC: rulers, the Arang copper plate, Pushkari, Nala coins and the Rajim inscription of Vilasatunga.
Prerequisites
- Ancient Chhattisgarh: Prehistory to the Guptas: Dakshin Kosala and Samudragupta’s southern campaign, the background to both dynasties
- Post-Mauryan Period, Guptas and Vakatakas: the Gupta era (calendar) and the Vakatakas, the Nalas’ great rivals
- Regional Dynasties: chapter overview: where these two dynasties sit in the sequence
The Hook: A Copper Plate from Arang and Gold from Bastar
Connect
East of Raipur, near the Mahanadi, lies Arang (आरंग), a small town known locally for its old temples. A set of copper plates found here is our main window into a dynasty with an unusual name: kings “equal to royal sages”. Far to the south, in the forests of Bastar, gold coins stamped with a bull and crescent tell the story of another line, the Nalas (नल वंश), who fought the mighty Vakatakas.
Who were these two dynasties, how do we know about them, and why does the examiner keep asking about them?
Why it matters: after the Guptas, Chhattisgarh was not ruled by one power. The plains (Dakshin Kosala) and the southern forest belt (Bastar) had separate dynasties. Prelims asks which inscription belongs to which king and which region each dynasty ruled. Mains GS-I can ask you to reconstruct regional history from inscriptions and coins.
Part A: The Rajarshitulya Kula (राजर्षितुल्य कुल)
Facts first
| Point | Detail |
|---|---|
| Name | Rajarshitulya kula, “the family equal to royal sages (rajarshi)”. Also called the Shura (Sura) dynasty after its founder |
| Region | Dakshin Kosala (दक्षिण कोसल), the upper Mahanadi plains of present-day Chhattisgarh |
| Capital | Generally placed at Arang (Raipur district), where its known record was found |
| Founder | Shura (शूर) |
| Main source | The Arang copper plate of Bhimasena II (भीमसेन द्वितीय) |
| Calendar used | The Gupta era (Gupta Samvat), read as a sign that the family acknowledged Gupta overlordship |
| Period | Around the 5th–6th century CE (exact date contested, see below) |
The genealogy (six generations)
The Arang plate traces Bhimasena II back six generations:
graph LR
A["Shura (founder)"] --> B["Dayita I"]
B --> C["Vibhishana"]
C --> D["Bhimasena I"]
D --> E["Dayitavarman (Dayita II)"]
E --> F["Bhimasena II (Arang plate)"]The Arang copper plate
- Issued by Bhimasena II. It records the grant of a village named Vatapallika to two Brahmins.
- It is dated in the Gupta era. The date numeral is read in two ways:
- Gupta Samvat 182, about 501 CE, the reading of V. V. Mirashi, which most state-exam books follow.
- Gupta Samvat 282, about 601 CE, the reading preferred by other scholars, including Hira Lal earlier and A. M. Shastri later.
- The Gupta era starts in 319–320 CE, so 182 → about 501 CE and 282 → about 601 CE.
Why the Gupta era matters
A local king dating his grant in the Gupta era is a clue to politics, not just to chronology. It suggests the Rajarshitulya kings saw themselves inside the Gupta world, as feudatories or at least as heirs of Gupta authority after Samudragupta’s campaign through Dakshin Kosala. For Mains, use this as an example of how inscriptions reveal political relationships that no chronicle records.
Part B: The Nala Dynasty (नल वंश)
Facts first
| Point | Detail |
|---|---|
| Region | The Bastar–Koraput forest belt (south Chhattisgarh and neighbouring south-west Odisha), at times reaching into Vidarbha |
| Period | Roughly the 5th–6th century CE for the main line; a later branch in the Rajim area around the 7th–8th century |
| Capital | Pushkari (पुष्करी). Its location is debated: state guides usually identify it with Bhopalpatnam (Bijapur district); scholars have also proposed Garhdhanora (Bastar) and Podagadh (Nabarangpur district, Odisha) |
| Emblem | Bull and crescent on the coins |
| Religion | Brahmanical; Skandavarman and Vilasatunga both built Vishnu temples |
| Great rival | The Vakatakas of Vidarbha |
Rulers and their evidence
| Ruler | Known from | What it tells us |
|---|---|---|
| Varaharaja (वराहराज) | Gold coins only | Probably the earliest known Nala king (judged from the script of his coins). His coins have been found with those of Arthapati and Bhavadatta |
| Bhavadatta / Bhavadattavarman (भवदत्त वर्मन) | Rithpur copper plates, found in Amravati district, Maharashtra | The find spot shows Nala power pushing into Vidarbha, at the Vakatakas’ expense |
| Arthapati (अर्थपति) | Kesaribeda copper plates (issued from Pushkari) and coins | Grant of the village Keselaka to Brahmins; confirms Pushkari as a royal seat |
| Skandavarman (स्कंदवर्मन) | Podagadh stone inscription | Son of Bhavadattavarman; claims he restored the lost glory of the Nalas and re-peopled the deserted city of Pushkari; records a Vishnu temple |
| Vilasatunga (विलासतुंग) | Rajim stone inscription | Built a Vishnu temple at Rajim, identified with the Rajiv Lochan temple (राजीव लोचन मंदिर) |
Coins also name Nandanaraja and Stambha. Their coins do not mention the dynasty’s name, but they carry the same bull-and-crescent emblem and weight standard, so they are counted as Nala kings.
Coin hoard from Bastar
State guides report a hoard of Nala gold coins, including issues of Varaharaja, from Edenga (एडेंगा) in the Kondagaon area of Bastar. Gold coinage in a forest kingdom is itself a Mains point: the Nalas were not a marginal tribal chiefdom but a state with a treasury and a monetary economy.
The Nala–Vakataka conflict
graph TD
A["Nala king Bhavadatta invades Vidarbha"] --> B["Occupies Nandivardhana, the old Vakataka capital"]
B --> C["Vakataka Prithvishena II strikes back"]
C --> D["Pushkari is attacked and left deserted"]
D --> E["Skandavarman restores Nala power and re-peoples Pushkari"]- Historians such as A. S. Altekar read the Vakataka records as describing a Nala invasion under Bhavadattavarman that reached deep into Vidarbha and occupied Nandivardhana.
- The Vakataka king Prithvishena II is praised for twice rescuing the “sunken fortunes” of his family, and is believed to have hit back and burnt Pushkari.
- Skandavarman’s Podagadh inscription then speaks of restoring the Nala family’s fortunes and re-populating Pushkari. Read together, the Vakataka and Nala records tell both sides of one war.
Analysis: what the Nalas show (Mains material)
- Bastar had organised states early. Inscriptions, coins and temples show a kingdom with a capital, land grants and gold currency in the forest belt.
- Brahmanical culture spread south through land grants to Brahmins and Vishnu temples.
- Regional powers were not passive. A Bastar dynasty could invade the Vakataka heartland, the strongest Deccan power of the time.
- The Nala presence at Rajim (Vilasatunga) shows the dynasty or a branch of it later reaching the Mahanadi plains.
Memory Tricks
Rajarshitulya: 'Shura's six, Arang fixed'
S-D-V-B-D-B: Shura, Dayita I, Vibhishana, Bhimasena I, Dayitavarman, Bhimasena II. Think “Some Days Very Busy, Days Bright”. The last king (Bhimasena II) issued the Arang plate.
Nala inscriptions: 'Ri-Ke-Po-Ra'
Rithpur → Bhavadatta; Kesaribeda → Arthapati; Podagadh → Skandavarman; Rajim → Vilasatunga.
Line them up as “River Keeps Pouring into Rajim” and the kings as “Big Armies Seek Victory”.
Don’t Confuse
| This | vs | That |
|---|---|---|
| Arang copper plate of Bhimasena II (Rajarshitulya) | Arang copper plates of Jayaraja (Sharabhpuriya). Same town, different dynasty | |
| Rajim inscription of Vilasatunga (Nala; built the Vishnu temple) | Rajim plates of Tivaradeva (Panduvanshi). Same place-name, different dynasty and medium | |
| Pushkari: Nala capital | Sharabhapura / Shripura: Sharabhpuriya capitals | |
| Bull and crescent: Nala coin emblem | Garuda: on Sharabhpuriya Prasannamatra’s gold coins | |
| Nalas of Bastar (early, about 5th–6th century) | Chhindaka Nagas of Bastar (much later, medieval). Both ruled Bastar, centuries apart |
Common Mistakes
Trap 1: the Arang plate date
Do not write a single date as settled. The Arang plate is read as Gupta Samvat 182 (about 501 CE) or 282 (about 601 CE). If an option says “dated in the Gupta era”, that is safe. If it insists on a CE year, prefer the reading your options allow, and in Mains mention both.
Trap 2: the Nalas were not a plains dynasty
The Nala heartland was Bastar–Koraput, not the Raipur–Bilaspur plains. Only the later Rajim inscription of Vilasatunga places a Nala king on the Mahanadi plains.
Trap 3: Rithpur is not in Chhattisgarh
Bhavadatta’s Rithpur plates were found in Amravati district, Maharashtra. That is exactly why they matter: they prove the Nalas pushed into Vakataka Vidarbha.
Practice
These are original practice questions written in CGPSC style. They are not previous-year questions.
Level 1: Foundation
- The founder of the Rajarshitulya kula was ________, and its known copper plate was found at ________.
- The Nala capital mentioned in the Kesaribeda plates of Arthapati is ________.
- The Nala king who built a Vishnu temple at Rajim was ________.
Answers
- Shura (Sura); Arang
- Pushkari
- Vilasatunga
Level 2: Prelims MCQs
Q1. Consider the following statements about the Rajarshitulya kula:
- Its known copper plate grant was issued by Bhimasena II.
- The grant is dated in the Gupta era.
- The dynasty ruled mainly from Pushkari in Bastar.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only (b) 1 and 2 only (c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer and explanation
(b) 1 and 2 only. The Arang copper plate was issued by Bhimasena II and is dated in the Gupta era (read as 182 or 282). Statement 3 is wrong: Pushkari was the Nala capital in the south. The Rajarshitulya kula is placed at Arang in the Mahanadi plains.
Q2. Match List-I (Nala ruler) with List-II (source):
| List-I | List-II |
|---|---|
| A. Bhavadatta | 1. Podagadh stone inscription |
| B. Arthapati | 2. Rajim stone inscription |
| C. Skandavarman | 3. Rithpur copper plates |
| D. Vilasatunga | 4. Kesaribeda copper plates |
(a) A-3, B-4, C-1, D-2 (b) A-4, B-3, C-1, D-2 (c) A-3, B-4, C-2, D-1 (d) A-1, B-4, C-3, D-2
Answer and explanation
(a) A-3, B-4, C-1, D-2. Bhavadatta: Rithpur plates (Amravati). Arthapati: Kesaribeda plates, issued from Pushkari. Skandavarman: Podagadh inscription, which records the restoration of Pushkari. Vilasatunga: Rajim inscription recording a Vishnu temple.
Q3. Which emblem appears on the gold coins attributed to the Nala kings?
(a) Gaja-Lakshmi (b) Bull and crescent (c) Garuda with conch and chakra (d) Lion
Answer and explanation
(b) Bull and crescent. This dynastic emblem is how coins of kings like Varaharaja, Nandanaraja and Stambha are assigned to the Nalas even when the dynasty is not named. Gaja-Lakshmi is the Sharabhpuriya seal; Garuda appears on the Sharabhpuriya king Prasannamatra’s coins.
Q4. The Nala king whose inscription was found in Amravati district, suggesting an invasion of Vakataka territory, is:
(a) Arthapati (b) Skandavarman (c) Bhavadatta (d) Vilasatunga
Answer and explanation
(c) Bhavadatta. His Rithpur copper plates come from Amravati district in Vidarbha. Historians link this to a Nala push that occupied Nandivardhana. The Vakataka king Prithvishena II later restored his family’s position.
Q5. Arrange the following Nala-related events in the order generally reconstructed by historians:
- Skandavarman re-peoples Pushkari
- Bhavadatta’s army enters Vidarbha
- Prithvishena II counter-attacks the Nalas
(a) 2-3-1 (b) 1-2-3 (c) 3-2-1 (d) 2-1-3
Answer and explanation
(a) 2-3-1. The Nala invasion under Bhavadatta came first, then the Vakataka counter-attack under Prithvishena II, after which Skandavarman claims to have restored Nala fortunes and re-populated Pushkari.
Level 3: Mains Answer Writing
Q1. What do inscriptions and coins tell us about the Nala dynasty of Bastar? (150 words)
Model answer outline
Intro: The Nalas ruled the Bastar–Koraput region around the 5th–6th century CE. We know them almost entirely from inscriptions and coins.
Body:
- Political reach: Bhavadatta’s Rithpur plates (Amravati) show expansion into Vidarbha; Vakataka records describe the war that followed.
- Capital and recovery: Arthapati’s Kesaribeda plates name Pushkari; Skandavarman’s Podagadh inscription records its restoration after a Vakataka attack.
- Economy: gold coins with the bull-and-crescent emblem (Varaharaja, Arthapati, Bhavadatta) point to a monetised state.
- Religion: land grants to Brahmins and Vishnu temples at Podagadh and Rajim (Vilasatunga) show Brahmanical influence.
- Chhattisgarh angle: proof that Bastar had organised kingdoms long before the Kakatiya-descended rulers of the medieval period.
Conclusion: Without these records the Nalas would be invisible. They show that history is written as much from copper and gold as from chronicles.
Quick Revision Table
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Rajarshitulya kula | Dakshin Kosala; generally placed at Arang; founder Shura |
| Rajarshitulya genealogy | Shura, Dayita I, Vibhishana, Bhimasena I, Dayitavarman, Bhimasena II |
| Arang plate | Bhimasena II; grants village Vatapallika; Gupta era 182 (about 501 CE) or 282 (about 601 CE) |
| Nala region | Bastar–Koraput |
| Nala capital | Pushkari (identified variously: Bhopalpatnam, Garhdhanora, Podagadh) |
| Nala coin emblem | Bull and crescent |
| Nala kings on coins | Varaharaja (earliest known), Nandanaraja, Stambha, Arthapati, Bhavadatta |
| Bhavadatta | Rithpur plates (Amravati); invaded Vakataka Vidarbha |
| Arthapati | Kesaribeda plates, issued from Pushkari |
| Skandavarman | Podagadh inscription; restored Pushkari; Vishnu temple |
| Vilasatunga | Rajim inscription; Vishnu temple (Rajiv Lochan) |
| Vakataka rival | Prithvishena II |
Key Takeaways
Key Takeaways
- The Rajarshitulya kula (founder Shura) ruled Dakshin Kosala and is known from the Arang copper plate of Bhimasena II, dated in the Gupta era (182 or 282).
- The Nalas ruled Bastar–Koraput from Pushkari, with a bull-and-crescent emblem on their gold coins.
- Nala inscriptions: Rithpur (Bhavadatta), Kesaribeda (Arthapati), Podagadh (Skandavarman), Rajim (Vilasatunga).
- The Nalas fought the Vakatakas: Bhavadatta invaded Vidarbha, Prithvishena II hit back, and Skandavarman restored Pushkari.
- Vilasatunga’s Rajim inscription links the Nalas to the Rajiv Lochan temple.
What’s Next
- The Sharabhpuriya (Amararya) Dynasty: the dynasty that followed in the Mahanadi plains
- The Pandu (Somvanshi) Dynasty of Sirpur: Sirpur’s golden age
- Art and Temples of the Period: the Rajiv Lochan temple and others
- Tribes of Chhattisgarh: the Bastar region in its social setting
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