Kharvela
| Kharavela | |
|---|---|
| Kalingadhipati (Lord of Kalinga) | |
| King of Kalinga | |
| Reign | c. first or second century BCE |
| Predecessor | possibly Vriddharaja (a.k.a. Vudharaja) |
| Successor | possibly Vakradeva (a.k.a. Vakadepa) |
| Dynasty | Mahameghavahana |
| Religion | Jainism |
Kharavela was a king of Kalinga in present-day Odisha, India. He ruled somewhere around first or second century BCE. His name is also transliterated as Khārabēḷa. He is the best known king of the Mahameghavahana dynasty (which is also termed as "Chedi dynasty" by some scholars, based on a misreading of his father's name "Cheta-raja").
The main source of information about Kharavela is his rock-cut Hathigumpha inscription. The inscription is undated, and only 4 of its 17 lines are completely legible. Different scholars have interpreted it differently, leading to a number of speculations about Kharavela's reign. The inscription credits the king with several welfare activities, patronage of arts, repair works and military victories. Although it exaggerates his achievements, historians agree that Kharavela was one of the strongest rulers of Kalinga.
Kharavela is believed to be a follower of Jainism, although the Hathigumpha inscription describes him as a worshipper of all religious orders.
Much of the available information about Kharavela comes from the undated and partially damaged Hathigumpha inscription, plus a few other minor Inscriptions found in Udayagiri and Khandagiri Caves, in present-day Odisha. The Hathigumpha inscription records Kharavela's life up to his 38th year, including 13 years of his reign. The inscription is badly mutilated: out of its 17 lines, only four are completely legible. Therefore, it is open to multiple interpretations, and has given rise to different speculations by different scholars.
The kingdom of Kalinga had been annexed by the Mauryan empire Ashoka around 262-261 BCE. Kalinga seems to have regained independence soon after Ashoka's death, and Kharavela was born in an independent Kalinga.
Bhagwan Lal and some other scholars believe that the 16th line of the Hathigumpha inscription (which describes the 13th year of Kharavela's reign) contains a reference to 165th year after the Maurya era. However, some other scholars deny this interpretation. According to Bhagwan Lal, the calculation of 165 years starts from the 8th year of Ashoka's reign, when the Kalinga War resulted in Mauryan conquest of Kalinga. Based on this, Bhagwan Lal concludes that Kharavela was born in 127 BCE, and became the king in 103 BCE.
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