Pitrbhakta

The Pitrbhakta (IAST: Pitṛbhakta) dynasty in ruled the Kalinga region of eastern India in the fifth century CE. Their territory included parts of the present-day northern Andhra Pradesh and the southern Odisha. They probably overthrew the Mathara dynasty.

The actual name of the family is not certain. The inscriptions of its kings describe them as pitṛabhaktaḥ (devotee of their fathers), which modern scholars have taken to be a dynastic appellation.

Umavarman is the earliest known king of the dynasty. Epigraphic evidence suggests that he overthrew the Mathara king Anantashaktivarman. Mātṛvara, a Simhapura-based royal officer held the office of deśākṣapatalādhikṛta under the Mathara king Anantashaktivarman. Later, he held the same office under the Pitrbhakta king Umavarman, as attested by two grants of Umavarman. These two grants were issued from Simhapura during Umavarman's regnal years 30 and 40. Both describe the king as the Kalingadhipati ("Lord of Kalinga"), unlike his earlier grants. Both mention Mātṛvara as Umavarman's deśākṣapatalādhikṛta. Anantashaktivarman thus seems to have been a rival of Umavarman.

Umavarman's last known inscription (the one issued in regnal year 40) mentions his son Vasushenaraja. This prince is not mentioned in any other source. The inscription records the creation of a new agrahara named after Kalinga, and granted to a brahmana of the Vasishtha gotra.

The find spots of Umavarman's inscriptions, and the localities mentioned in them, are all situated in present-day Ganjam (southern part), Srikakulam, and Visakhapatnam districts.

The next known Pitrbhakta king is Nandaprabhanjanavarman. He issued grants from Sarapallika, Vardhamanapura and Simhapura. All three inscriptions describe him as Sakala-Kalingadhipati ("Lord of the whole of Kalinga"). The only other person to use this title was the Mathara king Prabhanjanavarman. Because of this, some scholars believe them to be contemporary rulers. However, historical evidence suggests that Nandaprabhanjanavarman was a later ruler.

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