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{{Short description|5th century dynasty of eastern India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2019}}
{{Infobox Former Country
| conventional_long_name = Pitrbhakta dynasty
| common_name = Pitrbhakta dynasty
| era = [[Middle Kingdoms of India|Classical India]]
| year_start = c. 5th century CE
| year_end = c. 6th century CE
| religion = [[Hinduism]]
| government_type = Monarchy
| capital = Simhapura
| common_languages =
| p1 = Mathara dynasty
| p2 = Vasishtha dynasty
| s1 = Eastern Ganga dynasty
| image_map =
<mapframe text="[[Find spot]]s of the Pitrbhakta inscriptions" width="250" height="250" zoom="6" longitude="83.89" latitude="18.25">
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"features": [
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"type": "Feature",
"properties": { "marker-symbol": "monument", "title": "Rakaluva (Ragolu)" },
"geometry": { "type": "Point", "coordinates": [83.8936796, 18.3492579] }
},
{
"type": "Feature",
"properties": { "marker-symbol": "monument", "title": "Tekkali" },
"geometry": { "type": "Point", "coordinates": [84.2301531, 18.6057678] }
},
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"properties": { "marker-symbol": "monument", "title": "Davalapeta" },
"geometry": { "type": "Point", "coordinates": [83.3121281, 18.2722395] }
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"properties": { "marker-symbol": "monument", "title": "Temburu" },
"geometry": { "type": "Point", "coordinates": [84.1263623, 18.6314777] }
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"properties": { "marker-symbol": "monument", "title": "Srikakulam" },
"geometry": { "type": "Point", "coordinates": [83.8967813, 18.2969747] }
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"type": "Feature",
"properties": { "marker-symbol": "monument", "title": "Ragolu" },
"geometry": { "type": "Point", "coordinates": [83.8936796, 18.3492579] }
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"properties": { "marker-symbol": "monument", "title": "Bobbili" },
"geometry": { "type": "Point", "coordinates": [83.3583654, 18.5735047] }
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"properties": { "marker-symbol": "monument", "title": "Komarthi" },
"geometry": { "type": "Point", "coordinates": [84.0154204, 18.3944762] }
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"properties": { "marker-symbol": "monument", "title": "Koroshanda or Kharasanda" },
"geometry": { "type": "Point", "coordinates": [84.1817567, 18.8166088] }
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The '''Pitrbhakta''' ([[IAST]]: Pitṛbhakta) dynasty ruled in the [[Kalinga (historical region)|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]].

== History ==

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.{{sfn|Snigdha Tripathy|1997|pp=10-11}}

=== Umavarman ===

Umavarman is the earliest known king of the dynasty. Epigraphic evidence suggests that he overthrew the [[Mathara dynasty|Mathara]] king Anantashaktivarman.{{sfn|Dilip Kumar Ganguly|1975|p=225}} 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''.{{sfn|Snigdha Tripathy|1997|p=11}} Anantashaktivarman thus seems to have been a rival of Umavarman.{{sfn|Snigdha Tripathy|1997|p=12}}

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; the agrahara was granted to a [[Brahmin|brahmana]] of the Vasishtha [[gotra]].{{sfn|Snigdha Tripathy|1997|p=11}}

The find spots of Umavarman's inscriptions, and the localities mentioned in them, are all situated in present-day [[Ganjam district|Ganjam]] (southern part), [[Srikakulam district|Srikakulam]], and [[Visakhapatnam district|Visakhapatnam]] districts.{{sfn|Snigdha Tripathy|1997|p=12}}

=== Nandaprabhanjanavarman ===
{{South Asia in 500 CE}}
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").{{sfn|Snigdha Tripathy|1997|p=12}} The only other person in the region 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.{{sfn|Snigdha Tripathy|1997|p=13}}

The Ragolu inscription of Nandaprabhanjanavarman, issued from Simhapura, records a land grant in the Ragolaka village (modern Ragolu). An inscription of the Mathara king Shaktivarman records the creation of an [[agrahara]] in the same village. This further suggests that Pitrbhaktas succeeded the Matharas as the rulers of this region.{{sfn|Snigdha Tripathy|1997|p=13}}

=== Chandavarman ===

Chandavarman is the next known Pitrbhakta ruler. He bore the title ''Kalingadhipati'' ("Lord of Kalinga"), and was a devotee of [[Vishnu]].{{sfn|Snigdha Tripathy|1997|p=13}} Mātṛvara's son Rudradatta served as his ''deśākṣapatalādhikṛta''.{{sfn|Snigdha Tripathy|1997|p=14}}

=== Vishakhavarman ===

A king named Vishakhavarman, known only from one inscription, ruled the [[Paralakhemundi]] area (in present-day [[Gajapati district]]) in the late 5th century. His Koroshanda inscription has close palaeographical and phraseological similarities with the Pitrbhakta inscriptions. Specifically, the inscription describes him as a devotee at the feet of his father. This suggests that he was a contemporary of the Pitrbhaktas or ruled immediately after their fall from Simhapura. The inscription was issued from Shripura, which has been variously identified as Siripuram in the Vishakhapatnam district and the Batia Sripura village. The second identification is more plausible, as Batia Sripura is located near Koroshanda, the find spot of the inscription. Vishakhavarman did not bear the title "Lord of Kalinga". The Batia Sripura identification suggests that his rule was limited to the southern part of the present-day Ganjam district.{{sfn|Snigdha Tripathy|1997|p=14}}

The Koroshanda inscription records the grant of a village named Tampoyaka in the Korasodaka ''panchali'' (administrative division). Tampoyaka can be identified with the present-day Tampa village, while Korasodaka can be identified with the find-spot Koroshanda.{{sfn|Snigdha Tripathy|1997|p=15}}

One theory traces the name of [[Vishakhapatnam]] to this king, who may have built the Vishakhasvamin temple here. However, this is no concrete evidence to support this assumption.{{sfn|Snigdha Tripathy|1997|p=15}}

Vishakhavarman was probably overthrown by the [[Eastern Ganga dynasty|Eastern Gangas]], who had captured the region by the 6th century CE.{{sfn|Snigdha Tripathy|1997|p=15}}

== List of rulers ==

The following members of the family are known:{{sfn|Snigdha Tripathy|1997|pp=10-13}}

* Uma-varman (Umāvarman)
** Vasushena-raja (Vasuṣeṇarāja), son of Umavarman
* Nanda-prabhañjana-varman
* Chanda-varman (Caṇḍavarman or Acaṇḍavarman)
* Vishakha-varman (Viśakhāvarman), possibly a Pitrbhakta king

The exact relationship between these rulers is uncertain.{{sfn|Snigdha Tripathy|1997|p=14}}

== Inscriptions ==

The following copper-plate inscriptions of the Pitrbhakta kings are known:{{sfn|Snigdha Tripathy|1997|p=xi, 11-14}}

{| class="wikitable"
! Find spot !! Issued by !! Issued from !! Regnal year
|-
| Baranga || Umavarman || Sunagara || 6
|-
| Tekkali || Umavarman || Vardhamanapura (modern Vadama near [[Palakonda]]) || 9
|-
| Davalapeta || Umavarman || Sunagara ||
|-
| Unknown (mentions Brhatprostha locality) || Umavarman || Simhapura || 30
|-
| Temburu || Umavarman || Simhapura || 40
|-
| [[Srikakulam]] || Nandaprabhanjanavarman || Sarapallika (modern Saripialli in [[Vizianagaram district]]) ||
|-
| Baranga || Nandaprabhanjanavarman || Vardhamanapura || 15
|-
| Ragolu || Nandaprabhanjanavarman || Simhapura || 24
|-
| Bobbili || Chandavarman || Simhapura || 4
|-
| Komarthi || Chandavarman || Simhapura || 6
|-
| Koroshanda (Kharasanda) || Vishakhavarman (possibly a Pitrbhakta king) || Shripura || 7
|}

All the records are in [[Sanskrit]] language, written in a southern variety of the [[Brahmi script]].{{sfn|Snigdha Tripathy|1997|pp=17-18}}

== References ==
{{reflist|30em}}

=== Bibliography ===
{{ref begin}}
* {{cite book |author=Dilip Kumar Ganguly |title=Historical Geography and Dynastic History of Orissa, Up to the Rise of the Imperial Gaṅgas |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kcgBAAAAMAAJ |year=1975 |publisher=Punthi Pustak |oclc=2376032 }}
* {{cite book |author=Snigdha Tripathy |title=Inscriptions of Orissa |volume=I - Circa 5th-8th centuries A.D |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XUiYu3XByNgC&pg=PR3 |year=1997 |publisher=[[Indian Council of Historical Research]] and [[Motilal Banarsidass]] |isbn=978-81-208-1077-8 }}
{{ref end}}

== External links ==
* [http://indepigr.narod.ru/orissa/menulisting6.htm Pitrbhakta inscriptions]

{{Odisha}}

[[Category:Dynasties of India]]
[[Category:Kalinga (India)]]

Pitrbhakta dynasty - Revision history

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