Kongoda

Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R)

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Kongoda (कोंगोद) was ancient region in Orissa located between Mahanadi to Rishikulya rivers. It included parts of the present-day Ganjam, Khordha and Puri districts in the Odisha state. Their capital was located at Kongoda, which is identified with modern Banapur.

Variants

• Kongoda (कोंगोद) (AS, p.228)
• Ganjam गंजम दे. Kongoda कोंगोद (AS, p.265)

Jat clans

• Kang

History

The Shailodbhava dynasty ruled parts of eastern India during the 6th-8th centuries. Their core territory was known as Kongoda-mandala, and included parts of the present-day Ganjam, Khordha and Puri districts in the Odisha state. Their capital was located at Kongoda, which is identified with modern Banapur.

Tej Ram Sharma writes that N.L. Dey identifies Dakshina Kosala with Tosali of Asoka's inscription (Tosala) at Dhauli, which is situated near Bhuvaneshwar in the Puri district, Orissa. Sylvain Levi suggests an Austric origin for this wold. 'Kosala changing to Tosala is an apparent variation of the initial due to the formative prefix' in the Austric languages. The country of Tosala also, like Kosal, had two divisions : Uttara Tosala and Dakshina Tosala. Daksina Tosala consisted of a mandala of the name of Kongoda. In some cases by mistake the reading Daksina kosala is given in place of Daksina Tosala. But it is clear from other evidence that Tosala and Kosala were two separate entities. The puranas mention them separately. The Kavyamimamsa also makes a separate reference to the two.

कोंगोद

विजयेन्द्र कुमार माथुर ने लेख किया है ...कोंगोद (AS, p.228) का उल्लेख चीनी यात्री युवानच्वांग ने किया है। युवानच्वांग ने इस देश का उल्लेख महाराजा हर्ष की विजय यात्राओं के प्रसंग में करते हुए लिखा है कि "कोंगोद पर आक्रमण के पश्चात् हर्ष बंगाल की ओर चला गया।" हर्ष का शासनकाल 606-647 ई. है। कोंगोद का अभिज्ञान 'गंजम' (उड़ीसा) से किया गया है। श्री ह. कृ. महताब के अनुसार महानदी से ऋषिकुल्या नदी तक का विस्तृत भू-भाग कोंगोद कहलाता था। चौथी शती ई. में कोंगोद में शैलोद्भव वंश के राज्य की स्थापना हुई थी।