Mekala

Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R)

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Biodiversity Rich Maikal Hills

Maikal Hills (मैकल पर्वतमाला) is mountain range in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh states in central India. It runs in a north-south direction and forms the eastern base of the triangular Satpura Range. Mahabharata mentions Mekala (मेकल) as a province and people fighting in Kurukshetra War in Kauravas side.

Variants

• Mekala मेकल = Mekhala मेखल (AS, p.756)
• Mekhala मेखल दे. Mekal मेकल (AS, p.757)
• Mekala Parvata (मेकल पर्वत) (AS, p.756)
• Maikala Range
• Maikal
• Maikal Hills

History

V.V. Mirashi mentions that Mekala is the name of the country comprising Amarakantak (अमरकंटक) and the surrounding region. The Narmada, which takes its rise in the Amarakantak hill, is called Mekala-kanyakā (मेकल-कन्यका). (p.84)

In Vakataka History

Balaghat Plates of Prithivishena II were intended to be issued by the Vakataka Maharaja Prithivishena II....Pravarasena II's son was Narendrasena, who is said to have taken away the family’s fortune by means of confidence. His commands were honoured by the lords of Kosala (कोसला), Mekala (मेकला) and Malava (मालवा). His son, from the queen Ajjhitabhattarika (अज्झितभट्टारिका), the daughter of the king of Kuntala (कुंतल), was Maharaja Prithivishena II, who was a devout worshipper of the Bhagavat (Vishnu). The present plates were intended to be issued by him from his camp at Vembara (वेम्बार).

The place Vembara (वेम्बार) from which the charter was intended to be issued has been identified with Bembal (बेम्बाल), about 28 miles to the east of Chanda and 2 miles to the west of the Wainganga

In Gupta Inscriptions

Tej Ram Sharma mentions Pusyamitras in (L.11) of Bhitari Stone Pillar Inscription of Skandagupta (=A.D. 455-67).

The Bhitari Stone Pillar Inscription ³⁹⁷ records Skandagupta's victory over a powerful enemy called the Pusyamitras, who possessed a strong army and a rich treasury : he (Skandagupta) placed (his) left foot on a foot-stool which was the king (of that tribe himself). ³⁹⁸ H. R. Divekar suggested the reading Yudhy-amitran in place of Pusyamitran. But, as pointed out by R.D. Banerji, ³⁹⁹ the proposed reading is impossible.

There are several views about the identification of the Pusyamitras.

(i) Fleet identified them with the people mentioned in the Puranas as Patumitras and located them on the Narmada. ⁴⁰⁰ (ii) V.A. Smith ⁴⁰¹ regarded them as a people of the North.

(iii) Hoernle believed that they were the same as the Maitrakas.⁴⁰²

(iv) R.D Banerji ⁴⁰³ regarded them as the first wave of the Hunas.

(v) N K. Bhattasali has suggested that the Pusyamitras were the descendants of king Pusyavarma of Assam. ⁴⁰⁴

Bhattasali says that a pun (slesa) has been used for "the descendants of Pusyavarman of Assam who had so long been mitras or friends of the [[Guptas], but had change into foes by their desire for conquest and had invaded the Gupta empire from the east and made it totter". But as remarked by D.C. Sircar, "there is no grammatical, lexicographical, or literary support, for this interpretation of the name Pusyamitra". ⁴⁰⁵

Bhattasali opines that Mahendravarman, whom he assigns to the period A.D. 450 to 490 who performed two horse-sacri- fices must have been powerful enough to launch an attack on the Gupta empire in the reign of Skandagupta.

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156 Personal and geographical names in the Gupta inscriptions

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We know that the definite limits of Skandagupta's reign are from A.D. 455 to 467. The period of the rule of Mahendravarman, however, cannot be so definitely fixed because we do not possess any dated records of his reign. As a matter of fact the entire chronology of the kings of Assam can be settled approximately only by means of synchronisms and rough calculations. The attack on the Gupta empire by the Varmans of Assam in the reign of Skandagupta is an impossibility. ⁴⁰⁶

The Pusyamitras cannot be a branch of the Hunas as held by R.D. Banerji. The Hunas have been mentioned separately in the Bhitari Inscription. ⁴⁰⁷ "By whose (Skandagupta's) two arms the earth was shaken, when he, the creator (of a disturbance like that) of a terrible whirlpool, joined in close conflict with the Hunas". Hoernle's view that "the Pusyamitras were the same as Maitrakas who some years later under the leadership of Bhatarka established themselves in Valabhi probably with the help of the Huna ruler Toramana"; ⁴⁰⁸ is also not acceptable as the Maitrakas remained subservient to the Imperial Guptas from the time of Bhatarka to that of Dronasimha. ⁴⁰⁹ Therefore, they cannot be the same as Pusyamitras who rebelled against Skandagupta.

The Puranas mention a people called Pusyamitras, whose rule commenced after the end of the dynasty of the Vindhyakas. In the Visnupurana MSS. consulted by Prof. Wilson we have the following statement : "and Puspamitras, and Patumitras and others to the number of thirteen will rule over Mekala". ⁴¹⁰Prof. Wilson has added the following note, "It seems most correct to separate the thirteen sons or families of the Vindhya princes from these Bahlikasand then from the Pusyamitras and Patumitras who governed Mekala, a country on the Narmada". ⁴¹¹

A similar statement is to be found in the Vayupurana, according to which 'the Pusyamitras and Patumitras are grouped with the rulers of Mekala, whose seven kings have not been named.⁴¹²

The mention of Vindhyakas, evidently a people of the Vindhya region, and of Mekala, points to the south rather than to North. So the view of V.A. Smith that the Pusyamitras were a people of the North is not acceptable.

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Personal and geographical names in the Gupta inscriptions 157

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Thus the view of Fleet that the Pusyamitras are to be placed in Central India somewhere in the country along the banks of the Narmada, seems to be most reasonable. ⁴¹³ This is supported by numismatic evidence, a hoard of coins brought to light by D.B. Diskalkar, ⁴¹⁴ from the village of Bamnala, 24 miles to the south of the Narmada, indicates that there was a serious disturbance of peace in the vicinity of Mekala, in the middle of the fifth century A.D. and we may connect it with the rising of the Pusyamitras in that region. ⁴¹⁵

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397. No. 13.

398. No. 13, LL. 10-11 : समुदित-बल-शा (न्पुष्यमित्रान्श्च)(जि) त्वा, क्षितिपचरणपीठे स्थापितो वामपद:।

399. I. p. 45 ; Corpus Inscripionum Indicarum, Vol. III by John Faithful Fleet , p. 55, note 2). Fleet certifies the reading Pusyamitra, which is the correct form according to Prof. Weber also (Sanskrit Literature, p. 223, n. 237). Jagannath in his article 'The Pusyamitras of Bhitari Pillar Inscription' Indian Historical Quarterly, Calcutta. Vol. 22, No. 4, Dec. 1946, p. 112, writes :

"I have myself examined the inscription on the original stone, and in my opinion while the first syllable may be 'pu' or 'yu', the next syllable cannot be 'dhya'. Over the subscript there are clear traces of a square form. It is not cylindrical, in shape, as would be the form of 'dh'. It can only be 'p' or

's'. But as 'p' makes an impossible word 'pupya' the choice is evidently restricted to 's' and we get 'pusya'. Mr. Divekar's suggestion is thus disposed of.

We also know of the early king Pusyamitra Sunga, a brahmana, general of Brhadratha the Mauryan king who was a contemporary of Patanjali (Fleet, Corpus Inscripionum Indicarum, Vol. III by John Faithful Fleet, p. 55, note 2) which bears out the Prakrit form 'Pusamitta' in the passages given by Dr. Buhler from the Prakrit Gathas (Indian Antiquary, Bombay. Vol. II, p. 362 f).

400. Indian Antiquary, Bombay. 1889, p. 228.

401. Early History of India by V. A. Smith. p. 326.

402. Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, London. 1909, p. 126.

403. Age of the Imperial Guptas by R. D. Baneiji. p. 46.

404. Indian Historical Quarterly, Calcutta. XXL, p. 24f.

405. Ibid., XXII, No. 4, Dec. 1946, p. 113.

406. Ibid., Jagannath, pp. 113-115.

407. No. 13, L. 15 : हुणैर्यस्य समागतस्य समरे दोर्भ्यां धरा कम्पिता ।

408. Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, London. 1909, p. 126, previously he held that Bhajarka had beaten fcack Toramana, Journal and Proceedings of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, Calcutta. 1889, pp. 97-98.

409. Indian Culture, Calcutta., V. p. 407 ff.

410. Wilson's translation of the Vis.nupurana, Vol. IV, pp. 212-13.

411. Ibid., p. 215.

412. Indian Historical Quarterly, Calcutta. xxn, pp. 115-116 : पुष्यमित्रा भविष्यन्ति पटुमित्रास्त्रयोदश । मेकलायां नृपा:सप्त भविष्यन्तीह सप्ततिम् ।।

413. Indian Antiquary, Bombay. 1889, p. 228.

414. Journal of the Numismatic Society of India, Varanasi. Vol.V, pp. 135ff.

415. Indian Historical Quarterly, Calcutta . Vol. XXII, No. 4, Dec.1946, p. 117, "The Pusyamitras of the Bhitari Pillar Inscription".

In Mahabharata

Mekala (मेकल) is mentioned in Mahabharata (VI.10.39),(VI.47.13),(VI.83.9),(VIII.17.3),(VIII.17.20)

Mekhala (मेखला) (Lady)is mentioned in Mahabharata (IX.45.10)

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Bhisma Parva, Mahabharata/Book VI Chapter 10 describes geography and provinces of Bharatavarsha. Mekala (मेकल) is a province mentioned in Mahabharata (VI.10.39)....the Chedi-Vatsas, the Karushas, the Bhojas, the Sindhu-Pulindakas, the Uttamojas, the Dasharnas, the Mekalas, the Utkalas;

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Bhisma Parva, Mahabharata/Book VI Chapter 47 describes immeasurable heroes assembled for battle. Mekala (मेकल) people are mentioned in Mahabharata (VI.47.13).....and with the Vidarbhas, the Mekalas, the Karnas, and the Pravaranas also.

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Bhisma Parva, Mahabharata/Book VI Chapter 83 describes the array of the Kauravas army against the Pandavas in Mahabharata War. Mekalas (मेकल) people are mentioned in Mahabharata (VI.83.9).....Next to Drona was the valiant Bhagadatta. O king, firmly resolved on fight, accompanied by the Magadhas, the Kalingas, and the Pisachas. Behind Bhagadatta was Vrihadvala the king of the Kosalas accompanied by the Mekalas, the Tripuras, and the Chichhilas.

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Karna Parva/Mahabharata Book VIII Chapter 17 mentions warriors fighting against Dhrishtadyumna (brother of Draupadi). Mekalas (मेकल) people are mentioned in Mahabharata (VIII.17.3)......Many foremost of combatants skilled in elephant-fight, belonging to the Easterners, the Southerners, the Angas, the Vangas, the Pundras, the Magadhas, the Tamraliptakas, the Mekalas, the Koshalas, the Madras, the Dasharnas, the Nishadas uniting with the Kalingas,....

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Karna Parva/Mahabharata Book VIII Chapter 17 mentions warriors fighting against Nakula in verse Mahabharata (VIII.17.20). .... And many Mekalas and Utkalas, and Kalingas, and Nishadas, and Tamraliptakas, also advanced against Nakula, showering their shafts and lances, desirous of slaying him.

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Shalya Parva, Mahabharata/Book IX Chapter 45 gives list of the mothers who became the companions when Skanda was installed. Mekhala (मेखला) (Lady) is mentioned in Mahabharata (IX.45.10). ....Sudama, Bahudama, Suprabha, Yashasvini, Nrityapriya, Shatolukhala, Mekhala,....

Geography

The Maikala Range consists of laterite-capped, flat-topped plateaus (pats) with elevations ranging from 2,000 to 3,000 feet. The Satpura-Maikala watershed is the second largest in India. The Narmada, Sone, Pandu, Kanhar, Rihand, Bijul, Gopad, and Banas rivers run almost parallel from south to north and have carved extensive basins in the relatively soft rock formations of the Maikala Range. Vegetation varies from grass and thorny trees to deciduous trees such as teak and sal (Shorea robusta). Mineral deposits include coal, limestone, bauxite, corundum, dolomite, marble, slate, and sandstone.

The principal ethnic groups are the Gonds (numerically and historically the most important), Halbas, Bharais, Baigas, and Korkus. The chief towns are Balaghat, Mandla, Nainpur, and Dindori. A fort at Mandla (the capital of the Gond kings), a palace at Ramnagar, and Kanha National Park are places of interest.

This mountain range is one of the broad topographical divisions of Chhattisgarh. The landscape of Satpuda-Maikal extends for a distance of about five hundred kilometer. To one side of this stretch of landscape, the Achanakmar Wildlife Sanctuary of Chhattisgarh is located. On the other side of the Satpuda-Maikal lies the Melghat Tiger Reserve of Maharashtra. This stretch of land extends along with Satpuda and Maikal range in Chhattisgarh.

Kanha National Park is a national park and a Tiger Reserve in the Mandla and Balaghat districts of Madhya Pradesh and located in the Maikal hills of the Satpuras. Besides harbouring a viable population of the tiger, Kanha has distinguished itself in saving the endangered hard ground barasingha from extinction, and supporting the last world population of this deer species[3]

मेकल = मेखल

विजयेन्द्र कुमार माथुर ने लेख किया है .... मेकल (AS: p.756): विंध्याचल पर्वतमाला के अंतर्गत अमरकंटक पहाड़ जो नर्मदा का उद्गम स्थान है. मैकल-श्रेणी की स्थिति विंध्य और सतपुड़ा पर्वतमाला के बीच में है और यह इन दोनों को मेखला के रूप में बांधे हुए प्रतीत होती है. इस पर्वत का निकटवर्ती प्रदेश भी इसी नाम से प्रसिद्ध था. पौराणिक कथा के अनुसार राजा मेकल ने इस पर्वतीय प्रदेश में घोर तपस्या की थी जिसके कारण यह पर्वत तथा उसका क्षेत्र इन्हीं के नाम से प्रसिद्ध हो गया. इस स्थल को व्यास, भृगु तथा कपिल आदि की तपस्थली भी माना जाता है. संभवत: मेकल का मेखल के रूप में उल्लेख कविवर राजशेखर ने कन्नौजाधिप महिपाल द्वारा विजित प्रदेशों में किया है. मेकल पर्वत से शोण (= सोन) नदी निकली है. नर्मदा का उद्गम मेकल में होने के कारण इस नदी को मेकलसुता या मेकलकन्या कहते हैं.

मैकल पर्वतमाला

मैकल पर्वतमाला कान्हा बाघ आरक्ष की सबसे प्रमुख भौगोलिक भू-आकृति है। यह पर्वतमाला उत्तर-दक्षिण दिशा में निकली हुई है और त्रिकोणाकार सतपुड़ा पर्वत शृंखला की पूर्वी भुजा है।

भौगर्भिक इतिहास: आरक्ष की पूर्वी सीमा पर स्थित यह पर्वतमाला नर्मदा और महानदी के जलग्रहण क्षेत्रों के बीच की विभाजन रेखा है। यह पर्वतमाला आरक्ष में पश्चिम ओर भैंसानघाट तक फैली है और नर्मदा के जलग्रहण क्षेत्र को दक्षिण-पश्चिम और पश्चिम में बंजर, तथा पूर्व और उत्तरपूर्व में हलोन में बांटती है। मुख्य मैकल श्रेणी और भैंसानघाट से उत्तर की ओर अनेक स्कंध निकले हुए हैं जो हलोन नदी की ओर बढ़ रहे पानी को अनेक सर-सरिताओं में बांट देते हैं, जैसे फेन, गौरधुनी, कश्मीरी और गोंदला। भैंसानघाट पर्वतश्रेणी बम्हनीदादर पर पहुंचकर दो भागों में बंट जाती है- मुख्य भाग उत्तर की ओर निकलता है और शाखाएं पश्चिम की ओर निकलकर बंजर के जलग्रहण क्षेत्र को स्वयं बंजर और उसकी सहायक नदी सुलकुम (जिसे उसके निचले भागों में सुरपन भी कहते हैं) के जलग्रहण क्षेत्रों में बांट देती हैं। मुख्य श्रेणी की ऊँचाई समुद्र तल से 800 से लेकर 900 मीटर है।

अपवाह: सतपुड़ा और मैकल के जलग्रहण क्षेत्र को भारत का दूसरा सबसे बड़ा जलग्रहण क्षेत्र माना जाता है। नर्मदा, सोन, महानदी, ताप्ती, पांडु, कन्हार, रिहंद, बिजुल, गोपद और बनास उत्तर से दक्षिण की ओर लगभग समांतर बहती हैं और इन्होंने मैकल पर्वतश्रेणी की ओर अपेक्षाकृत नरम चट्टानों में विशाल जलद्रोणियां उत्कीर्ण की हैं।

चपटे शिखरवाली पहाड़ियां जिन्हें दादर कहा जाता है, अपने ऊपरी भागों में स्फोटगर्ती (वेसिकुलर) और मृणमयी मखरला (क्लेयी लेटराइट) चट्टानों से आवृत्त हैं। इनमें कई बार बोक्साइट की मात्रा काफ़ी अधिक होती है। लौह यौगिकों के कारण इन चट्टानों का लाल रंग रहता है। मैदानों और घाटियों में ग्रेनाइटयुक्त पट्टिताश्म (ग्रेनाइटिक नीस) और माइका युक्त स्तरित चट्टानें (माइकेशियस सिस्ट) पाई जाती हैं जो साल वनों को समर्थित करती हैं। दादरों में मौसमी प्रभावों से क्षीण हुआ असिताश्म (बसाल्ट) होता है जो मिश्रित वनों के लिए उपयुक्त है। वनस्पति जीवन

वनस्पति में काफ़ी विभिन्नता पाई जाती है और यहाँ घास और कंटीली झाड़ियों से लेकर पतझड़ी वनों के दानव- साल और सागौन, प्रचुरता से मिलते हैं। कृषि, जो यहाँ का मुख्य व्यवसाय है, जलोढ़ मिट्टीवाली नदी द्रोणियों में होती है। मुख्य फसलों में शामिल हैं धान, चना, ज्वार, जई, मकई दालें तिल और सरसों।

यहाँ कोयला, चूना, बॉक्साइट, कुरंड (कोरंडम), डोलोमाइट, संगमरमर, स्लेट और बालुकाश्म (सैंडस्टोन) के निक्षेप बहुत अधिक मात्रा में हैं। नृजातिवर्णन (एथनोग्राफी) की दृष्टि से मैकल पर्वतमाला अनेक जनजातीय समूहों का निवासस्थान है, जैसे गोंड, हल्बा, भारिया, बैगा और कोरकू।

भू-वैज्ञानिक: इस क्षेत्र में एक बहुत ही रोचक भू-वैज्ञानिक विशेषता पाई जाती है। जिसके बारे में सर्वप्रथम ओस्ट्रियाई भूवैज्ञानिक एडुअर्ड सुएस (1831-1914) ने अपनी प्रसिद्ध पुस्तक 'द फेस ओफ दि एर्थ' (पृथ्वी का चेहरा) में लिखा था। उन्होंने सुझाया कि पुराजीव कल्प में, लगभग 16.5 करोड़ वर्ष पूर्व, 'गोंडवाना' नामक एक अतिविशाल महाद्वीप का अस्तित्व था। यह नाम मध्य भारत में रहने वाले गोंड जनजाति के नाम से लिया गया है। इस विशाल महाद्वीप के घटक प्रदेशों में, अर्थात आजकल के आस्ट्रेलिया, अंटार्क्टिका, दक्षिणी नव गिनी, अफ्रीका, दक्षिण अमरीका और भारत में पर्मियन और कार्बोनिफेरस काल के प्रारूपिक भूवैज्ञानिक लक्षण मिलते हैं। पर्मियन गोंडवाना में मिलने वाला सबसे सामान्य पत्ता ग्लोसोप्टेरिस है, जो जीभ के आकार का एक पत्ता है जिसमें जटिल जालीदार शिराविन्यास होता है। ग्लोसोप्टेरिस के पत्ते और कुछ प्रकार के कशेरुकी जीवों का समस्त गोंडवाना देशों में मिलना पिछली शताब्दी के प्रारंभ में प्रतिपादित महाद्वीपीय अपसरण सिद्धांत के लिए एक महत्त्वपूर्ण प्रमाण है। वैज्ञानिकों में यह सिद्धांत काफ़ी अर्से तक विवादास्पद रहा क्योंकि प्लेट टेक्टोनिक की (अर्थात भू-पटलों के खिसकने की) जिस अवधारणा पर वह टिकी है उसके काम करने की रीति अभी हाल ही में ज्ञात हुई है। प्लेट टेक्टोनिक के अनुसार गोंडवाना एक चलायमान भू-पटल पर स्थित था जो खिसकता रहा और टूटता रहा और उसके टुकड़े अभी के महाद्वीप बने।

संदर्भ: भारतकोश-मैकल पर्वतमाला