Kharavela

Kharavela acceded the throne in the region of Kalinga in the 1st century B.C. The ruler was the descendant of the Mahameghavana dynasty that established its rule in the early half of the century. Kharavela was the third ruler of the dynasty who acceded the throne at an early age after the sudden premature death of his father. The Hatigumpha inscription in Udayagiri bear evidence of the glorious rule of king Kharavela.

According to the inscriptions in Hatigumpha, Kharavela was one of the gallant kings of the region. During his reign he invaded the Satavahana kingdom and captured its territories. The Indo Greek army that had settled in Mathura retreated sensing danger from King Kharavela. During his rule, the king expanded his political territory to north and south India. He defeated the Tamil Confederacy that had existed in the region for more than three hundred years. On encroaching the Magadha empire, the king of Magadha, Brihaspati Mitra, laid down his arms and surrendered to Kharavela.

The king returned with several conquests and treasures to his own kingdom. He returned with the Kalinga Jina from Magadha which the kingdom had lost three hundred years earlier to Mahapadmananda. After defeating the Indo Greeks, Kharavela had constructed the victory palace at Kalinga which was an important center of Jainism. The king promoted the religion in his kingdom. He excavated the Kumari hills to built cave dwellings for the Jain monks. The inscriptions in Udayagiri reveal that the king was also a patron of performing arts. Performances on dance and music were frequently organized in the capital city of Kalinganagari during his rule.

The encapsulating history of Orissa provides details of the rule of Mahameghavahana Kharavela only till the 13th year of his reign. It is assumed that his son, Kudepasiri succeeded him. The rule of the dynasty continued till the end of the first century.