Mekala

Mekala
Geographical region
Location of Mekala
ContinentAsia
CountriesIndia
States or ProvincesMadhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh
LanguageGondi language
Chhattisgarhi language

Mekala is a historical region of India, extending from Amarkantak to Balaghat. It corresponds to the Maikal Hills, which comprises the present-day Kawardha District of Chhattisgarh state and Anuppur district of Madhya Pradesh.[1][2] In the medieval period, the region was ruled by the Panduvamshis of Mekala.[3]

History

In the Vishnu Purana, it was mentioned that seven kings would rule over Mekala. The Pushpamitras produced thirteen kings who ruled over this tract in the 3rd century CE and the "Patumitras" succeeded them.[4] However, H.H. Wilson in his translation of the Vishnu Purana, states that the number of Pushpamitra rulers is unknown while the Patumitras had thirteen kings.[5]

In the 5th century CE, the Panduvamshis of Mekala rose in the region and ruled as feudatories of the Gupta Empire. The region came under the suzerainty of the Vakataka king Narendrasena and Harishena.[6] The subsequent history of the region is not recorded, but the region probably came under the sway of the Panduvamshis of Dakshina Kosala, who were possibly related to the earlier Panduvamshis of Mekala.[7]

The Amarkantak portion of the region passed into the hands of the Kalachuris of Tripuri. The Kalachuri king Karna commissioned the beautiful temples in Amarkantak.[8][9] When the Kalachuris of Tripuri had declined, a cadet branch of their dynasty called the Haihaiyas of Ratanpur took control of the whole region. They are said to have built the actual town of Amarkantak.[10]

In the 16th century, the portion of the Mekala located in Madhya Pradesh was conquered by the Rajgond dynasty of Garha-Mandla. Two of Garha-Mandla's capitals- Ramnagar and Mandla, were located in the Mekala region.[11] Eventually, the Haihaiyas of Ratanpur and Garha-Mandla were invaded and annexed by the Nagpur Kingdom within the Maratha Empire. It is probably at this point that Mekala lost its identity as a separate region. The Nagpur Kingdom was forced to cede the area to the East India Company in 1818 after the Third Anglo-Maratha War. The area comprising Mekala later formed a part of the Central Provinces under British rule in India.[12][13]

Geography

The Mekala region is located in Central India and is mostly forested. The region corresponds to the Maikal Hills, the meeting point of the Vindhya and Satpura mountain ranges.[14] Its core territory comprises the present-day Kawardha District of Chhattisgarh state and Anuppur district of Madhya Pradesh.[1][15] According to Verrier Elwin and Shamrao Hivale, the region extended from Amarkantak to Balaghat district.[2]

Several streams and major rivers like the Narmada and Son originate from Amarkantak located in the Maikal Hills.[16][17] In the medieval period, this region was an important forest which provided elephants to the armies of kings.[11]

References

  1. ^ a b Bhattacharyya, Pranab Kumar (2010). Historical Geography of Madhyapradesh from Early Records. Motilal Banarsidass Publishers. ISBN 978-81-208-3394-4.
  2. ^ a b Elwin, Verrier; Hivale, Shamrao (1944). Folk-songs of the Maikal Hills. Man in India.
  3. ^ Shastri 1995, pp. 124.
  4. ^ Ashvini Agrawal (1989). Rise and Fall of the Imperial Guptas (Hardcover). Motilal Banarsidass. p. 211. ISBN 9788120805927.
  5. ^ Wilson, H.H., ed. (1868). The Vishnu Purana a System of Hindu Mythology and Tradition Translated from the Original Sanskrit, and Illustrated by Notes Derived Chiefly from Other Puranas by the Late H.H. Wilson: 4. Trubner & C. pp. 213–215.
  6. ^ Ramesh Chandra Majumdar (1986). Vakataka - Gupta Age Circa 200-550 A.D. Motilal Banarsidass. p. 92. ISBN 978-81-208-0026-7.
  7. ^ Shastri 1995, pp. 132–133.
  8. ^ Yatra 2 Yatra. Yatra2Yatra. 2009.
  9. ^ "Interesting facts about Amarkantak Temple | History & Information of Amarkantak". HollyMelody | Travel Guide and Tips | Amazing Facts & History. 9 September 2019.
  10. ^ Mehta, Behram H. (1984). Gonds of the Central Indian Highlands. Concept Publishing Company. p. 263.
  11. ^ a b Mishra 2008, p. 20.
  12. ^ Malleson, G. B.: An historical sketch of the native states of India, London 1875, Reprint Delhi 1984
  13. ^ Philip F. McEldowney (1980). Colonial Administration and Social Developments in middle India: The Central Provinces, 1861-1921 - Ph.D. Dissertation. University of Virginia.
  14. ^ Singh, K. N. (19 March 2023). The Journey from Ayodhya to Ram Setu. Book Rivers. pp. 75–76. ISBN 978-93-5515-901-4.
  15. ^ "Maikal Hill Range in India". www.india9.com.
  16. ^ Lévi, Sylvain; Przyluski, Jean; Bloch, Jules (1993). Pre-Aryan and Pre-Dravidian in India. Asian Educational Services. ISBN 978-81-206-0772-9.
  17. ^ Vegaḍa, Amr̥talāla (2008). Narmada: River of Beauty. Penguin Books. ISBN 978-0-14-310055-3.

Bibliography