Kalinga and Ramanadesa Talaing Pyi
Kalinga and
Dr. Benudhar Patra
http://orissagov.nic.in/e-magazine/Orissareview/nov2005/
engpdf/Kalinga_and_Burma-A_StudyAncient_Relations.pdf
(
(ATemple in Orissa)
Orissa, popularly known as Kalinga in the
ancient times was a very powerful kingdom.
Traditionally extending from the river
the north to the
western coast of the
ample opportunity to be a flourishing maritime power.
(The Daya River in Kalinga, Present Day Orissa, on the Bank of Which
Emperor Asoka Conquered Kalinga)
The vast coast line of Kalinga was studded with
a number of navigable ports whence the merchants and
sailors plyed to different far-off countries in
pursuit of fortune. Tamralipti, Chelitalo /
Manikapatna, Palur, Khalkattapatna, Pithunda,
Kalingapatnam were some of the significant
ports worthy to be mentioned.
(The Rangoon River or Hlaing River On the Bank of Which Okkalppa or
Utkal was Situated)
Kalinga had maritime contact not only with the Asian
countries but also with
Empire. Since time immemorial she had brisk
contact with Srilanka and south-east Asian
countries. It is said that the evolution of Hindu
culture in the
of Sri Vijaya empire in
Kalingan maritime contact. Vijaya, the first king of
had also Kalingan origin.
(Rangoon River Bank with Shwedagon Pagoda in the Background:
Taphutha and Balika are Tapassu and Ballika of Kalinga)
With this sketchy background, in the
present paper, an endeavour has been
made to bring out the ancient relations
of Kalinga with
maintained close contact with
(
(World Peace Pagoda Built by Japan and Orissa State Government in Orissa)
From the Burmese traditions it
is gleaned that the people of Kalinga had
established colonies in
immemorial .
directly accessible by both land and sea routes
naturally attracted Indian traders, merchants,
missionaries and more ardent military spirits
from a very early period. As such, the
geographical proximity of Kalinga and
and their location on the north-western and
(Buddha Image in World Peace Pagoda in Orissa)
north-eastern parts of the
respectively provided favourable conditions for
the establishment of maritime contact between
the two.
G.E.Geriniin his researches on
Ptolemy's Geography has pointed out that the
mighty people of Kalinga had colonized
much before emperor Ashoka led his victorious
soldiers into Kalinga. B.C.Majumdar
advocates that the Kalingans established an
empire in
before the rise of Buddhism. In absence of
authentic data these views sometimes,
however, appears to be mere exaggerations.
Without an analysis we can not say exactly the
role played by the Kalingans in
The Jatakas, the Arthasastra of
Kautilya (cir.4th CBC), and the
Mahaniddesa(cir.3rd CBC) have references
to
The classical writers refers to it as Chryse and
Golden Khersonese. J.G.Scott observes it
seems more likely that the Golden Chersonese
is simply a translation of the name
Suvarnabhumi, the classic, or sacred name of
Burma. The Cinghalese (Cylonese) monks
have given the name Brahma-desa to Burma.
(The Shwedagon Pagoda at Night in Rangoon or Okkalappa, Dagon)
The Arab geographers mention the Mon
country of lower
Ramanadesa. The Mahajanaka Jataka
(no.539) states that prince Mahajanaka
reached Suvarnabhumi with 350 persons.
Acccording to H.B.Sarkar evidently they had
gone there with the purpose of colonization.
The Tagaung Yazawin, a late Burmese
chronicle based on earlier traditions says that
Abhi Raja of Kapilavastu, who became the first
ruler of
as early as cir 923 BC. He is said to have
arrived in
the kingdom called Sangassarattha in the
Tagaung country of Burma.
According to Burmese tradition, another Indian prince
named Chandravamsa, said to be a brother of
Ashoka's chief Queen Asandhimitra, came to
But the date of Chandravamsa's arrival in
traditions appears to be wrong, as this date
would make him a contemporary of Ashoka's
grandfather Chandragupta Maurya and not that
of Ashoka. However, this prince is said to have
built a new capital city called Shue-hnanmyo (
the
by Ashoka's son Mahendra. Mahendra is
reputed to have built a monastery on the
Yangoma hill in the vicinity of the capital and is
believed to have preached Theravada
Buddhism in the kingdom before his departure
for Ceylon
From the above narration though
we can not be able to determine exactly the
date of influx of Indians into
one thing is evident that in the pre-centuries of
the Christian era many Indian settlers from
northern
carved out small principalities in different places
of
of water routes to
the trade centres on the banks of
direct water routes for Suvarnabhumi
(
(Kalinga Rastra) in the seventh century B.C.
The Buddhagat, the sacred Burmese scripture
refers to a steady commercial interaction with
which soon led to the missionary undertakings
for the propagation of their religion, and
afterwards to the assumption of political
supremacy in the land
Tapassu and Bhalluka,the first lay disciples of Buddha,
supposed to be two merchant brothers of Utkal ( another
name of Orissa ) went to the golden land
(
Buddha (given by the Buddha himself) and
enshrined under the Shwe Dagon Pagoda at
Rangoon.
Besides, there are evidences to
prove that certain sections of the people
migrated from Kalinga and had their settlements
there who were known as the Talaing people.
The new Kalingarat in
designation Mudu Kalinga. (Mudu means
three, thus, Mudu Kalinga is Trikalinga).
From the Mon chronicles it is known that two
Buddhist monks, Sona and Uttara were
deputed to the Golden land by the Third
Buddhist synod at Pataliputra in cir.241 BC
According to G.E.Gerini before Ptolemy
wrote his geography in the second century
A.D., the rule of the Kalingans centred around
at least three places in
(ii) the valley of the Arakan river, and (iii) Pegu
proper around the gulf of Martaban.
G.Coedes has also observed that in lower
come from Orissa.
According to R.F.St.Andrew and
A.D. 300, people from the east coast of the
of the
appears to have been Thaton or
Saddhammanagara. Thus, on the basis of
these evidences it can be inferred that there was
brisk relationship between Kalinga and
in the pre and the beginning centuries of the
Christian era.
K.C.Panigrahi, observed that the
people of Kalinga (Orissa) entered into lower
permanently, changing even names of cities and
some parts of Burma.The view of Professor
Panigrahi, however, requires to be scrutinised.
No doubt, Kalinga had tremendous influence
on Burmese place names and monuments.
On the other hand,
elements of culture too. The ruins of a ship which
have been excavated at Tante, near
is even believed to have belonged to the
merchants of Kalinga In
of Pegu was Ussa which is a form of Odra or
Orissa. Similarly, the old
was called Srikshetra, so often mentioned in
the Mon records as Sikset or Srikset
apparently was named after Srikshetra,
modern Puri of Orissa. It is said that
Srikshetra was the first great Hindu kingdom
beyond the frontier of East India. Hiuen Tsang
and I-Tsing, the Chinese pilgrims (7th CAD)
specifically say : Southward from this
(Kettara), and close to the sea-coast, there is
a country called Shi-li-cha-to-lo
(Shrikshetra.
(Ajanta Caves in Orissa from Which the Pagan Ananda Temple of
King Kyanzittha is Modelled as Told by the 8 Indian Holy Men)
In connection with the establishment of
the Shrikshetra kingdom the Shwezigon Pagoda
inscription records :
(Panoramic View of the Ajanta Caves in Kalinga or Orissa)
The Lord Buddha smiled
and Ananda asked the cause of this smile ; and
the lord spoke unto Ananda. Ananda, hereafter
a sage named Bishnu, great in supernatural
power, great in glory, possessing the five
transcendental faculties, together with my son
Ganapati and King Indra and
Bissukarmadevaput (putra) and
Katakarmmanagaraja, shall build a city called
Sisit Srikhetra! ....... After the sage Bishnu has
built the city of
(and ) in the city of
shall become king Sri Tribhuvanaditya
Dharmaraja.Tribhuvanaditya Dharmaraja
has been identified with king Kyanzittha of Pagan.
(The Ananda Temple of King Kyanzittha at Bagan (Pagan)
The king had claimed about Buddha's prediction
in founding Srikshetra by him. Similarly, the
north-western part of
extending from
known as Ukkala or Utkalapa; a variant of
Utkala or Odisa. According to R.C.
Majumda the name Utkala originally applied
to a region in the delta in lower
colonists from the Orissa coast. The Talaings,
the ruling races of lower
known as the
Triglypton or Trilingon. Gerinihas identified
Triglypton of Ptolemy with Kale / Kula.
It is now universally acknowledged that the Talaing
people of
name from Trikalinga. G.E. Harvey says that
the name Talainga could have been derived from
Telengana, a region on the
coast. However, Trikalingas as a name used
to mean almost the whole of the Andhra -
Kalinga zone. Thus, without any doubt it can
be presumed that the people of Kalinga went
there at different stages of history and started
the process of colonization.
G.E.Geriniobserved that the Kalingans alongwith the
Andhras, founded in
consisting of three districts or separate
communities called Tri-Kalinga or Tri-linga, a
name from which the term Telingana was
derived, and employed to designate the country
of Kalinga proper, on the western side of the
shore, which had been colonized by them.
About Kalinga -
contact, and the changes that took place in
form Kalinga, N.R.Rayhas aptly described:
In Thalon i.e. the ancient
Rammanades, the land par excellence of the
Tailangas, the Indian, at least the Brahmanical
elements was imported decidedly from Orissa,
the ancient Odra or Kalinga. The ancient name
attributed to old Prome is Srikshetra, so
often mentioned in the Mon records as Sikset
or Srikset, and by the Chinese pilgrims as Sili-
cha-ta-lo ; and Srikshetra is the holy land of
Puri on the ancient Kalinga coast. The name
Srikshetra given to old Prome may be
apocryphal, but attribution itself is significant,
however late it may be.
The old name for Pegu is Ussa which is but a form of Odra or Orissa.
It is difficult to disbelieve that Pegu colonized
from Orissa or was once dominated by a people
who migrated from Orissa. Indeed, these
classical names are but survivals of actual
colonization from the original countries
inhabited by the colonists themselves. The latter
authorities who used those names did not satisfy
their whims alone but their origins. Lower
are still called Tailangas. The term used as
early as 1107 A.D. in Mon records is but a
deviation of Telingana or Trikalinga, a name
used to mean almost the whole of the Andhra-
Kalinga zone.
Apart from the similarity of names, there
are some prominent architectural evidences
showing the cultural affinity of the two regions.
In some of the sculptures of the Shewezayan
Pagoda at Thaton, similarities with the Orissan
art are found. The dress and hair style of some
of the females are of the Orissan varieties. Some
of the bas-reliefs of the Pagoda in high technical
as well as artistic efficiency show affinity with
the early medieval sculptures of Orissa. The
resemblance of a Siva image seated with Parvati
of the above Pagoda with Hara-Parvati on the
outer walls of Vaital
the most striking one.
the Pagan king (CAD 1084-1113),
in intimate touch with
It was during his rule that many Buddhists and
Vaishnavas from
During his reign the famous Ananda
regarded as the master-piece of Burman
architecture was also designed and
constructed. In this temple, the Orissan
influence is evident in architectural and
decorative programmes.
The legend speaks that Kyanzittha had heard
from eight monks of
this inspired him to construct the Ananda temple
in imitation of Ananta. The king is said to have fed eight
Indian monks with his own hands for three
months. He is also believed to have repaired
the holy
The construction style of the stupas at Prome which
have cylinderical drums with hemispherical or
ogival domes probably originated in north-east
the Orissa coast. Another characteristic form of Pyu architecture
found at Hmawza (old Prome ) is the type of building
with an inner chamber surmounted by a
tapering superstructure known in
Sikhara, which also has its origin in the
architecture of Orissa.It is observed that the
Sikharas of the monuments of Prome are
remarkable in similarity with the temples at
It is believed that Burmese Mahayana and Tantric
sect of Buddhism came from Orissa and Bengal.
Besides, the discovery of coins and medals with
Hindu symbols at Pegu prove that there was
good trade relation between Kalinga and
Burma.The trade link with
proved by the discovery of a brown glazed
ware, known as Maratuan ware, after the name
of the place located in
This Burmese ware is available both in thick
and thin variety
We have very meagre information
regarding ancient ports and port-towns of
different parts of
ports on its coast. Hiuen Tsang places Prome
near a sea-harbour. Martaban, Cirion
(Syrian) and Bassein have been referred to as
sea-ports of
various commodities from different countries
i.e. painted cloth from Masulipatanam, white
cloth from
porcelain from
pepper from
opium etc. from
clear-cut reference to any of the import items
from Kalinga as Kalinga in ancient times was
very famous for her fine cotton garments. It
must have exported the same alongwith other
articles to
The Kalingan sailors,
however, used both land and sea-routes in
course of their journey to
So far land route is concerned, the most
popular route used by the north Indians was
via Pundravardhan and Kamarupa. In course
of his discussion regarding the penetration and
establishment of a dominion in
Kalingans G.E. Gerinihas referred to a route.
He observed since the Kalingans and the
Andhras appear to have been in the third
century B.C., master of the valley of the Gangas
from the frontier of
easy to conceive on the one part that the
Kalingans could penetrate into western
through Silhet, Manipur and the Kubo valley,
and establish thereat a dominion called Mudu-
Kalinga or Tri-Kalinga; and that the Andhras,
in their turn could easily advanced along the
coast line as far the Naf or the Kuladan.
Gerini, however, has wrongly mixed up the
Andhras with the Kalingans, because in the
third century BC, Kalinga, no doubt, was an
independent powerful dominion and was the
immediate neighbour of
upto the sea, a fact which has been attested to
by the bloody Kalinga war of cir.261BC. It is
also an admitted fact that Ashoka invaded
Kalinga to capture her flourishing ports.
The Kalingan sailors plyed their ships
from the ports of Tamralipti, Palur etc. along
the coast of Bengal to
ancient period, coasting voyage was the order
of the day.
It is believed that this route was
regularly followed by sailors of both Kalinga
and northern
direct route from Paloura (Palur) to Sada which
was frequently used by the Kalingans in course
of their journey to
port touched at in Ptolemy's time by ships
proceeding from
the
people of Kalinga used to take the help of the
south-west monsoon in course of their onward
journey to
they could avail the north-east monsoon wind.
To conclude, we can say that Orissa in ancient
times had close commercial and cultural contact
with
different aspects of the culture of
though it is not an easy task to measure it
exactly.
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