A War That Changed Odisha Forever

No war in the history of India is as important either for its intensity or for its results as the Kalinga war of Ashoka. No wars in the annals of human history have changed the heart of the victor from one of wanton cruelty to that of exemplary piety as this one. From its fathomless womb, the history of the world may find out only a few wars to its credit which may be equal to this war and not a single one that would be greater than this. The political history of mankind is a history of wars and no war has ended with so successful a mission of peace for the entire war-torn humanity as the war of Kalinga. - Ramesh Prasad Mohapatra, Military History Of Odisha

When the history of Odisha was not so peaceful; Image Source: Quora

Odisha is famous for its tranquil environment where peace dominates over violence. However, this was not the case in the past. As we had a walk through the old memory lanes of Odisha where ancient cities and mythological stories have fascinated us, there are a lot more mysteries and controversies buried underneath the ravages of time. The beautiful monuments and serene rivers that we see today had a bloody and horrific past. Though an elaborate past with various kings ruling over the territory, one particular war has been etched to Odisha’s history and will continue to remain so for decades to come.

Kalinga- a region that flourished with peace and prosperity since time immemorial was yet to see the worst. With artistically-skilled people, Kalinga had successful trade relations with countries far and wide. The northern part of Kalinga, popularly known by the name of Utkala, was the first region to bring forth the concept of navy and many of its traders travelled to southeast Asia for trading purposes. Despite advances in the field of navy and trading, Kalinga was the perfect amalgamation of forest tribalism and Brahmanism.

The mighty Nanda dynasty ruled over Kalinga until 321 BCE. Later on, when the King of Kalinga took up the throne, Kalinga rose to new heights of success. On the other hand, King Ashoka began feeling insecure about his position. Though Ashoka was one of the most powerful kings of India, poet Kalidasa too described King of Kalinga as ‘Mahodadhi Pati’ or ‘the lord of the ocean’ in one of his works. Not only King Ashoka, but the entire Mauryan Empire saw Kalinga as a threat as it had the power to interrupt the connections between Pataliputra and its possessions in the central India peninsula.

Ashoka’s grandfather, Chandragupta Maurya too had tried to annex Kalinga but was repulsed. To fulfil his grandfather’s dreams and eliminate all possibilities of ever getting thrown off the regal throne, King Ashoka sent a message to the King of Kalinga asking him to submit his overlordship. Little did Ashoka expect that King Kalinga would refuse his order to submit to the kingdom.

Enraged at his refusal, Ashoka led a huge army in 261 BCE. Since Kalinga War was his first major war after succeeding the throne, Ashoka wanted to win at all cost. The King of Kalinga commanded his army with great courage and valour, but his army was no match to the humongous Mauryan army. Ashoka was in awe after seeing the Kalinga army fighting with all their might and valour to safeguard their motherland.

After the gruesome battle came to an end, Ashoka began the estimation- an estimation that would change him for good. More than 1,50,000 soldiers were taken as hostages, 1,00,000 soldiers lost their lives and many more succumbed due to injuries. The famous Daya River which is at present situated near Dhauli was said to have turned red due to the amount of blood of the dead and injured soldiers.

Though Ashoka won as a warrior, he failed as a human being. Insistent on winning at any cost, he failed to fathom the amount of destruction that the war would bring with it. After seeing the corpses of soldiers and families that were wailing over their losses, he felt that he was solely responsible for the destruction. Leaving the path of violence, King Ashoka went on to adopt a simple life and embraced ahimsa or non-violence. Known as Ashoka The Great, his rule was filled with harmony, peace, and prosperity.

Thereafter, the Mahameghavahana dynasty succeeded the Nanda dynasty and from here started a new era of rule in Kalinga. Out of all the kings of this dynasty, King Kharvela was the most popular. Being the third ruler of the Mahameghavahana dynasty, the majority of the information about his life could be found in the inscriptions of Hathigumpha in Udayagiri. According to this inscription, the dynasty was also known as the Chedi dynasty.

The story of Odisha doesn’t come to an end here as we would come up with the stories of many more dynasties who transformed Odisha into a state like no other. Stay tuned!