Draft:Gauda invasions of Orissa

Gauda invasion of Orissa
Date 595-606 AD Location Ganjam,Mayurbhanj,Tosali,Kongoda (region) Result Gauda Victory
Belligerents
Gauda kingdom	Rajarsitulyakula Shailodbhava dynasty durjaya Ganjam Vigraha kingdom Balasore rebels Uriyan kingdoms
Commanders and leaders
Shashanka	Bhimasena II  Prithvi Vigraha † Madhavraja II

Important crisis

• Jayanaga's Odisha campaign
• Conquest of Ganjam
• Conquest of Balasore
• Shasanka's invasion of Shivadbhava Kingdom

The invasion and Aftermath

Shashanka invaded and possibly occupied Toshali (or Utkala including modern day Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Cuttack, Keonjhar and Dhenkanal) and South Toshali (or Kalinga or Kongoda including Cuttack, Puri and Ganjam) from the Mudgalas. A copper plate grant from Somadatta's 19th regnal year calls him the ruler of Utkala and Dandabhukti(Dantan in South-Western Midnapore) and he assumes the subordinate royal title of samanta-maharaja under Shashanka.

Shashanka seemed to have established another fief called Kongoda under a new ruling family called Shailodbhava. The Ganjam grant of Madhavaraja II was issued on the occasion of solar eclipse. Lorenz Franz Kielhorn worked out the two nearest possible dates which could have corroborated with the Gupta year mentioned in this record, the two solar eclipses that could have been visible from Ganjam district being on 4 November, 617 CE and 2 September, 620 CE. Evidently the possible date of the grant is the latter one. Immediately after 620 CE, Madhavaraja II might have assumed independence from Shashanka. After this Shashanka was no more in the political arena of Odisha when Madhavaraja II issued his Khordha grant which describes him as "lord of the whole of Kalinga".