Bhaumakara Queens of Odisha

Bhaumakara Queens of Odisha

They ruled because it was their right

Who They Were

The origins of the Bhaumakaras is unclear. It is speculated that the Bhaumas were originally an aboriginal tribe occupying the hilly tracts in northern Odisha. The dates of their reign are still not known with certainty but it is believed they ruled between the 7th and 9th century CE. The long reign of the Bhaumakaras gave continuity of administration and relative peace to the realm. The first three rulers were Buddhist and the later rulers were Hindu. An interesting feature is that the Buddhist kings of this dynasty had Hindu wives. Both religions were well patronised in terms of grants for building temples and viharas. 

The Bhaumakaras are said to have retained elements of their tribal culture which allowed for female rulers. Over the two hundred years that the dynasty reigned, six queens sat on the throne and other powerful queens were influential consorts of kings.

As is obvious from the six queens we know of this dynasty, women had a high status in society. These queens acted independently in their own right, they were not acting as regents for male rulers unlike other dynasties. Of the six queens, five were dowagers (widows of previous kings) and one was a king’s daughter. All were highly educated and cultured. 

Each was known to have built temples and were patrons of the arts. 

The Bhaumakara dynasty patronised all religions and sects in their land. Among the rulers were Buddhists, Shiva bhaktas, Vaishnavas, Shakti upasakas. They gave grants and patronized other religions irrespective of their personal beliefs. This dynasty was very unusual in that many royal couples professed different religions from each other with no rancour.

Our source for medieval Odisha is inscriptions which have been meticulously recorded by all the rulers.

Pattachitra painting

Source: Wikipedia

The Six Queens of the Bhumakaras

Tribhuvanamahadevi (r 846-850 CE) ascended the throne under rather unusual circumstances. After the death of her husband Shantikaradeva I, their son Shubhakaradeva III became the ruler. However he died soon after. The next in line was his young son Subhakaradeva II, considered too young to rule. Thus his grandmother Tribhuvanamahadevi took over the reigns of the kingdom. She ruled in her own right, not as a regent for her grandson. Much like other queens such as the Kakatiya Queen Rudramadevi of Warangal and the Nayaka Queen Mangammal of Madurai, Tribhuvanamahadevi stepped in to steady the kingdom, and rule instead of her minor grandson until he came of age.

She was a daughter of Rajamalla I of the Western Ganga dynasty that ruled the region around Mysuru. It is recorded that initially she was reluctant to rule but was persuaded by the courtiers. What is interesting is that she was deemed by the people to have an authentic claim to the throne with no other man contending for it. It is speculated that she would have been between thirty-six to forty years of age at her coronation, although she was considered to be ‘elderly’ by the standards of the time!

The Dhenkanal copper plate charter mentions the grants of land she made to a village and another mentions a grant she made on the occasion of a lunar eclipse.

She was an efficient administrator who managed to keep her kingdom safe from enemies and came down heavily on rebellion. She took up the title of Paramavaishnavi. As a powerful ruler she maintained an army of 30,000 soldiers. Hadul-al-alam, a Persian work by an unknown author and geographer, mentions Tribhuvanamadevi as ‘a queen who does not consider anyone superior to herself’.

She might have had some assistance from her father Rajamalla I since the administration, and perhaps the financial condition of the Bhaumakaras, was precarious after quelling earlier Rashtrakuta and Pala invasions into Bhaumakara territory.

Tribhuvanamahadevi gave up the throne when her grandson Subhakaradeva II came of age.

The next queen to ascend the Bhaumakara throne was Prithvimahadevi who assumed the title of Tribhuvanamahadevi II. Her reign must have been very short since it was disputed by her nephews. She ruled in her own right, although in most other dynasties the throne would have gone to her husband’s nephews. 

A somewhat singular occurrence recorded in copper plate in Baud says that she gave grants to a common woman who petitioned that she wanted to build two temples in her father’s memory. It is noteworthy that such instances are usually not given much prominence in history books but to me it shows the queen had agency to take decisions, and the one that she took here was to help another woman, a commoner at that. 

Temples were not just places of worship but also centres of commerce and art. They had a snowball effect of drawing people from kilometers around, and because of this they attracted prosperity and spread culture. They did not just establish religion. Thus when Tribhuvanamahadevi II acceeded to the woman’s request for a grant, she was also investing in the local area’s commerce and arts, boosting its economy.

Gaurimahadevi had an extremely short reign but was able to maintain peace and order. She was succeeded by her daughter Dandimahadevi.

Dandimahadevi was a good administrator and was able to be an effective and powerful ruler. She kept her kingdom free from invasions. The mention of precious gems and pearls in her grants shows the prosperity of her reign.

None of the inscriptions of this ruler discovered so far, including the Patlinga copper plate in April 2006, that eulogise her rule and administrative capability mention her marital status. The Bhaumakara dynasty appears to have a singular tradition that enabled an unmarried princess to ascend to the throne and prove to be a capable ruler.

When Dandimahadevi died a premature death, she was succeeded by her step-mother Vakulamahadevi. There is a record of a grant of a village by her. Not much else is known.

Dharmamahadevi was the last known ruler of the Bhaumakara dynasty. Her rule is not significant.

The queens of the Bhaumakara dynasty kept up the tradition of commissioning inscriptions on copper plates, a valuable source of information to us today on this important dynasty in Odisha. 

Education is almost always the common point among women rulers who successfully overcome petty court politics, quell rebellion, protect their realm against invasions and yet are excellent administrators whose subjects are content and have armies who are willing to die for them. An unusual dynasty like the Bhaumakaras had rulers who had the position as a matter of course and because the throne was legitimately theirs, irrespective of whether they were men or women. Quite exceptional, that.

Ref:

Bhauma Art and Architecture of Orissa by Dr. Krishna Ch Panigrahi

From Obscurity to Light by Devika Rangachari

History of Odisha (From earliest times to 1434 AD) by Dr. Manas Kumar Das

Orissa Review 2006 - The Patlinga Copper Plate Grant Inscription of Dandi Mahadevi by SN Girish

#BlogchatterA2Z     https://www.theblogchatter.com/

A word about BlogchatterA2Z - This is an annual event during which I have taken up the challenge of blogging on Women in Indian History starting with A and ending in Z during the month of April, 2021. Here then is B - The unusual Bhaumakara Queens of Orissa. Drop in everyday to read my posts on other interesting women as I work my way down the alphabet to Z!