During the Sailodbhavas

[Full title: Political and Religious History of Orissa (12): During the Sailodbhavas]

After the death of Harshavardhan, many independent rulers came up, one such was the Sailodbhavas, who rose to power ruled in Kangoda from 550 CE to 736 CE and they had their sway up to the river Mahanadi. The rulers of this dynasty were mainly followers of Brahmanical Hinduism and devout worshippers of Lord Siva.

An inscription was found from Padampur (Koraput Distt. Orissa), which reads as: “Sri Chandrabkhabhadrakhan Dharmmakirtti” (Sircar 1951-52: 258). The inscription can be ascribed to the seventh century CE. Dharmakirti is a Buddhist philosopher and during this period Udyotakara a great Brahmanical philosopher flourished in India. Dharmakirtti has criticized Udyotakara in his Nayayavinda and Udyotakara has criticized Dharmakirti in his Vadanyaya. It is really astonishing that while Dharmakirti of the Mahayana school was most worshipped by the Lamas of Tibet; but his influence was strictly checked by the Sailodbhavas in Kangoda. This indicates that the Sailodbhavas were staunch followers of Brahmanism and succeeded in keeping the country free of Buddhist influence (Behera 1982:76-77). This view is based upon the information given by Hiuen-Tsang; he did not find even a single Buddhist monastery in Kongoda region during his visit. During Hiuen-Tsangs visit Madhavaraja II (610-655 CE) was the ruler of Kongodamandala (Behera 1982:80) and he had accepted the over lordship of Sasanka, the king of Karnasuvarna. According to Aryamanjusiri Mulakalpa (De 1953:38-39) Sasanka was an arch enemy of Buddhism and a great patron of Saivism and so during his reign it is said that he not only subjugated Kongoda but also kept it free from Buddhism by using his influence over Sailodbhava Kings (Satapathy 2000:73). Madhavraja II of Sailodbhava dynasty faithfully adhered to the same religious policy of Sasanka.

It is believed that the Sailenderas of Suvarnadvipa were the Sailodbhavas who being hard pressed between the Bhaumas of Utkala and Gangas of Kalinga migrated to Malayasia. The Mahayana Buddhist art of the Sailenderas of Java has strong affinities with the Early Medieval Orissan Art. It is also believed that during this period the mature art form of Orissa travelled to Java. P. Mukherjee has remarked in his book:

“The Buddhist images of Ratnagiri are the products of a mature art, which spread to Java during the rule of the Sailendera king who belonged to the Sailodbhava Dynasty of Kangoda. There are striking similarities between the images found in Lalitgiri, Ratnagiri and Udaygiri and those of Buddha and Bodhisattva of Borobadur in Java. Both are distinguished by the same clarity and severity of concept, and the same spiritual zeal”.