Part 1 - The Matsyas of Oddadi (A.D. 1200-1470)

An important dynasty in South Kalinga, the Matsyas ruled over the Matyadesa i.e. Oddadivishaya with capital at Oddadi, 16 miles from Anakapalle in Vizagopatam district for a period of two and half centuries from about A.D. 1200 to 1470, Their ancestry goes back to the 5th century A.D. The Matsyas had their own crest seal and coinage and two Matsyas i.e. double fish was their emblem. They may have had some connection with the Pandyas whose emblem was also fish. The Matsya kings were great warriors and had important military successes to their credit. They contracted alliance of marriage with the Pallavas of Virakuta, the Gangas of Jantarnadu etc. Occassion-ally, the Matsya expeditions reached Draksharama.

Political condition in South Kalinga at the end of the 12th Century

The Ganga emperors in this period were—Anantavarman Chodaganga till A.D. 1148, his son Kamarnava (A.D. 1148-1158), his brother Raghava (A.D. 1156-1170) and Rajaraja II, the third son of Anantavarman (A.D. 1170-1190) his younger brother Anangabhima II or Aniyankabhima (A.D. 1190-1198) and Rajaraja III (A.D. 1198-1212). “With the accession of Rajaraja III a new era begins in Orissan history.” The rulers between Anantavarman and Rajaraja III were not powerful. Consequently the political atmosphere was condusive for the rise of new dynasties. And one such was the Matsya dynasty of Oddadi.

Sources and origin

Inscriptions—all stone records except the Dibbida copperplate grant in the Madras Museum form the main source for the history of the Matsyas. References in the records of the Pallavas of Virakuta, Gangas of Janturnadu and the Reddis give some additional but important details.

The Mythical ancestry of the Matsyas is as follows

From the navel lotus of Vishnu was born Brahma, from whom Atri was born. Atri’s son was Kayapa in whose lineage was born sage Naranga. Naranga, one day while wandering in the sky saw river Matsya which rises on Mukunda mountain, descended to its banks and was engaged in penance. To disturb him Indra sent Manjughosha who was transform into a fish by the curse of the sage. Their son was Satyamartanda Jayatsena, the lord of Utkala, came to know of Satyamartanda, married his daughter Prabhavati to him and appointed him to rule over the Oddadi country. Thus originated the Matsya kingdom of Oddadi. It is opined that the first rule of Matsya line ruled at the place Matsyakhuna in the vicinity of modern Kompagude (Kuphgudu) in Jeypore estate. The chronology of Satyamartanda is not known and is dependent on that of' Jayatsena whose identity in kalingan history is not established.

After Satya martanda, a long line of Matsa rulers ruled over Oddadi. A Matsya family is mentioned in the-Chipurupalle plates of Vishnuvardhana I (A.D. 632) of the Eastern Chalukyas. Atavi durjaya of this family was the executor of the grant of Kalvaganda in Dimilishaya in Sarvasiddhi Taluq to two Brahmans. Chipurupalle is in Vizagapatam district. Probably Atavi durjaya was one of the-successors of Satyamartanda, and served Vishnuvardhana. Or else he belonged to a collateral line of the Matsyas.

The names of the intermediaries between Satyamartanda and Gang a an younger brother of Bhima are not known. Vallabha was the son of Ganga and his son- was Yudhamalla. whose son was Gonaga. Gonaga’s son was Bhima. Bhima’s son was Revana I. Revana’s son was Kokkila, whose son was Gudda. Aditya was the son of Gudda, whose son was Kandi I. Kandi I had two sons—Gonanga II and Gudda II. Kandi II was the son of Gudda II Aditya was Arya who did not rule. Arya’s son was King Paraganda. Paraganda had two sons—Gudda III and Bhima III. Bhima’s son was Naranga, whose son was Mankaditya.

The details of the history of the Matsya kingdom during this period of seventeen generations from Bhima to Mankaditya is not known. The names Bhima, Vallabha, Yuddhamalla, Ganga, and Kokkila of kings seem to suggest their allegiance to the Eastern chalukyas, But the names of other kings—Ganga etc and the location of the kingdom perhaps show that the Matsyas must have ruled Oddadi as feudatories of the Gangas of Kalinga. We fmay note here, that the Kadambas in Kalinga land lords of Panchavishaya alias Panchapatravishaya had also Matsya lanchana. Whether the Matsyas are related to them is not known. The statement that the Matsyas of Matsyadesa were closely connected with the Pandava race is not supported by evidence but is a late origin of the Matsyas based on the names Arjuna—frequently borne by them from the 13th century onwards.