“Kalabhras – an offshoot of Gangas” - a critical review

Further, Western Gangas (or Konkars) was an important ruling dynasty of ancient Karnataka in India which lasted from about 350 to 1000 CE. They are known as ‘Western Gangas’ to distinguish them from the ‘Eastern Gangas’ who in later centuries ruled over Kalinga (modern Odisha). The general belief is that the Western Gangas began their rule during a time when multiple native clans asserted their freedom due to the weakening of the Pallava Empire in South India, a geo-political event sometimes attributed to the southern conquests of Samudra Gupta. The Western Ganga sovereignty lasted from about 350 AD to 550 AD, initially ruling from Kolar and later, moving their capital to Talakadu on the banks of the Kaveri River in modern Mysore district. The capital of Kalabhras “Nandi Hills” falls well within the territory of Western Ganga Dynasty. Gangas show a continuous genealogy from 350 AD to 999 AD as given below. The Gangas history has not noted down any conflicts with Kalabhras through out their long history. Further, Pallavas and Pandias have fought the Kalabhras and overthrown them around 506 AD but the history of Gangas fails to record any conflicts with them. Please find the list below for the Genealogy of Western Ganga kings (350 AD – 999 AD):

1.        Konganivarman Madhava (350–370)

2.        Madhava (370–390)

3.        Harivarman (390–410)

4.        Vishnugopa (410–430)

5.        Madhava III Tandangala (430–469)

6.        Avinita (469–529)

7.        Durvinita (529–579)

8.        Mushkara (579–604)

9.        Polavira (604–629)

10.      Srivikrama (629–654)

11.      Bhuvikarma (654–679)

12.      Shivamara I (679–726)

13.      Sripurusha (726–788)

14.      Shivamara II (788–816)

15.      Rachamalla I (816–843)

16.      Ereganga Neetimarga (843–870)

17.      Rachamalla II (870–907)

18.      Ereganga Neetimarga II (907–921)

19.      Narasimha (921–933)

20.      Rachamalla III (933–938)

21.      Butuga II (938–961)

22.      Marulaganga Neetimarga (961–963)

23.      Marasimha II Satyavakya (963–975)

24.      Rachamalla IV Satyavakya (975–986)

25.      Rachamalla V (Rakkasaganga) (986–999)

26.      Neetimarga Permanadi (999)

From the above genealogy of Gangas it can be observed that they both predate and post date “Kalabhras of Nandi Hills”. Further, as Ganga King Avinita (469 AD – 529AD) and his son Durvinita (529 AD – 579 AD) are jains, we can assume that the Kalabhras, who themselves are ardent followers of Jainism, are an offshoot (or a vassal) of Western Gangas that has declared independence from them sometime during the period of Madhava III Tandangala (430 AD – 469 AD).

Even after the defeat of Kalabhras at the hands of Pallavas and Pandias around 506 AD, traces of their History can be found till 775 AD as local Chieftains in the anals of Tamil History (as given in Pulloor and Kottrangkudi Copper Plate Grant of Nanthivarman - 2, Thirty Pallava Copper Plates published by The Tamil Varalattru Kalagam). After that, the Kalabhras completely disappeared from the history of medieval Pandias and Cholas.

From all the above facts, it is only wise to conclude that the Kalabhras ruled Tamilnadu from 467 AD to 506 AD only as an Empire constituting the entire Chera, Chola, Pandia, Pallava territories and later survived as minor Chieftain under Tamils from 506 AD to 775 AD and became extinct after that.