Kharavela
| Kharavela | |
|---|---|
| Chakravartin Kalingadhipati Maharaja | |
| Emperor of Kalinga | |
| Tenure | 1st century BCE |
| Predecessor | possibly Vriddharaja (a.k.a. Vudharaja) |
| Successor | Kudepasiri |
| Born | c. 1st century BCE Kalinga,(Present day Odisha, India) |
| Spouse | Sindhula of Sampath |
| Issue | Kudepasiri |
| Dynasty | Mahameghavahana |
| Religion | Jainism |
Kharavela was the emperor of Kalinga (present-day eastern coast of India) in the 2nd or 1st century BC. The primary source for Kharavela is his rock-cut Hathigumpha inscription. The inscription is undated, only four of its 17 lines are completely legible, others unclear, variously interpreted and disputed by scholars. The inscription is written in Brahmi script with Jainism-related phrases recites a year by year record of his reign. He was a follower of Jainism.
Kharavela is known for his military campaigns in Northern and Southern India. He has led victorious expeditions against Magadha, Satavahana and Tamil confederacy (lead by Pandya dynasty) and other kingdoms such as Rashtrikas and Bhojakas of Berar and Maharastra regions during his reign.
He was not only a great military general but also a good administrator. He undertook public works for the benefit of his people and in order to please them he remitted taxes and provided them with the occasions for merrymakings. The Hathigumpha inscription also mentions his public works such as repairing of the gates and buildings of his capital Kalinganagara, which was destroyed by a storm. These repairs and some other public works in the same year cost him thirty-five hundred thousand coins.