BHUBANESWAR: The most fascinating part of Odisha’s medieval history is that the queens almost served as an index of the diplomatic connections the state had, said author and historian Anirudh Kanisetti at the 14th Odisha Literary Festival on Saturday.
In a conversation with senior journalist and session moderator Kaveree Bamzai on ‘Odisha and the Medieval World: A Snapshot’, Kanisetti said queens like Prithvi Mahadevi were instrumental in diplomatic relations and political stability. They held real power, often acting as patrons of art and religion, and maintained dynastic continuity.
He described Ratnagiri as one of the most important early sites of tantric development in Odisha. “Patronised by several medieval dynasties, including the Bhaumakaras, the Buddhist monastry reflects Odisha’s importance in the development of religious ideas,” said the award-winning author.
Speaking about Lingaraj temple, the historian pointed out that its architectural form neither fitted into the North Indian nor the South Indian model. “The temple complex is an evidence of Odisha’s position as a crossroads of ideas between different parts of the sub-continent,” he said.
Kanisetti further added, “In medieval India, the mark of a great conqueror, which is to say the mark of a great politician, is to build a great temple.” He cited the example of the Sun Temple at Konark. Referring to a sculpture of a war horse on the premises of the Sun Temple, Kanisetti said it symbolised victory of the Eastern Ganga ruler Narasimhadeva I over the Bengal Sultanate.
The historian showed another image of a sculpture where King Narasimhadeva I is worshipping two deities, one Goddess Katyayani and another Lord Jagannath. He said there are various ways to read what it could mean. “The most straightforward way of reading it is that the king is doing it on behalf of Lord Jagannath. The way I would read this is that the king no longer wants his power to be visible. And so, he finds a more effective way to do this is by binding together his political power with religious devotion,” Kanisetti said.
He, however, said accepting historical narratives at face value might not be appropriate. Speaking about archaeology and textual history, he said archaeological evidence does not always confirm what royal inscriptions claim.
The ‘Lords of Earth and Sea’ author further said that history needs to be approached with greater complexity. “The reality of history, obviously, is going to be much more nuanced. It’s going to be much more messy. It’s going to be much more grey,” he concluded.