Kalinga (Mahabharata)

Kalinga clan warriors sided with Duryodhana in the Kurukshetra War due to matrimonial and harmony alliances between both kingdoms of Kalinga & Kuru existing even before the Great War of Mahabharata was to happen. Kalinga is the founders of five eastern kingdoms, which included: Angas (east, central Bihar), Vangas (southern West Bengal and Bangladesh), Odra (northern Odisha), Pundras (northern Bangladesh and West Bengal, India), Suhmas (south-western West Bengal, India) shared common ancestry. Two capitals (Dantapura and Rajapura) of Kalinga were mentioned in Mahabharata. It is likely that there were many Kalinga kings, ruling different territories of Kalinga, with many migrated outside to form the new kingdom.

Kalingas in Kurukshetra War

Kalingas were mentioned as allied to Kauravas at many places like at (5–62,95). Kalinga king Srutayudha also known as Srutayus and Srutayush, was one among the generals in the Kaurava army.(6,16). The generals of Kaurava army were:

• Shakuni, a chief from Gandhara kingdom
• Shalya, the king of Madra kingdom
• Jayadratha, the king of Sindhu kingdom
• Vinda and Anuvinda, two brothers and kings of Avanti kingdom
• The Kekaya brothers from Kekeya kingdom (opposed the Kekayas on the Pandava side)
• Sudakshina, the king of Kamboja kingdom
• Srutayudha, the king of Kalinga Kingdom
• Jayatsena, a king of Magadha kingdom
• Vrihadvala, the king of Kosala kingdom
• Kritavarma, a Yadava chief from Anarta kingdom