Kokalla I

Kokalla I (850-890 CE) was a ruler of the Kalachuri dynasty of Tripuri in central India. His kingdom was centered around the Chedi or Dahala region in present-day Madhya Pradesh. He appears to have been the first powerful ruler of the dynasty. He consolidated his kingdom and maintained matrimonial relations with the Rashtrakuta empire, and Chandela dynasty.^[1]

Kokalla I
King of Chedi
Reign	850-890 CE
Predecessor	Lakshmana-raja I (825-850 CE)
Successor	Shankaragana II (890-910 CE)
Spouse	Natta-devi
Issue	Shankaragana II, Arjuna, Valleka, Mahadevi, unnamed son (founder of the Ratanpur branch of Kalachuris)
Dynasty	Kalachuris of Tripuri

He is credited with increasing the prestige of his dynasty through a combination of diplomatic and military maneuvers.^[2][3]

Reign

Kokalla I was most likely born before 817 AD to the Kalachuri king Lakshmana-raja I (825-850 CE).^[4][5] Kokalla I was a subordinate ruler under the Gurjara-Pratihara emperor Mihira Bhoja, and played an important role in expanding the south-eastern borders of the Pratihara empire. He also assisted Mihira Bhoja in his conflict against the Pala Empire of Bengal.^[6] His alliegance to Bhoja may have been nominal, and he appears to have laid the foundation of the Kalachuri empire by expanding his own sphere of influence in the southern part of the Pratihara empire.^[7] Rama Shankar Tripathi states that Kokalla I aided the Gurjara-Pratihara Bhoja II in the civil war against his half-brother Mahipala I.^[8] However, this is not probable because Kokalla's reign ended two decades before Bhoja II's reign.

Kokalla married his daughter Mahadevi to the Rashtrakuta king Krishna II as a marriage alliance.^[9] This was the beginning of a strong alliance between the Rashtrakutas and Kalachuris. He invaded the North Konkan to help his son-in-law, Krishna II.^[10] He defeated Harsha, a ruler of the Guhila dynasty which ruled the Mewar region in Rajasthan, and Guhaka of Sakambhari near Ajmer in Rajasthan.^[6] He also defeated Shankargana, ruler of the Kalachuris of Sarayupara.^[11]

Personal life

Kokalla I married Natta-devi (IAST: Naṭṭā-devi), a princess of the Chandela dynasty which ruled the region of Bundelkhand. Natta-devi was probably a daughter of the Chandela king Jayashakti.^[12][13][14] However, R.K. Dikshit thinks that Natta-devi was the daughter of king Rahila, which is unlikely due to the chronological difference.^[15]

He had eighteen sons and at least one daughter, Mahadevi, who was given in marriage to the Rashtrakuta king Krishna II.^[16] Lajjadevi, the Haihaya wife of the Pala emperor Vigrahapala I and mother of his successor Narayanapala, is attributed by O.P Verma as having also been a daughter of Kokalla.^[17][18] His eldest son from Natta-devi was Shankaragana II (890-910 CE), who succeeded him as king of Chedi. His other known sons were Arjuna, who is mentioned in Rashtrakuta inscriptions; and prince Valleka, who is known by his Gyaraspur inscription.^[19]

An unnamed son of Kokalla founded the Ratanpur branch of the Kalachuris, who flourished until 1758.^[20][21][16] His other sons were assigned to the governorship of mandalas (provinces) within the Kalachuri kingdom.^[22]