kingdom · South Asia

Bhauma-Kara dynasty

736 CE – 940 CE (approx.) · capital Guhadeva-pataka

A dynasty of coastal Odisha that patronised great Buddhist monasteries and was ruled for long periods by queens.

Origins

The Bhauma-Karas came to power in coastal Odisha in the 8th century, replacing the Shailodbhava dynasty. Their capital was Guhadeva-pataka, near modern Jajpur. The dynasty founded an era beginning around 736 that dates their inscriptions.

Rule and society

The early kings were Buddhists who supported monasteries at Ratnagiri, Lalitagiri and Udayagiri; Shubhakara I is thought to be the king of Wu-cha who sent a Buddhist manuscript to the Tang emperor in 795. Later rulers turned to Shaivism. Unusually, several queens ruled in their own right, including Tribhuvana Mahadevi I and Dandi Mahadevi. Temples such as the Vaital Deul in Bhubaneswar date from this period.

Decline and legacy

After a series of weak rulers the dynasty declined in the 10th century, and the Somavamshi dynasty took over coastal Odisha.

Lineage

Shailodbhava dynasty 550 CE – 736 CEBhauma-Kara dynastySomavamshi dynasty 882 CE – 1110 CE

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Bhauma-Kara dynasty. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/bhauma-kara-dynasty
MLA
“Bhauma-Kara dynasty.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/bhauma-kara-dynasty. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Bhauma-Kara dynasty.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/bhauma-kara-dynasty.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Bhauma-Kara dynasty’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/bhauma-kara-dynasty (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻