kingdom · South Asia
Shailodbhava dynasty
Origins
The Shailodbhavas, whose name means born of the rock, ruled Kongoda, the coastal region of southern Odisha around Ganjam and Puri, from the 6th century. Madhavaraja II began as a feudatory of Shashanka of the Gauda Kingdom and asserted independence after Shashanka's death.
Rule and society
The dynasty is known from copper-plate grants in Sanskrit, which describe a legendary origin from a rock and record land given to Brahmins. The kings were Shaivas, and the Parashurameshvara temple in Bhubaneswar, one of the oldest surviving temples of the Kalinga style, is generally dated to their time. Xuanzang described Kongoda as a strong kingdom with good harbours.
Decline and legacy
In the first half of the 8th century the Shailodbhavas were displaced by the Bhauma-Kara dynasty, which unified much of coastal Odisha.
Few sources survive for this state; details are uncertain.
Lineage
On the connections map
Open the full map →Connections (1)
- Shailodbhava dynasty was a vassal of Pushyabhuti dynasty640 CE – 647 CE
Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Shailodbhava dynasty. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/shailodbhava-dynasty
- MLA
- “Shailodbhava dynasty.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/shailodbhava-dynasty. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Shailodbhava dynasty.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/shailodbhava-dynasty.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Shailodbhava dynasty’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/shailodbhava-dynasty (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻