The Raipur Branch of the Kalachuris

Prerequisites

• Origin of the Kalachuris and the Ratanpur Branch: the senior line from which the Raipur branch split
• Physical Geography of Chhattisgarh: the Shivnath and Mahanadi, which divided the two kingdoms
• Formation of Chhattisgarh: Raipur’s later role as the state capital

The Hook: The Capital With a Kalachuri Birth Certificate

Why it matters: Prelims asks the branch’s other name (Lahuri shakha), its first capital (Khalvatika / Khalari), the river dividing the two kingdoms and the dated inscriptions. Mains can ask you to compare the two branches.

How the Branch Split

• In the 14th century a member of the Ratanpur family, Lakshmideva (लक्ष्मीदेव), was sent to govern the southern region from Khalvatika (खल्लवाटिका), the present Khalari in Mahasamund district.
• His son Singhana (सिंहण) is remembered for winning eighteen garhs (forts) from his enemies. The branch is usually said to have become a separate line in his time.
• The southern line is called the Lahuri shakha (लहुरी शाखा), “the junior branch”, while Ratanpur is the senior (बड़ी) line.
• Later rulers moved the seat from Khalari to Raipur (रायपुर).

Rulers and Inscriptions

Who founded Raipur city?

• Raipur is traditionally said to be named after Ray Brahmadeva, and his 1402 CE inscription from the Raipur fort is the earliest dated record of the city.
• Other accounts credit his father Ramachandra, who already seems to have ruled from Raipur.
• Safest statement: Raipur emerged as the seat of the junior Kalachuri branch around the late 14th century, under Ramachandra and Brahmadeva.

Two Kingdoms, One Dynasty: the Shivnath Line

graph TD
    A["Haihaya / Kalachuri kingdom of Chhattisgarh"] --> B["Ratanpur branch: senior line"]
    A --> C["Raipur branch: Lahuri (junior) line"]
    B --> D["18 garhs north of the Shivnath"]
    C --> E["18 garhs south of the Shivnath"]
    D --> F["18 + 18 = 36 garhs: 'Chhattisgarh' in tradition"]
    E --> F

• By tradition, the Ratanpur kingdom held 18 garhs north of the Shivnath (शिवनाथ) river and the Raipur kingdom 18 garhs south of it.
• Together these 36 garhs (छत्तीस गढ़) are the popular explanation of the name Chhattisgarh. Treat this as tradition: historians also offer other derivations.
• The two lines were related and generally acknowledged Ratanpur’s seniority. Each ran its own garh-based administration (see Administration and Revenue).

The End of the Raipur Branch

• After taking Ratanpur in 1741, the Marathas of Nagpur turned to the south.
• Amar Singh, the last Raipur ruler, did not resist strongly. The branch was absorbed by the Marathas in the 1750s (dated variously between 1750 and 1757 in different books).
• Amar Singh’s family survived as minor landholders, but political power passed to the Bhonsles. Bimbaji Bhonsle ruled the whole of Chhattisgarh directly from Ratanpur from 1758.

Comparing the Two Branches

Analysis: Why the Split Matters (Mains)

1. Administrative logic: a single court at Ratanpur could not easily govern the wide southern plains. A related branch at Khalari and then Raipur was a practical answer.
2. Seed of a capital: the junior branch turned Raipur into a political centre. That role grew under the Marathas and the British, and Raipur became the state capital in 2000.
3. Regional identity: the 18 + 18 garh tradition gave the region its popular name and the sense of being one country made of two halves.
4. Weakness in the end: two lines, both declining, offered no united resistance when the Marathas arrived in the 1740s and 1750s.

Memory Tricks

Don’t Confuse

Common Mistakes

Practice

These are original practice questions written in CGPSC style. They are not previous-year questions.

Level 1: Foundation

1. The Raipur branch of the Kalachuris is also called the ________ shakha.
2. The first seat of the Raipur branch was ________, the present-day ________.
3. The last ruler of the Raipur branch was ________.

Level 2: Prelims MCQs

Q1. Consider the following statements about the Raipur branch of the Kalachuris:

1. It is known as the Lahuri (junior) branch.
2. Its first seat was at Tummana.
3. The Raipur stone inscription of Brahmadeva is dated Vikram Samvat 1458.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 3 only (b) 2 only (c) 1 and 2 only (d) 1, 2 and 3

Q2. By tradition, which river divided the 18 garhs of the Ratanpur kingdom from the 18 garhs of the Raipur kingdom?

(a) Mahanadi (b) Arpa (c) Shivnath (d) Hasdeo

Q3. Match List-I (Place) with List-II (Kalachuri association):

(a) A-1, B-3, C-2, D-4 (b) A-3, B-1, C-4, D-2 (c) A-3, B-2, C-1, D-4 (d) A-3, B-1, C-2, D-4

Q4. The Raipur branch of the Kalachuris came to an end when it was absorbed by:

(a) the Mughals under Akbar (b) the Marathas of Nagpur (c) the Gonds of Garha-Mandla (d) the British East India Company

Level 3: Mains Answer Writing

Q1. Compare the Ratanpur and Raipur branches of the Kalachuris. (100 words)

Quick Revision Table

Key Takeaways

What’s Next

• Administration and Revenue: how the garh system actually worked
• Art, Architecture and Inscriptions: the temples and records of both branches
• Maratha Rule in Chhattisgarh: Bimbaji and the Maratha takeover