Manikapatna

Facts

Coordinates

19.73°, 85.55°

Sources: [Patra, 2014]

1. Benudhar Patra. *Ports in Ancient Odisha: Historical Perspective*. in Odisha Review. 2014

Modern name

Manikapatna, Puri district, Odisha

Also known as

Manikpatna, Che-li-ta-lo (proposed identification)

Region

kalinga

Routes through Manikapatna

• Manikapatna to Tamralipti

  A historian called Tamralipti, at the top of the bay, 'the first and foremost' of ancient Odisha's ports. The same patterned pottery lies at both ends of this coast, so boats seem to have worked between them.

  ~ Probable ■ Scholars say

  Sources: [Patra, 2014, pp. 118-119]; [Patra, n.d., p. 110]; [Patnaik, 2014a, p. 103]

  1. Benudhar Patra. *Ports in Ancient Odisha: Historical Perspective*. in Odisha Review. 2014 , pp. 118-119 (p. 118: 'people from different parts used to come by land and river route to the nearest port, then made a coastal voyage to different big ports, and thence made voyage to different foreign countries'. Tamralipti is 'the first and foremost' of the ports treated.)
  2. Sushanta Kumar Patra, Benudhar Patra. *Archaeology and the Maritime History of Ancient Orissa*. in Orissa Historical Research Journal XLVII. n.d. , p. 110 (Rouletted ware from Sisupalagarh, Manikpatna and Radhanagara in Orissa is listed together with the same ware from Chandraketugarh and Tamluk in West Bengal, which the authors read as one Roman-period trade network.)
  3. Sunil Kumar Patnaik. *Puri: A Study of Early Trade and Pilgrim Routes*. in Odisha Review. 2014a , p. 103 ('the land routes extended from Taxila to Kaveripattinam in the south and Tamluk in the east up to Broach in the west'; Tosali, Kalingapatnam, Tamralipti and Pithunda are named as the Kalinga centres 'which were all in the trade circuit'.)

• Chilika coast to Sri Lanka

  Ships left the Chilika coast for Sri Lanka. A Chinese monk wrote that on a still night you could see a light shining over the island from here.

  ✓ Strongly Supported ■ Scholars say

  Sources: [Xuanzang, 7th century CE, Beal 1884, vol. II, pp. 205-206]; [Patra, 2014, p. 120]; [Patra, n.d., pp. 112, 114]; [Ardika, 1991, pp. 225-226]

  1. Xuanzang. *Record of the Western Regions (Da Tang Xiyu Ji)*. 7th century CE. public domain , Beal 1884, vol. II, pp. 205-206 (p. 205, Charitra (Che-li-ta-lo) 'on the borders of the ocean ... Here it is merchants depart for distant countries'. p. 206: 'Going south 20,000 li or so is the country of Simhala (Seng-kia-lo). In the still night ... we see the surmounting precious stone of the tooth-stupa of Buddha.')
  2. Benudhar Patra. *Ports in Ancient Odisha: Historical Perspective*. in Odisha Review. 2014 , p. 120 ('The discovery of Shahasamalla's coin from Manikpatna in Odisha, Polonaruva in Sri Lanka and Kotchina in Indonesia testify to a maritime network linking coastal Odisha, Sri Lanka and Sumatra.' Manikpatna is Patra's preferred identification of Che-li-ta-lo.)
  3. Sushanta Kumar Patra, Benudhar Patra. *Archaeology and the Maritime History of Ancient Orissa*. in Orissa Historical Research Journal XLVII. n.d. , pp. 112, 114 (p. 114: 'in ancient times prince Dantakumara and princess Hemamala had sailed to Ceylon with the Buddha's tooth relic from the port of Dantapura/Palur'. p. 112: excavation at Anuradhapura shows Indian cultural elements reaching Sri Lanka before Ashoka.)
  4. I. Wayan Ardika, Peter Bellwood. *Sembiran: the beginnings of Indian contact with Bali*. in Antiquity 65. 1991 , pp. 225-226 (Rouletted Ware from Anuradhapura was analysed alongside the Sembiran and Arikamedu material, placing the Sri Lankan capital inside the same Bay of Bengal ceramic network as Kalinga's ports.)

• Chilika coast to Arikamedu

  Arikamedu near Pondicherry traded with the Roman world. Broken jars and the same patterned pottery turn up at Odisha's ports as well.

  ~ Probable ◆ Archaeology

  Sources: [Patra, n.d., pp. 110-111]; [Patnaik, 2014a, p. 103]; [Dayalan, 2019, offprint pp. 12-16, section 'Arikamedu']

  1. Sushanta Kumar Patra, Benudhar Patra. *Archaeology and the Maritime History of Ancient Orissa*. in Orissa Historical Research Journal XLVII. n.d. , pp. 110-111 (p. 111: 'The rouletted wares of Manikpatna have much similarity with those of Sisupalagarh and Arikamedu.' p. 110: the same ware from Kaveripatnam, Uraiyur and Arikamedu is grouped with the Odishan finds as one Roman trade network along the east coast.)
  2. Sunil Kumar Patnaik. *Puri: A Study of Early Trade and Pilgrim Routes*. in Odisha Review. 2014a , p. 103 ('the land routes extended from Taxila to Kaveripattinam in the south and Tamluk in the east up to Broach in the west'; Tosali, Kalingapatnam, Tamralipti and Pithunda were 'all in the trade circuit'.)
  3. Duraiswamy Dayalan. *Ancient Seaports on the Eastern Coast of India: The Hub of the Maritime Silk Route Network*. in Acta Via Serica 4. 2019 , offprint pp. 12-16, section 'Arikamedu' ('Arikamedu (11 deg 53' N; 79 deg 48' E), a well-known Indo-Roman trading station, is identified with "Pouduke" of the Periplus Maris Erythraei and Ptolemy.' Journal pagination not verified.)

• Manikapatna to Puri

  An English sailing book of 1679 gave the course from Manikapatna to Puri. Captains steered by the tall temple of Jagannath, which they could see far out at sea.

  ~ Probable ■ Scholars say

  Sources: [Patnaik, 2014a, p. 107]; [District Gazetteers (Cuttack, Puri, Ganjam, Balasore), British-era editions, n.d., O'Malley, Bengal District Gazetteers: Puri (1908), pp. 15, 196]

  1. Sunil Kumar Patnaik. *Puri: A Study of Early Trade and Pilgrim Routes*. in Odisha Review. 2014a , p. 107 (Kempthorn (1679), folio 136-68: 'from Maneclapatam to Jauggernaut course is East-North East and distance is 10 miles.' The ship logs of Capt. Talbot (1680), Hide (1681) and Lake (1683) name Jaggernaut and Maneclapatam as landmarks for approaching the Odisha coast.)
  2. *District Gazetteers (Cuttack, Puri, Ganjam, Balasore), British-era editions*. n.d. public domain , O'Malley, Bengal District Gazetteers: Puri (1908), pp. 15, 196 (p. 15: 'The only port in the district is Puri, and this is nothing but an unprotected roadstead.' p. 196: 'The sea along the coast is fairly deep, and vessels can go close to the shore', but heavy surf blocks landing for most of the year.)

• Sisupalgarh to Manikapatna

  Sisupalgarh was a huge walled city a little way inland, and Manikapatna was a port on Chilika lake not far away. The very same kind of patterned pottery has been found in both places.

  ~ Probable ◆ Archaeology

  Sources: [Patra, n.d., p. 110]; [Patra, 2014, p. 118]

  1. Sushanta Kumar Patra, Benudhar Patra. *Archaeology and the Maritime History of Ancient Orissa*. in Orissa Historical Research Journal XLVII. n.d. , p. 110 (Rouletted ware from Sisupalagarh, Manikpatna and Radhanagara in Orissa is listed together with the same ware from sites across the Bay of Bengal, read by the authors as evidence of one shared trade network.)
  2. Benudhar Patra. *Ports in Ancient Odisha: Historical Perspective*. in Odisha Review. 2014 , p. 118 ('people from different parts used to come by land and river route to the nearest port, then made a coastal voyage to different big ports' - the general model of inland centres feeding the nearest port.)

• Manikapatna to Khalkatapatna

  Manikapatna and Khalkatapatna were both busy ports on the Odisha coast about 800 years ago. Chinese plates and coins have turned up at both places.

  ~ Probable ◆ Archaeology

  Sources: [Patra, 2014, pp. 119-120]; [Patnaik, 2014a, p. 105]

  1. Benudhar Patra. *Ports in Ancient Odisha: Historical Perspective*. in Odisha Review. 2014 , pp. 119-120 (Both sites are described with Chinese ceramics: Khalkatapatna's excavation (pp. 119-120) yielded Chinese celadon and porcelain with blue floral design, c. 12th-14th century CE; Manikapatna (p. 120) yielded rouletted ware, amphora and, in its later phase, Chinese wares.)
  2. Sunil Kumar Patnaik. *Puri: A Study of Early Trade and Pilgrim Routes*. in Odisha Review. 2014a , p. 105 (Khalkatapatna excavation finds include 'Chinese Celadonware, Chinese porcelain'; Manikapatna's finds list (pp. 104-105) likewise includes Chinese celadon, porcelain and a Chinese coin.)

Goods documented here

• Salt

  Boats carried salt upriver to Sambalpur and came back loaded with cotton, wheat, oil-seeds and rice.

  ✓ Strongly Supported ■ Scholars say

  Sources: [Stirling, 1825, pp. 194, 218]; [Hunter, 1872, vol. I, p. 41; vol. II, pp. 159-162; vol. II Appendix III, p. 74]; [Imperial Gazetteer of India (Orissa entries), n.d., vol. XXII, p. 13 (Sambalpur District)]; [Patnaik, 2014a, p. 104]

  1. Andrew Stirling. *An Account, Geographical, Statistical, and Historical, of Orissa Proper or Cuttack*. in Asiatic Researches 15. 1825. public domain , pp. 194, 218 (p. 194: 'formerly salt was an important article of export by way of the great road leading along the Mahanadi to Sembelpur and Berar... more than three lacs of maunds being exported annually'. p. 218: the salt monopoly's revenue exceeds all the land rents.)
  2. William Wilson Hunter. *Orissa: Or the Vicissitudes of an Indian Province under Native and British Rule*. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1872. public domain , vol. I, p. 41; vol. II, pp. 159-162; vol. II Appendix III, p. 74 (vol. I p. 41: 'The only manufacture of Parikud is salt', solar and boiled processes. vol. II: the Tributary States and Central Provinces send rice, grain, oil-seeds and cotton to the coast 'in exchange for salt' (page not isolable: between the running heads for pp. 159 and 162).)
  3. *Imperial Gazetteer of India (Orissa entries)*. n.d. public domain , vol. XXII, p. 13 (Sambalpur District) ('Salt comes principally from Ganjam, and is now brought by rail instead of river as formerly.')
  4. Sunil Kumar Patnaik. *Puri: A Study of Early Trade and Pilgrim Routes*. in Odisha Review. 2014a , p. 104 (Abul Fazl described Manikapatna as a sea port where taxes were collected; reported here as a salt-tax centre.)

• Chinese ceramics

  Diggers at Manikapatna and Khalkatapatna found Chinese celadon, porcelain and two little Chinese copper coins.

  ✓ Strongly Supported ◆ Archaeology

  Sources: [Tripati, 2021, p. 1212]; [Patra, n.d., pp. 111-112]; [Patnaik, 2014a, p. 105]; [Patra, 2014, pp. 119-120]

  1. Sila Tripati. *Indo-Arabian stone anchor of Manikapatna, Odisha, east coast of India: an indicator of maritime contacts of Odisha*. in Current Science 120. 2021 , p. 1212 (Manikapatna finds include 'Chinese porcelain (1368-1644 CE)... belonging to Yuan and Ming dynasties' and a coin of the Jiaqing Emperor of the Qing dynasty.)
  2. Sushanta Kumar Patra, Benudhar Patra. *Archaeology and the Maritime History of Ancient Orissa*. in Orissa Historical Research Journal XLVII. n.d. , pp. 111-112 ('Chinese celadone ware, white porcelain, blue, white and brown glazed porcelain sherds' at Manikapatna; celadon, porcelain and two Chinese copper coins of c. 14th century at Khalkatapatna.)
  3. Sunil Kumar Patnaik. *Puri: A Study of Early Trade and Pilgrim Routes*. in Odisha Review. 2014a , p. 105 (Manikapatna finds list includes Chinese celadon, porcelain and a Chinese coin.)
  4. Benudhar Patra. *Ports in Ancient Odisha: Historical Perspective*. in Odisha Review. 2014 , pp. 119-120 (Khalkatapatna, c. 12th-14th century CE: Chinese celadon ware, porcelain with blue floral design on white, two Chinese copper coins datable to c. 14th century.)

• Amphora jars

  Bits of amphorae, the tall two-handled jars used all round the Roman world, turned up at Manikapatna and Palur.

  ~ Probable ◆ Archaeology

  Sources: [Patra, n.d., pp. 109, 111]; [Patra, 2014, p. 120]

  1. Sushanta Kumar Patra, Benudhar Patra. *Archaeology and the Maritime History of Ancient Orissa*. in Orissa Historical Research Journal XLVII. n.d. , pp. 109, 111 (p. 109: exploration around Palur (Kantigarh) 'unearthed fragments of the Chinese celadon ware, the Roman rouletted ware, amphora pieces etc.'. p. 111: Manikapatna yielded 'Roman rouletted pottery and fragments of amphora'.)
  2. Benudhar Patra. *Ports in Ancient Odisha: Historical Perspective*. in Odisha Review. 2014 , p. 120 ('The discovery of rouletted ware, fragments of amphora etc., indicate its contact with the Roman Empire in the early centuries CE' (Manikapatna).)