Ratanpur on the Kharun-Arpa plain is the Kalachuri capital of Mahakosala, founded in the eleventh century by Ratnadeva I as the new seat of a cadet line of the Tripuri house.
Its kings are known from stones at Pali, Kharod, Malhar, Sheorinarayan, Tuman and Rajim, which show a line of builders. On 1 January 1200 Ratnadeva III is ending his reign and Pratapamalla is beginning his; the convention is 1200, the date is not pinned. The line is independent of Tripuri, and of everyone.
Who holds it
- Name
- Ratnadeva III (about 1178 to 1200) or Pratapamalla (about 1200 to 1225); the change on 1 January is not pinned
- Title
- King
- Since
- not pinned
- Born
- not known
- Family
- See the king's record.
- Confidence
- low
Wikipedia Kalachuris of Ratnapura.
Lord in 1200
Ratnadeva III or Pratapamalla.
How things stand that morning
A free line in a remote country.
Wealth
Rice, forest produce, iron, the Mahanadi trade.
Military
The traditional "thirty-six forts" of Chhattisgarh are a late count (unchecked).
Threats
- Gond chiefs of the hills
Communities
Shaiva and Vaishnava priests, Gond and other hill peoples at the edge.
Walls and castle
A fort on the hill; not described.
Trade and crafts
Temple building, rice, lac.
Where the sources disagree
- Brief names Prithvideva III; we could not find him in the sources read. The nearest dated names are Ratnadeva III and Pratapamalla.
Evidence: Late stones and a chronicle tradition.
On the map: The seed land of the capital.
Primary sources for Kalachuris
Chronicles, registers, sagas and inscriptions written in or near 1200 that cover this entry. Each has its own page with editions, translations and where to read it.
- Epigraphia Indica: inscriptions of the Chandelas, Paramaras, Gahadavalas, Chaulukyas, Senas and Eastern Gangas, Various (edited for the Archaeological Survey of India by J. Burgess, E. Hultzsch, F. Kielhorn, Sten Konow, F. W. Thomas and successors) (inscriptions of the 1180s to 1210s; the series ran from 1892). The main record series for the Hindu kingdoms of northern India around 1200. Read online
- Inscriptions of the Kalachuri-Chedi Era, Various, edited by V. V. Mirashi (inscriptions of the 7th to 13th centuries; edited 1955). Collects every known record of the Kalachuris of Tripuri (Dahala) and of Ratnapura (south Kosala), with text, translation and a long historical introduction. Read online
- Inscriptions of the Paramaras, Chandellas, Kachchhapaghatas and two minor dynasties, Various, edited by H. V. Trivedi (inscriptions of the 9th to 14th centuries; edited 1978 to 1991). The collected records of the Paramaras of Malwa (parts 1 and 2) and of the Chandelas of Jejakabhukti (part 3), re-edited from Epigraphia Indica and earlier journals with new finds.
Sources and studies
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.