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Phani Mukut Rai was the first ruler of the Nagvanshi dynasty and is considered its founder in the first century CE. However, the story of Phani Mukut Rai is regarded as a myth by historians, who date the establishment of the Nagvanshi dynasty to around the fourth century CE.

Early life

According to the Nagvanshavali (1876), Phani Mukut Rai was the son of Pundarika Naga, a Brahmin from Varanasi. Due to his forked tongue, he always slept with his back to his wife, as his poisonous breath regularly emanated from his mouth. His wife became curious about this secret, but Pundarika Naga never revealed it. They traveled to the Jagannath Temple in Puri for a pilgrimage. On their return, his wife went into labor and was near death. She wished to know his secret, so Pundarika Naga transformed into a cobra, revealed his secret, and then plunged into a pond.

His wife, Parvati, committed sati out of grief after giving birth to a child. Pundarika Naga shielded the child with his hood. A woodcutter saw this and informed a Sakaldwipiya Brahmin named Janardan, who was holding a sun idol. The Brahmin witnessed the incident. Pundarika Naga told the Brahmin his story, stating that the boy would become the king of Nagpur and that the Brahmin would become his priest. The Brahmin named the child Phani Mukut Rai, as he had been protected by the cobra's hood, and raised him. The Brahmin, who held the sun idol, made it the tutelary deity of the Nagvanshi dynasty as suggested by Pundarika Naga. The Brahmin was also the priest of Madura Munda, the chief of Sutiambe village. Later, Madura Munda and other kings, including the King of Suguja and Aditya, the King of Patkum, elected Phani Mukut Rai as king due to his qualities. According to Nagvanshi tradition, this occurred in 104 CE. However, the story is mostly considered a myth and is viewed as a Brahminical origin of the dynasty invented at a later period.

According to a report by Webster, Phani Mukut Rai was raised by the Kanyabuja Brahmin. However, according to a story collected by Sarat Chandra Roy, the child was adopted by Madura Munda, the Parha chief of Sutiambe village.

Chieftaincy

According to Nagvanshi tradition, Phani Mukut Rai was elected as Raja by the Parha chief and other Rajas of Suguja and Patkum around 94 AD and ruled for 68 years. His capital was at Sutiambe, now located in the Ranchi district, where he resided in a mud fort. During his reign, he defeated Rakshel of Korambe and invaders from Kendujhar with the help of the king of Panchet. His rule extended to Badin in Kharsawan, Ramgarh, Gola, Tori, and Gharwe. He built a sun temple in Sutiambe, invited Pandas from Puri to establish idols in the Thakurbadi, and settled Brahmins by giving them the villages of Sornda and Mahugaon. His Diwan was Srivastav Kayasth, with Pandey Bhav Rai, a resident of Belkupi village, serving as his advisor. According to Lal Praduman Singh, the author of "Nagvansh," during Phani Mukut Rai's reign, the Nagvanshi kingdom was divided into 66 parganas: 22 in Ghatwa, 18 in Khukhragarh, 18 in Doisagarh, and 8 in Jarichgarh.

However, the remains of the idol from the Sun temple near Pithoria have been dated to the 12th century CE. No archaeological evidence has been discovered to validate the story of Phani Mukut Rai. Many scholars place the establishment of the Nagvanshi dynasty in the 4th century CE, based on an average ruling period of 25 years for each king.

According to the genealogy provided by Dripnath Shah to the Governor General of India in 1787, Phani Mukut Rai was the first Nagvanshi king, the son of Pundarik Naga and Sakaldwipiya Brahmin girl Parvati. However, scholars consider the story of Phani Mukut Rai to be a myth.

Personal life

According to the Nagvanshavali, difficulties arose when Phani Mukut Rai wished to marry the princess of Panchet. The priest from Panchet arrived to check the birth certificate but did not find one. Phani Mukut Rai then prayed to his serpent father, asking that if the priest was not satisfied, a Munda or Oraon girl should become the queen of Nagpur. Pundarik Naga then appeared once more, told the story, and satisfied the Brahmin. Subsequently, Phani Mukut Rai married the daughter of the Govanshi Raja of Panchet.

References

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9. Asoka Kumar Sen (2017). Indigeneity, Landscape and History: Adivasi Self-fashioning in India. Taylor & Francis. p. 113. ISBN 978-1-351-61186-2.
10. "Navratangarh: Lost Kingdom of the Nagvanshis". livehistoryindia. 27 August 2019. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
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12. Sanjay Singh (19 January 2021). PSC JHARKHAND LOK SEVA AYOG SAMANYA ADHYAYAN. Prabhat Prakashan. pp. 5–9. ISBN 978-9353228651.
13. "Shardiya Navratri 2019: बेहद खास होता है रांची में नवरात्र, जानें कहां-कैसी हो रही तैयारी". jagran. 28 September 2019. Retrieved 28 December 2019.

• Kings in Asia
• Nagpuria people