Which ancient dynasty ruled over the Dakshina Kosala region, corresponding to modern Chhattisgarh and western Odisha, during the fourth and fifth centuries CE, issuing copper-plate grants from sites like Arang and Raipur?

💡 Solution & Explanation

The Sarabhapuriya dynasty ruled Dakshina Kosala during the post-Gupta period from roughly the late fifth to the mid-sixth century CE, with their administrative records primarily inscribed in the box-headed script on copper plates. While the Vakatakas and Nalas were contemporary neighboring powers, the specific corpus of copper plates found in Arang, Kurud, and Mallar are attributed to the Sarabhapuriyas. Their capital was likely Sarabhapura, which historians continue to identify with modern-day Malhar in Chhattisgarh.