Haihaya

The Haihayas of Ratnapura were a branch of the Kalachuri dynasty, claiming descent from the ancient Haihaya kings of the Lunar line. Around 1000 Kalingaraja, a prince of the Tripuri Kalachuri house, conquered Dakshina Kosala from the Somavamshis and founded the kingdom, ruling from Tummana; his grandson Ratnadeva I built Ratnapura as its capital.

Long feudatories of the Tripuri dynasty, the branch became effectively independent under Jajalladeva I around 1100. Ratnadeva II formally threw off Tripuri's overlordship and repulsed the Eastern Ganga king Anantavarman Chodaganga. By the late fourteenth century the family had split into Ratanpur and Raipur branches.

Sheltered by forested hills, the kingdom escaped the Muslim conquests of northern India. Its later rajas kept an unbroken court until the Marathas of Nagpur imposed suzerainty in 1740; the last raja Mohan Singh died in 1758 and the kingdom was annexed.