The region of Chhattisgarh, geographically encompassed with hills and forests all sides, is a compact unit and is drained by many rivers which helped in developing its culture and civilisation with its own distinct characteristics. In ancient times it seems to have been divided into two parts. While some of its northern areas along with adjacent portion of modern Orissa state formed the part of Kosala and some portion of Bastar district was included in Dandakaranya. We have sufficient evidence regarding its ancient culture when we come to the regime of Sarabhapuriya dynasty which was followed by the Panduvamsins of Mekal, Panduvamsins of Kosala, Somava-msins of Kosala, Kalachuris of Ratanpur and other minor dynasties. The present work is based on the evidence gleaned from place names mentioned in the grants of these dynasties, which have been classified on the basis of prefixes and suffixes and arranged under different heads such as topography, flora, fauna, settlement, administrative divisions, social, economic and religious conditions.

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