Kapilendradeva
Encyclopedia
Kapilendradeva or Kapilendra Routray (ruled 1435-1466 AD) was the emperor of Kalinga-Utkal (Orissa) and the founder of the Suryavansi Gajapati empire which annexed large swathes of territory in Telengana, ndhra], Tamil Nadu and Karnataka in the south to Madhya Pradhesh in central india and most of present day Bengal in the north]. His name is also written as Kapilendra Deva, or Sri Sri Kapilendra Deva. In claiming descent from the surya-vaMsha (solar dynasty) of the mahabharata
, he also took the title shri shri ...(108 times) gajapati gauDesvara naba koTi karnATa kalbargesvara This title is still used by the solar dynasty kings of Puri
on ritual occasions.
Kapilendra's ancestors were feudatory chiefs under the Ganga dynasty
, but with the weakening of their authority, Kapilendra mounted a rebellion and seized power in 1434. In his early years, he overcame a number of challenges from other chiefs, and also an invasion by Sultan Ahmed Shah of Bengal
. By 1443, with the help of his able minister Gopinath Mahapatra, he had consolidated his power. In 1444,
while Kapilendra was fighting the Sultan of Jaunpur
Mahmud Shah
in the north, the kingdom was invaded from the south by the Reddy kingdom of Rajamundry and king Devaraya II of Vijayanagar
. His son Hamvira defeated the Reddy's and the Gajapati kingdom eventually came to occupy a large region from Midnapore
in Bengal till Guntur
in Andhra.
In 1448 Hamvira defeated the Bahmani SultanAladdin Ahmad Shah II. In 1459, Aladdin's son Humayun Zalim Shah invaded Debarkonda and was defeated by Hamvira, after which Telengana was occupied by Kapilendra's forces and the Velama Chief of Debarkonda became a feudatory.
Kapilendradeva also patronized vaishnavism
and expanded the Jagannath temple
at Puri. Although his entire life was spent in warfare, the Jagannath temple became the center for an efflorescence of drama and dance (odissi
) and other forms of art during Gajapati rule.
After his death in 1468, he chose his youngest
son Purushottam, as heir, resulting in a rebellion by Hamvira. In 1472, Purushottam was defeated and Hamviradeva became king, but in 1476 Purushottam fought back and recaptured the throne.
Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
, he also took the title shri shri ...(108 times) gajapati gauDesvara naba koTi karnATa kalbargesvara This title is still used by the solar dynasty kings of Puri
Puri
Puri is district headquarter, a city situated about south of state capital Bhubaneswar, on the eastern coast of the Bay of Bengal in the Indian state of Orissa. It is also known as Jagannath Puri after the Jagannath Temple . It is a holy city of the Hindus as a part of the Char Dham pilgrimages...
on ritual occasions.
Kapilendra's ancestors were feudatory chiefs under the Ganga dynasty
Eastern Ganga dynasty
The Eastern Ganga dynasty reigned from Kalinga and their rule consisted of the whole of the modern day Indian state of Orissa as well as parts of West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh from the 11th century to the early 15th century. Their capital was known by the name Kalinganagar, which is...
, but with the weakening of their authority, Kapilendra mounted a rebellion and seized power in 1434. In his early years, he overcame a number of challenges from other chiefs, and also an invasion by Sultan Ahmed Shah of Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
. By 1443, with the help of his able minister Gopinath Mahapatra, he had consolidated his power. In 1444,
while Kapilendra was fighting the Sultan of Jaunpur
Jaunpur Sultanate
The Jaunpur sultanate was an independent kingdom of northern India between 1394 to 1479, whose rulers ruled from Jaunpur in the present day state of Uttar Pradesh. The Jaunpur sultanate was ruled by the Sharqi dynasty. The Khwajah-i-Jahan Malik Sarwar, the first ruler of the dynasty was a wazir ...
Mahmud Shah
Mahmud Shah
Mahmud Shahs may refer to:*Mahmud Shah of Malacca , sultan of Malacca from 1488-1528*Mahmud Shah *Mir Mahmud Hotaki, Mahmud Shah Hotak, ruler of Persia/Afghanistan from 1717 to 1725...
in the north, the kingdom was invaded from the south by the Reddy kingdom of Rajamundry and king Devaraya II of Vijayanagar
Vijayanagara Empire
The Vijayanagara Empire , referred as the Kingdom of Bisnaga by the Portuguese, was an empire based in South Indian in the Deccan Plateau region. It was established in 1336 by Harihara I and his brother Bukka Raya I of the Yadava lineage. The empire rose to prominence as a culmination of attempts...
. His son Hamvira defeated the Reddy's and the Gajapati kingdom eventually came to occupy a large region from Midnapore
Midnapore
Midnapore is the district headquarters of Paschim Medinipur district of West Bengal. It is situated on the banks of the Kangsabati River . This area had taken a pioneering role in India's freedom struggle...
in Bengal till Guntur
Guntur
Guntur , is a city and a municipal corporation in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, located to the north and west of the Bay of Bengal. It is approximately to the south of the national capital, New Delhi and south east of state capital, Hyderabad. Guntur is the fourth largest city in Andhra...
in Andhra.
In 1448 Hamvira defeated the Bahmani SultanAladdin Ahmad Shah II. In 1459, Aladdin's son Humayun Zalim Shah invaded Debarkonda and was defeated by Hamvira, after which Telengana was occupied by Kapilendra's forces and the Velama Chief of Debarkonda became a feudatory.
Kapilendradeva also patronized vaishnavism
Vaishnavism
Vaishnavism is a tradition of Hinduism, distinguished from other schools by its worship of Vishnu, or his associated Avatars such as Rama and Krishna, as the original and supreme God....
and expanded the Jagannath temple
Jagannath Temple
-India:*Jagannath Temple, Puri, Orissa, India*Jagannath Temple, Koraput, Orissa, India*Jagannath Temple, Baripada, Mayurbhanj, Orissa, India*Jagannath Temple, Nayagarh, Orissa, India*Jagannath Temple, Ranchi, Jharkhand, India*Jagannath Temple, Delhi, India...
at Puri. Although his entire life was spent in warfare, the Jagannath temple became the center for an efflorescence of drama and dance (odissi
Odissi
Odissi, also spelled Orissi , is one of the eight classical dance forms of India. It originates from the state of Orissa, in eastern India. It is the oldest surviving dance form of India on the basis of archaeological evidences. The classic treatise of Indian dance, Natya Shastra, refers to it as...
) and other forms of art during Gajapati rule.
After his death in 1468, he chose his youngest
son Purushottam, as heir, resulting in a rebellion by Hamvira. In 1472, Purushottam was defeated and Hamviradeva became king, but in 1476 Purushottam fought back and recaptured the throne.