Prataparudra Deva

On the death of Purushottam Deva, Prataparudra Deva was immediately engulfed with the defensive measures for his empire from the consistently invading parties of Gauda or Bengal sultan Alauddin Hussain Shah. The Bhakti Bhagavata Maha Kavyam states that he was only 17 years old when he faced this challenge and finally drove the invaders out of his northern borders. He reinforced the northern frontiers with more military deployment though minor skirmishes continued.[2]

After being able to halt the invasions from Bengal, Prataparudra Deva marches south to recover and capture territories from Vijayanagar Kingdom. For a brief time he was able to capture Vijayanagara or Vidyanagar fort. Anantavarman copper plates of Prataparudra Deva states that he reached the banks of river Krishna on 4 November 1500 AD.[3]

The Saluva dynasty ruler Immadi Narasimha Raya was ruling Vijayanagar when Prataparudra Deva sets out for his southern expedition. His influential commander Tuluva Narasa Nayaka tried to recover Kondavidu and Udayagiri forts from the Prataparudra Deva in a military contest with the Gajapati. Prataparudra Deva's Anantakarma grant declares that he was able to capture the Krishna river basin with the use of force. The Odia army was unable to make any advance into Vijayanagara territory beyond their stronghold of Udayagiri region. The Odia army though managed to march to the tip of the Sethu Bandha or Adam's bridge in the south.[4]

According to the Rajavrolu plates of Prataparudra Deva and Madala Panji records, the Gajapati was camping on the river Ponnaiyar river banks and was successful in occupying parts of Vijayanagar for a brief time from Viranarasimha Raya after driving out the inmates of the fortified city there. However, the king had to suddenly return to Odisha as a severe famine ensued in his own kingdom in the year 1507-1508 A.D.[5]

The Sultan of Bengal Alauddin Hussain Shah sent his commander Ismail Ghazi with an invasion force to attack Odisha when the Gajapati was and most of his army was on the expedition of southern India. The Upada grant and Velicherla plates of Prataparudra Deva state the invasive intentions of the Bengal sultan displayed continuously by trying to violate the frontier positions.

Possible depiction Jaunpur Sultan Hussain Shah Surrendering Before Prataparudra Gajapati at Dhabaleswar Temple, Cuttack

Painting of Gajapati Prataprudra Deva prostrating before Chaitanya

Ismail Ghazi marched straight on to the Gajapati capital of Cuttack from the Bengal frontier. A formidable defense was put up by the defending in charge Ananta Samantaray of the Barabati fort in Cuttack but due to the overwhelming number of the raiding forces, he had to retreat and re position in the Sarangagarh fort on the southern side of the Kathajodi river. Ismail marched on to the holy city of Puri where the servitors and priests of Puri temple secretly transported the Jagannath idols via a boat to a hidden island hill amidst the Chilika lake called Chadeiguha before his arrival. An Odia governor called Bhoi Bidyadhar organized the defense and continued clashing with the raiders until the Gajapati army returned.[6] After arriving back in his kingdom with a large expeditionary force amidst these chaotic conditions, Prataparudra Deva pursued the fleeing forces into the frontier of Bengal laying seize to the Mandarana fort of Qutb Shahi forces at today's Jahanabad Sub-Division in Hoogly.[7]

Mandrana fort of Bengal was a militarily strategic fort of the Sultans of Bengal where Alauddin Hussain Shah was himself located at the time when Prataparudra Deva laid a seize. After a severe fighting, the fort fell into the hands of the Odia army and the Sultan of Bengal along with some of his followers fled from the location leaving their army in the middle of the battle who were also later put to a crushing defeat.

After the conquest of the fort Govinda Vidyadhara, a traitor who happened to be a high ranking commander of the Odia ranks changed sides in his greed for the throne of Odisha and joined the Sultan of Bengal. Though the fighting had stopped for a while, it resumed when the Alauddin got support from Govinda Vidyadhara. A severe conflict ensued in the same site and possibly the Mandarana fort fell back into the hands of the Hussain Shahi forces. The Odia army didn't retreat instead continued to hold up the Muslim armies on the northern frontiers reinforced by the orders of the Gajapati.

Krishnadevaraya became the king of Vijayanagar in the year 1509. Sensing the threat posed by the Gajapati forces in the south, he was advised by his minister Timmarusu to undertake a military campaign for occupying the forts like Udayagiri, Kondapalii and Kondavidu under the control of Odia forces. Also, the timing was apt as Prataparudra Deva was himself absent in the Deccan and was indulged in conflicts with the Muslim forces of Bengal. Krishnadevaraya first subdued the Velama chiefs of the Golconda region who were the allies of Gajapati king from the times of Kapilendra Deva Routaraya. He then marched on to the Udaygiri fort.

Surviving upper part of the Bala Gopala Idol carried away by invading Vijayanagar forces as a symbol of victory after capturing the Udayagiri fort

Udayagiri fort was guarded by an Odia garrison of 10,000 infantry, 400 cavalry and 8000 other men deployed at the outskirts of the fort. The guarding force was commanded by the paternal uncle of the Gajapati himself, Tirumala Routaraya. A strong contingent of Vijayanagar forces numbering 34,000 infantry and 800 war elephants marched through Gutti and Gondikotta laid a seize on the fort in the year 1512.[8] A brave defensive hold out and consistent fight across the outer wall of the fort continued for 18 months without any help reaching to the combatants from Odisha. Portuguese traveler Fernao Nunes accompanying the Vijayanagar ruler writes that as the generals of Krishnadeva Raya failed to capture the fort, he himself took the charge. Frenao also mentions that there was a severe fight to tooth and nail put up by the forces from both the sides and the Odia forces were fighting with a strong determination to defend their position until their last breath. To secure an effective position for attacking the stubborn inmates inside the fort, Vijayanagar forces had to cut the rocky boulders and build paths through the surrounding hills. Since no help reached to the Odia forces, they had to surrender finally in the year 1514. A Balagopala idol of lord Sri Krishna was carried away by the Vijayanagar forces as victory trophy from the fort.[9]

Krishnadeva's forces marched on the smaller forts surrounding the Kondaveedu Fort which formed a strong defensive perimeter of the main fort at Kondavidu. The forces of Vijayanagar were held up for six months due to the resistance of the defending bands and garrisons of Odia forces in the smaller forts like Addanki, Nagarjunakonda, Bellamkonada, Vinukonda, Ketavaram and Kindukuru. Prataparudra Deva reached Kondavidu with a strong army comprising 1300 war elephants and 20,000 cavalry compelling the enemy to retreat for a while. When the Gajapati moved out for Kondapalli, the seize of Kondavidu was again attempted. Some of the Odia officers were bribed and joined the Vijayanagar camp while the crown prince Virabhadra held up the fort for three months. A literary work of the Vijayanagar emperor himself called as Amuktamalyada mentions that the Odia soldiers inside the fort often died without enduring a single wound due to starvation. The Vijayanagar forces had to erect square wooden sheds around the fort and demolished the rampart walls for occupying the tower of the fort. The inmates surrendered the fort in and Virabhadra was taken as captive along with his son Narahari Patra other officers. The Boya chiefs of the Eighteen Kampanas together with 3,00,000 infantry of the Vijayanagar's army devastated and plundered the country dependent on Kondavidu, Kondapalli, Bellamkonda, Vinukonda, Nagarjuna Konda and other forts.

During the invasion of Vijayanagar, the Qutb Shahi forces of Golconda were allied with Prataparudra Deva as they had the same enemy. After a brief fighting for two months at the Kondapalli Fort by the combined Odia and Qutb Shahi forces, it fell to Vijayanagar forces. The commander of the fort Sirishchandra Mohapatra and the queen of Prataparudra Deva were captured at the fort along with other Odia and Muslims from Golconda state by the Vijayanagar forces and taken as prisoners. After the fall of Kondapalli, the Odia controlled smaller forts in Telegana region like Khamammettu, Anantagiri, Kanakgiri, Nalagonda, Udrakonda, Urlagonda, etc. were taken over by the Vijayanagar forces.

Krishnadevaraya marched to Simhadri region from Rajmahendri but a Muslim general from Warangal serving the Gajapati and possibly a local ruler named as Citaph Khan alias Sitapati lead a large army of 60,000 archers and obstructed the Vijayanagar forces for a long time. The force held the positions tormenting the advancing soldiers of Krishnadevaraya until they finally managed to attack the rear with great difficulty. On the advice of Timmarusu and the increasing ferocity of the Odia forces, he halted his forces at Simhadri where he made some donations at the famous Varahalakshmi Narasimha temple and commissioned the building of the outer walls of the temple. Vijayanagar spies had reported the intact and unique fighting capacities of the Odia forces which they had witnessed at Cuttack.

The captive crown prince Virabhadra who was considered to be a very fine swordsman of his time died a sad death in Vijayanagar when he was forced for showing up his skills in a duel with a commoner for verification by the Krishnadeva himself. Since he belonged to a royal blood line, this demand for a show off with a commoner made him feel dishonored and then he took his own life with the sword he was holding at the time.

Disheartened by the death of his son in enemy captivity and his other family members taken as prisoners by Vijayanagar along with his queen, Prataparudra decided to enter into treaty with Krishnadevaraya. As per the treaty, the territories north of the river Krishna were returned to Odisha along with all the family members taken as prisoners in the war. In return Prataparudra had to marry of his daughter Jaganmohini also known as Tukla, Bhadra and Annapurna Devi in marriage to Krishnadevaraya. Later she was abandoned by her husband on the ground of suspicion of being a threat to his life. She lived a life of loner at Kumbham in Kurnool district. She wrote a poem called Tukka Panchakam in which she had confessed the negligent and alienating behavior of Krishnadevaraya towards her.

The Qutb Shahi ruler of Golconda Quli Qutb Shah invaded southern parts of Odisha and captured many forts along with the regional administrative center of Kondapalli on 20 March 1531. Prataparudra Deva set out with a force of 3,00,000 infantry, 30,000 cavalry and 700 war elephants to confront the invading forces and was successful after rigorous fighting with the Muslim forces but also lost many large portions of his territory in the south.[10] He built the temple of Mangalagiri on the bank of river Krishna to commemorate his victory over Quli. After the death of Prataparudra Deva in 1540 A.D, Quli captured Rajamahendri as the central administration of Odisha had collapsed and two successors of Prataparudra were murdered by the traitor Govinda Vidyadhar.

• According to the Madala Panji he built the audience hall of the Jagannath temple at Puri.
• Renovation of the temples of Chandrasekhara on the Kapilasa hill in the Dhenkanal district and of Goddess Biraja in the Jajpur district.
• Construction of Dhavalesvara temple at Mancheswar in Cuttack district.
• Sarpeswar temple in Balarampur village near Kakhadi.
• Varaha Temple build by his Rajguru or royal head priest called Kashi Mishra at Jajpur district.
• Jagannath Ballav matha or monastery near Puri Jagannath temple established by Ramananda Rai
• Renovated the temple of Paramahansa Deva near Biribati, Cuttack

In his Undavaill inscription he is termed as a great learner and master of 64 arts. His Velicherla plates states that he assumed the title of Vidyaniddhi (accomplished learner).[15]

• Sarasvativilasam by Lalla Laxmidhar
• Contemporary of Advaita-makaranda by Sarvabhauma
• Bhakti Bhagavata Mahakavyam by Dimdima Jivadeva Acharaya
• Jagannatha Vallabha Natakam by Ramananda Raya
• Chaitanya Charitamrita by Kavikarnapura Paramananda Sena
• Lakshnadarsa, Ohurtacarita, Parijataharana Nataka and Rasamanjari by Divakara, a Grammarian,

Other Sanskrit poets like Markandeya, Ramakrishna Bhatta. Balabhadra Mishra flourished in his era.[16]

The king himself authored works like

• Sarasvativilasam
• Kautuka Chintamani
• Nirnya Samgraha,
• Praudha Pratapa Martand
• Vachaspativilasa
• Yogadipika
• Manva Dharmasastra Dipika
• Karnavatamsa and
• Saundaryalahari Vyakhya

Odia literature attained a higher status during the rule of Prataparudra as it was the famous era of and highly respected immortal Odia literary creations by the Panchsakhas or five divine friends namely Balarama Dasa, Jagannatha Dasa, Ananta Dasa, Achyutananda Dasa and Jasobanta Dasa. The Panchasakhas were basically opposed to caste system and Brahmin patronage by the Odia kings. They were also opposed to Gaudiya Vaisnavism that had arrived in Odisha through Chaitanya and contributed to a separate school of learning called Utkaliya. Some of them had ideological conflict with the royal order but were later accepted and encouraged by the king himself after he realized his mistakes.

• Odia Bhagvata
• Arthakoili
• Gajastuti
• Darubrahma Gita
• Gundicha Vijay Dutibandha
• Radhamanjari
• Chaupadi Manasiksha
• Dhruba Charita
• Udaya Kahani

• Jagamohan or Dandi Ramayana
• Brahmanda Bhugol
• Vedantasara Gupta Gita
• Gita Abakasa
• Bhava Samudra
• Mriguni Stutte
• Laxhmi Purana

• Kaivarta Gita
• Harivamsa
• Gopalanka Oqala
• Baran Charita Gita
• Sunya Samhita
• Charikhani or Sabdabrahma Samhita

• Govinda Chandra Gita
• Premabhakti Brahmagita
• Govinda Chandra Gita
• Chaurashi Ajna
• Rasa
• Shiva Svaraday

• Garuda-Keshav Sambad
• Thikabahar
• Agatbhabishya·Malika Arthatareni
• Chumbak Malika
• Bhaktijuktidayak Gita
• Anakar Sabad
• Dibi Dibi Ohola
• Pinda Brahmanda Gita
• Hetu Uday Bhagava

Other Odia poets like Chaitanya Dasa, Arjuna Dasa, Kanhai Khuntia, Gopala Guru, Madhavi Devi and Madhaba Pattanayaka also flourished during his rule giving new dimensions to the literary achievements of Odia language in that era. Prataparudra Deva made it mandatory for only Jayadeva's Gitagovinda to be sung at while the Odia and Telugu Devadasis (temple dancers) while they performed. Four Vaishnava singers were trained to perform the service of singing Gitagovinda verses. It was during his rule that the Gotipua dance tradition was introduced.