Gajapati Empire

The Gajapati Empire, was an empire established by the Suryavamsa (IAST: Sūryavaṃśa, "Solar dynasty") dynasty or Routray dynasty, who were a medieval Hindu dynasty in the Indian subcontinent. It originated in the region of Trikalinga (most of the present-day Odisha and Northern Coastal Andhra) and reigned from 1434 to 1541 CE. It succeeded the reign of the Eastern Gangas. Under the Emperor Kapilendra Deva, the Gajapati empire stretched from lower Ganga in the north to Kaveri in the south.

The Gajapati dynasty was established by Emperor Kapilendra Deva (1434–66 CE) in 1434. During the reign of Kapilendra Deva, the borders of the empire expanded immensely; Gajapati Empire acquired large parts of Andhra Pradesh and western regions of West Bengal, it also included the eastern and central parts of Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand. Purushottama Deva and Prataparudra Deva are two other significant emperors from this dynasty. The last emperor Kakharua Deva was killed by Govinda Vidyadhara in 1541, who founded the Bhoi dynasty.

The Gajapati Emperors patronized Vaishnavite Hinduism and were ardent devotees of the God Vishnu. They also commissioned many temples dedicated to the God Vishnu.

Etymology

In Odia, "Gaja" means elephant and "Pati" means master or husband. As such, Gajapati etymologically means a king with an army of elephants or master of elephants.

History

The region known as Kalinga (present-day Odisha) was ruled by the Eastern Gangas.The early Eastern Gangas ruled from Kalinga-nagara (currently Mukhalingam near Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh). They shifted their capital to Cuttack in the 13th century. The Hindu philosopher Ramanujacharya had a great influence on the Raja Choda Ganga Deva, who renovated the temple at Puri. Narasingha Deva I built the Sun Temple at Konark and Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha temple, Simhachalam at Visakhapatnam. The Gangas were succeeded by the Gajapati monarchs. Two copper plates of the early Pallava dynasty have been found in the Kolleru Lake, traced to Gajapati Langula Narasimha Deva, an Oriya ruler (Odia Raja). According to legend, the Gajapati fort was located at Kolleti Kota on one of the eastern islands of the lake, which protected the Odia forces. The enemy general encamped at Chiguru Kota located on the shores and tried to excavate a channel in the modern-day Upputeru, so that the water of the lake would empty into the sea and allow an attack on the Gajapati fort.

The Gajapatis at the height of their power in the 15th century, ruled over an empire extending from the Ganges in the north near Hoogly to the Kaveri near Thanjavur and Tiruchirappalli in the south under the Emperor Kapilendra Deva. But by the early 16th century, the Gajapatis lost great portions of their southern dominion to the Vijayanagara Empire and the Turko-Persian Golconda Sultanate. This period was marked by the influence of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and by the expansion of Jagannath temple across the length and breadth of the empire. One of the causes of the reduction in militarism among the population has been attested to the Bhakti movement initiated by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who arrived in the empire during the reign of Emperor Prataparudra and stayed for 18 long years at Puri. Emperor Prataparudra was highly influenced by the works of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and gave up the military tradition of the Kalinga emperors. He retired to the life of an ascetic leaving the future of the empire uncertain. Govinda Vidyadhara took the opportunity to assassinate the sons of the emperor and usurped the throne for himself.

Gajapati military

The records of the Suryavamsi Gajapatis gives a picture of their military administration which they had inherited from the Eastern Gangas rulers. The Gangas had a vast and well-organised military which was improved upon by Kapilendra Deva. The empire was built on the lines of a military state, with the protection of the state and its expansion being the responsibilities of the state and population. Militarism had penetrated into different ranks of the society and the Emperor had a large standing army which included a large number of soldiers and local-militants in the standing army. Besides the feudal tributary states of the Gajapatis also provided a stipulated number of soldiers at the time of war and had to fight for the Gajapati in the battle field.

Military titles

Some of the military titles include:

• Senapati, Champati, Routray, Sundaray, Paikaray (commander of the cavalry), Sahani (commander of elephant force), Dandapata, Dandasena, Paschimakavata, Uttarakavata (guardian of the marches), Samantray, Bidyadhara, Bhramarabara, Harichandana, Jagadeva, Mardaraja, Samantasimhara, Raya, Singha, Mansingha, Baliarsingha, Pahadasingha, Nayaka, Pattanayaka, Dandanayaka, Gadanayaka, Patra, Mohapatra, Behera, Dalabehera, Jena, Badajena, Pradhana, Samala, Routa, Khuntia, Parichha, Parija, Padhihari, Dandapani

Gajapati military divisions

The Odia poet Sarala Das who lived during the reign of Kapilendra Deva, has given descriptions about the military divisions in his Odia Mahabharata. The divisions mentioned are:

• Hantakaru Dala: The first division of the army. It was in the forefront of the marching army and was responsible forward scouting, clearing jungles and marking roads for the army. It was equivalent to the engineering division of the modern armies of the world.

• Aguani Thata: The advance units or the first in line to march or charge in the battle formations. The division marched ahead of the main army.
  • Dhenkiya: The attack groups
  • Banua/Dhanuki: The archers
  • Cavalry

• Pradhana Vala: The main division of the army with maximum concentration of the soldiers.
  • Dhenkiya: Warriors wielding Sword and Shield. Forming the frontline of battalion.
  • Banua: Marksmen with poisoned arrow and composite bows with formidably accurate shots.
  • Phadikara: The fighters bearing mostly close combat weapons. They wore leather armor.
  • Cavalry
  • Elephant Corps
  • Itakara: Mainly used for motivating the army with war time music and dance with Ghumura. Carried with them various musical instruments and reported to the officer with the rank of Bahubalendra, in charge of non-combatants.

• Pachhiani Thata: The fourth and the rear division guarding the flanks.

• Angavala: The groups with the main bodyguards of the monarchs, other royalties, commander, military generals and officers.

• Paridhana: The detachments with commanding officers and fort duty officers left in charge of the captured territory and forts. The rank of the officer involved in this division is Nayak or Gadanayak.
  • Dhenkiya
  • Banua
  • Phadikara
  • Prahari: The guards on duty and also serve as military police at home.

Gajapati Infantry units

The infantry units of the Gajapati military are as follows:

• Dala: Band of 27 Paikas, mostly from the same locality and commanded by an officer with the rank of Dalabehera.

• Bhuiyan: A platoon of 70 Paikas and commanded by an officer with the rank of Paikaray.

• Vahini: A brigade consisting of multiple Bhuiyan platoons and commanded by an officer with the rank of Vahinipati.

• Chamu: An entire regiment of the army consisting multiple Vahinis and commanded by an officer with the rank of Chamupati or Champati.

Military instruments and weapons

Musical instruments used to motivate soldiers during march and warfare. The names of musical instruments include Damalu, Damame, Tamaka, Bizighosa, Daundi, Ghumura, Bheri, Turi, Ranasingha etc. The names of weapons used by the Gajapati army are also mentioned like Dhanu, Trona, Sara, Asi, Parigha, Pattisa, Kunta, Jathi, Buruja, Saveli etc. Information with regards to breaking of gateways and walls of forts with the help of horses, elephants and iron instruments are also found in the same text.

Contemporary sources

Other contemporary sources also reveal details on characteristics of the Gajapati military. Muslim texts like Buhan-m-Mansir give accounts of the Emperor Kapilendra Deva having an elephantry numbering two hundred thousand. Such a large number of war elephants is highly unusual even when compared with any contemporary military of the existing kingdoms during the times of Kapilendra Deva himself, in India. Nizzamuddin writes that the Gajapati encamped on the banks of the river Godavari with an infantry of seven hundred thousand. Fernão Nunes, the Portuguese-Jewish traveler who spent three years at Vijayanagara, the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire estimates size of the army of Emperor Prataparudra to the extent of 13,000 elephants, 20,000 horses, while fighting against the Vijayanagara Empire and also notes that the Odia soldiers were excellent fighters. Rayavachakamu also gives interesting accounts about the feats and exercises practised by the Gajapati soldiers at their capital Cuttack.

Descendants

Talcher branch

During the reign of the Emperor Purushottama Deva, the overlordship of Bhimanagari was established in 1471 CE by Narahari Singh who was a scion of the family of the ruling Suryavamshi Gajapati Emperors. Later in 1578, under the reign of Padmanabha Birabara Harichandan, the kingdom was renamed as Talcher in the honor of their family goddess Taleshwari. The kingdom acceded to India and merged into the state of Odisha following independence in 1947.

List of rulers

Gallery

See also

• Eastern Ganga dynasty
• Poosapati

References

Bibliography

• Majumdar, Ramesh Chandra; Pusalker, A. D.; Majumdar, A. K., eds. (1960). The History and Culture of the Indian People. Vol. VI: The Delhi Sultanate. Bombay: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. pp. 365–372.
• Subrahmanyam, R, ed. (1957). The Sūryavaṁśi Gajapatis of Orissa. Waltair: Andhra University. OCLC 613268261.