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{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2019}}
{{Coord|20|31|25|N|85|47|17|E|display=title}}
{{more citations needed|date=March 2012}}
{{Infobox country
| native_name = 
| conventional_long_name = Gajapati Empire
| common_name = Gajapati Empire
| era = [[Medieval India]]
| status =
| event_start =
| year_start = 1434
| event1 =
| date_event1 =
| event_end =
| year_end = 1541
| p1 = Eastern Ganga dynasty
| flag_p1 =
| flag_p2 =
| s1 = Bhoi dynasty
| flag_s1 =
| s2 = Vijayanagara Empire
| flag_s2 = Flag of Vijaynagara.svg
| s3 = Golconda Sultanate
| flag_s3 = Qutbshahi Flag.svg
| image_flag =
| flag_type =
| image_coat =
| image_map = Gajapati Empire map.svg
| image_map_caption = The Gajapatis at their height in the mid-15th century.<ref>For a map of their territory see: {{cite book |last1=Schwartzberg |first1=Joseph E. |title=A Historical atlas of South Asia |date=1978 |publisher=University of Chicago Press |location=Chicago |page=147, map XIV.4 (c)|isbn=0226742210 |url=https://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/schwartzberg/pager.html?object=186}}</ref>
| capital = [[Cuttack]]
| common_languages = [[Odia language|Odia]]<ref>{{cite web | url=http://magazines.odisha.gov.in/Orissareview/2011/Feb-Mar/engpdf/55-59.pdf | title=Classicism of Odia Language | work=Orissa Review | first=G. K. | last=Srichandan | page=54 | date=February–March 2011 | access-date=28 June 2019 }}</ref>
| religion = [[Hinduism]]
| government_type = Monarchy
| leader1 = [[Kapilendra Deva]]
| year_leader1 = 1434–66
| leader2 = [[Purushottama Deva]]
| year_leader2 = 1467–97
| leader3 = [[Prataprudra Deva]]
| year_leader3 = 1497–1540
| leader4 = Kalua Deva
| year_leader4 = 1540–1541
| leader5 = Kakharua Deva
| year_leader5 = 1541
| title_leader = Gajapati
}}

The '''Gajapati Empire'''<ref>{{cite book |last1=Mishra |first1=Patit Paban |title=The Encyclopedia of Empire |chapter=Eastern Ganga and Gajapati empires |chapter-url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/9781118455074.wbeoe402 |publisher=The Encyclopedia of Empire |date=11 January 2016 |pages=1–4 |doi=10.1002/9781118455074.wbeoe402 |isbn=9781118455074 }}</ref><ref>{{citation|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/44147183?read-now=1&refreqid=excelsior%3A92f1c20e845feae68ee69561c8286e30&seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents |publisher=Indian History Congress |quote="empire...Suryavamsi Gajapatis"|last=Panda |first=Shishir Kumar |title = Gajapati Kingship and the Cult of Jagannatha: A Study on the Chhamu Chitaus (Royal Letters)|journal = Proceedings of the Indian History Congress|date=2008 |volume = 69|pages = 225–229|jstor = 44147183}}</ref> was established by the '''Suryavamsa''' ([[IAST]]: '''Sūryavaṃśa''', "Solar dynasty")<ref>{{cite book |editor1-last=Majumdar |editor1-first=Ramesh Chandra |editor1-link=R. C. Majumdar |editor2-last=Pusalker |editor2-first=A. D. |editor3-last=Majumdar |editor3-first=A. K. |date=1960 |url=https://archive.org/details/delhisultanate00bhar/page/364/mode/2up |title=The History and Culture of the Indian People Volume=VI: The Delhi Sultanate |location=Bombay |publisher=Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan |page=365|access-date=11 March 2021}}</ref><ref>{{citation |title=Kshatriyaization and social change: A Study in Orissa setting |publisher=Popular Prakashan |url=https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/83630303.pdf |author=Hermann Kulke |page=402 |quote="Suryavamsa...kings of the Suryavamsa(1435-1540)" |date=1976 }}</ref> or '''Routray dynasty''',<ref>{{Cite book|title=A Textbook of Medieval Indian History|last=Sen|first=Sailendra|publisher=Primus Books|year=2013|isbn=978-9-38060-734-4|pages=121–122}}</ref> who were a [[Medieval India|medieval]] [[Hindu]] dynasty from the [[Indian subcontinent]], which originated in the region of Odradesha (historical region ruled by samrat Odra) (most of present-day [[Odisha]] and [[Uttarandhra|Northern coastal Andhra]]) from 1434 to 1541 CE. Under [[Kapilendradeva|Kapilendra Deva]], Gajapatis became an [[empire]] stretching from the lower [[Ganga]] in the north to the [[Kaveri]] in the south.<ref>{{cite book |editor1-last=Majumdar |editor1-first=Ramesh Chandra |editor1-link=R. C. Majumdar |editor2-last=Pusalker |editor2-first=A. D. |editor3-last=Majumdar |editor3-first=A. K. |date=1960 |title=[[The History and Culture of the Indian People]] |volume=VI: The Delhi Sultanate |location=Bombay |publisher=Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan |page=367 |quote="[Describing the Gajapati kings of Orissa] Kapilendra was the most powerful Hindu king of his time, and under him Orissa became an empire stretching from the lower Ganga in the north to the Kaveri in the south."}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Mishra |first1=Patit Paban |title=Eastern Ganga and Gajapati empires |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/314837499 |date=January 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Sengupta |first1=Debapriya |last2=Saha |first2=Goutam |title=Identification of the major language families of India and evaluation of their mutual influence |journal=Current Science |url= https://www.jstor.org/stable/24907928?Search=yes&resultItemClick=true&searchText=gajapati+empire&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dgajapati%2Bempire%26acc%3Don%26wc%3Don%26fc%3Doff%26group%3Dnone%26refreqid%3Dsearch%253A7323dd4ed3b981655e9c7472a3b1ba8f&ab_segments=0%2Fbasic_search_gsv2%2Fcontrol&refreqid=fastly-default%3Aed8f9e41ab1daaff24db655f3dbfd95a&seq=10#metadata_info_tab_contents|publisher=Current Science Association |date=25 February 2016 |volume=110 |issue=4 |page=676 |doi=10.18520/cs/v110/i4/667-681 |jstor=24907928 }}</ref>

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 were expanded immensely; from large parts of [[Andhra Pradesh]] and [[West Bengal]], and the eastern and central parts of [[Madhya Pradesh]] and [[Jharkhand]]. The king took the title of ''Sri Sri ... (108 times) Gajapati Gaudesvara Nava Koti Karnata Kalavargesvara''. This title is still used by their descendants at [[Puri]] during the Ratha Yatra. The significant rulers of this dynasty were [[Purushottama Deva]] (1467–1497) and [[Prataparudra Deva]] (1497–1540). The last ruler Kakharua Deva was killed by [[Govinda Vidyadhara]] in 1541, who founded the [[Bhoi dynasty]].

== Etymology ==
In [[Odia language|Odia]], "Gaja" means elephant and "Pati" means ''master'' or ''husband''. As such, Gajapati etymologically means ''a king with an army of elephants''.

==History==
The region known as Kalinga (present-day Odisha) was controlled by the [[Odia people|Odia]] rulers [[Eastern Ganga Dynasty|Eastern Gangas]] of the [[Vasistha]] gotra. The early Eastern Gangas ruled from Kalinga-nagara (Mukhalingam near [[Srikakulam]], Andhra Pradesh). They shifted their capital to Cuttack in the 13th century. Religious leader [[Ramanujacharya]] had a great influence on the Raja Choda Ganga Deva, who renovated the temple at [[Puri]]. Narasingha Deva built the [[Sun Temple]] at [[Konark]]. The Gangas were succeeded by the Gajapati rulers. 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 people|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 of Odisha, at the height of their power in the 15th century, ruled over an empire extending from the [[Ganges]] in the north near [[Hooghly district|Hoogly]] to the [[Cauvery]] in the south under Gajapati Kapilendra Deva.<ref>''A History of South India'', [[K.A. Nilakanta Sastri]]</ref>{{full citation needed|date=June 2020}} But by the early 16th century, the Gajapatis lost great portions of their southern dominion to [[Vijayanagara Empire|Vijayanagar]] and [[Golconda]]. This period was marked by the influence of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and by the expansion of Jaganatha temple across the length and breadth of the empire. One of the causes of the reduction in militarism of the population has been attested to the Bhakti movement initiated by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who arrived in the empire at the time of Emperor Prataparudra and stayed for 18 long years at Puri.{{citation needed|date=April 2020}} Emperor Prataparudra was highly influenced by the works of Chaitanya and gave up the military tradition of the Odia emperors.{{citation needed|date=April 2020}} He retired himself into the life of an ascetic leaving the future of the empire uncertain. Govinda Vidyadhara took the opportunity to murder the sons of the emperor and usurped the throne himself and carved out the destruction of the once mighty empire.{{citation needed|date=April 2020}}

==Rulers==
* [[Kapilendra Deva]] (1434–67)<ref name="sen2">{{Cite book |last=Sen |first=Sailendra |title=A Textbook of Medieval Indian History |publisher=Primus Books |year=2013 |isbn=978-9-38060-734-4 |pages=121–122}}</ref>
* [[Purushottama Deva]] (1467–97)
* [[Prataparudra Deva]] (1497–1540)
* Kalua Deva (1540–41)
* Kakharua Deva (1541)

==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 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 king 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 Odisha also provided a stipulated number of soldiers at the time of war and had to fight for the Gajapati in the battle field.<ref name="military" >{{Cite web|url=http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/191019/10/10_chapter%205.pdf|title=MILITARY SYSTEM UNDER THE SURYAVAMSI GAJAPATIS|website=www.shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in|access-date=10 October 2018}}</ref>

===Military titles===
Some of the military titles include:<ref name="military1" />

*Senapati, Champati, Routray (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 era of Kapilendra Deva, has given descriptions about the military divisions in his Odia Mahabharata.<ref name="military1" >{{Cite web|url=http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/191019/10/10_chapter%205.pdf|title=MILITARY SYSTEM UNDER THE SURYAVAMSI GAJAPATIS|website=www.shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in|pages=153, 154|access-date=10 October 2018}}</ref> 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''
** ''Banua''
** ''Phadikara'': The fighters bearing mostly close combat weapons
** ''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:<ref name="military1" />

* '''Dala''': Band of 27 [[Paika (community)|Paika]]s, 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===
The different musical instruments used to motivate soldiers during the march and warfare. The names of the music instruments include ''Damalu, Damame, Tamaka, Bizighosa, Daundi, Ghumura, Bheri, Turi, Ranasingha'' etc. The names of the 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 the gateways and the walls of the fort with the help of horses, elephants and iron instruments are also found in the same text.<ref name="military1" />

===Contemporary sources===
Other contemporary sources also give accounts about the characteristics of the Gajapati military. Muslim texts like ''Buhan-m-Mansir'' gives accounts of Kapilendra Deva having an elephant force numbering two hundred thousand. This number of war elephants is usually a very huge number compared even to any military of the existing kingdoms during the times of Kapilendra Deva himself in India. Nizzamuddin writes that the Gajapati encamped on the Godavari river banks with an infantry of seven hundred thousand. [[Fernão Nunes]]. the Portuguese traveler who spent three years at [[Vijayanagara]], the capital of the [[Vijayanagara Empire]] estimates size of the army of [[Prataparudra Deva]] to the extent of 13,000 elephants, 20,000 horses, while fighting against the Vijayanagara Empire and also praises that the Odia soldiers were excellent fighters. ''Rayavachakamu'' also gives interesting accounts about the feats and exercises practised by the Odia soldiers at their capital at Cuttack.<ref name="military2" >{{Cite web|url=http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/191019/10/10_chapter%205.pdf|title=MILITARY SYSTEM UNDER THE SURYAVAMSI GAJAPATIS|website=www.shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in|pages=155|access-date=10 October 2018}}</ref>

==Descendants==
===Talcher branch===
{{Main|Talcher State}}
During the reign of [[Purushottama Deva]], the overlordship of Bhimanagari was established in 1471 CE in the region by Narahari Singh who was the scion of the family of the ruling Suryavanshi Gajapati Kings of Odisha. Later in 1578 under the reign of Padmanabha Birabara Harichandan, the kingdom was renamed as Talcher after the name of the family goddess Taleshwari.<ref>{{citation |title=ODISHA DISTRICT GAZETTEERS ANGUL |publisher=GAD, Govt of Odisha |url=http://www.gopabandhuacademy.gov.in/sites/default/files/gazetter/Angul_Gazetteer.pdf |pages=51–54 |date=2010 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book | last=Mishra | first=DP | title=People's Revolt in Orissa: A Study of Talcher | publisher=Atlantic | year=1998 | isbn=978-81-7074-014-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=W8GXSR0SiF8C&q=talcher+suryavanshi&pg=PA51 |pages=51–54 | access-date=2021-03-06 }}</ref> The kingdom acceded to India and merged into the state of [[Odisha]] following independence in 1947.

==Gallery==
{{HistoryOfSouthAsia}}
<gallery>
File:Oriya land grant.jpg|15th century copper plate grant of Gajapati emperor [[Purushottama Deva]]
File:Lingaraj Temple Inscription of Kapilendra Deva 1.png|alt=Lingaraj Temple Inscription of Kapilendra Deva issuing warning to the vassal kings for complete loyalty to him or else loose their property and be banished from the kingdom|Lingaraj Temple Inscription of [[Kapilendra Deva]]
File:Monuments of ekamrakhetra.JPG|Kapileswar Temple at old Bhubaneswar built during Kapilendra Deva
File:Narendra Tank, Puri, Odisha.JPG|Narendra tank at Puri built during the rule of Kapilendra Deva
File:Meghanad wall.jpeg|Meghanada wall fortifications of the Puri Jagannath temple constructed during the rule of Kapilendra Deva
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[Eastern Ganga dynasty]]
* [[Pusapati|Poosapati]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

===Bibliography===
* {{cite book |editor1-last=Majumdar |editor1-first=Ramesh Chandra |editor1-link=R. C. Majumdar |editor2-last=Pusalker |editor2-first=A. D. |editor3-last=Majumdar |editor3-first=A. K. |date=1960 |title=[[The History and Culture of the Indian People]] |volume=VI: The Delhi Sultanate |location=Bombay |publisher=Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan |pages=365–372}}
* {{cite book |editor1-last=Subrahmanyam |editor1-first=R |date=1957 |title=The Sūryavaṁśi Gajapatis of Orissa |url=https://www.worldcat.org/title/suryavamsi-gajapatis-of-orissa/oclc/613268261 |location=Waltair |publisher= Andhra University }}

{{Odisha}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Dynasties of India]]
[[Category:States and territories established in 1434]]
[[Category:History of Odisha]]
[[Category:History of Andhra Pradesh]]
[[Category:Dynasties of Odisha]]
[[Category:Culture of Andhra Pradesh]]
[[Category:Hindu dynasties]]
[[Category:Suryavansha]]
[[Category:States and territories disestablished in 1541]]
[[Category:1434 establishments in Asia]]
[[Category:15th-century establishments in India]]
[[Category:1541 disestablishments in India]]

Gajapati Empire - Revision history

BrigitteHosking: small edit

>Glorious 93: (GR) File:QutbshahiFlag.PNG → File:Qutbshahi Flag.svg