page_title: Kapilendra Deva
section_title: The Odia Military under Kapilendra Deva
hierarchical_section_title: Kapilendra Deva / Consolidation of Authority by Suppressing Internal Rebellions / The Odia Military under Kapilendra Deva
caption_attribution_description: English: Gajapati Kapilendra Deva Routray depicted holding a sword and seated in a dominating Lakulisha position at Kapileswar Temple in Old Bhubaneswar
context_page_description: Kapilendra Deva was the founder of the Gajapati dynasty that ruled parts of eastern and southern India, including present-day Odisha as the center of his empire. He had staged a military coup against the preceding and the last Eastern Ganga dynasty ruler Bhanu Deva IV and overtook the throne as the king was weak and had lost territories to the south. His name is also written as Kapilendra Routray or Sri Sri Kapilendra Deva. In claiming descent from the Surya Vamsha of the Mahabharata, he also took the title shri shri ... Gajapati Gaudeshwara NabaKoti Karnata Kalabargeswara. This title literally meant the lord of Bengal, of Karnataka region or Vijayanagara kingdom, of Golkonda kingdom and of nine crore subjects. The title is still used by the sun dynasty kings of Puri on ritual occasions.
context_section_description: Different historical sources give varied accounts about the Odishan military commanded by the Gajapatis. According to Muslim text Buhan-m-Mansir, Kapilendra had an elephant force numbering two hundred thousand (2,00,000). 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 (700,000). Another Muslim source documents that Kapilendra Deva raided Bidar with only 10,000 foot soldiers while being assisted by the Vellamati chiefs of Telangana.
  The Odia poet Sarala Das who lived during the era of Kapilendra Deva, has given descriptions about the military divisions in his Odia Mahabharata. The divisions mentioned are:-
  Hantakaru Dala :- This division was in the forefront of the marching army and was responsible forward scouting, clearing jungles and marking roads for the army.
  Aguani Thata :- The division that marched ahead of the main army.
  Pradhana Vala :- The main division of the army
  Pachhiani Thata :- The rear guard division
  Anga Vala :- The specially deployed bodyguards of the military generals and the royalties.
  Oridandas :-The contingent of the army that stayed in charge of conquered forts and the adjoining regions.
  Sarala Das also gives a picture of different musical instruments used to motivate soldiers during the march and warfare Some names of the weapons used by the Gajapati army are also mentioned  like Dhanu, Troua, Sara, Asi, Parigha, Pattisa, Kunta, Jathi, Buruja, Saveli, etc. Information with regard to breaking of the gateways and the walls of the fort with the help of horses, elephants and iron instruments is also found in the same text.
caption: Gajapati Kapilendra Deva Routray depicted holding a sword and seated in a dominating Lakulisha position at Kapileswar Temple in Old Bhubaneswar
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