Indian Antiquary Vol 58

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, S Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarka
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 72

64
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[ APRIL, 1929
We do not know for what reasons the campaign against the Gajapati, i.e., Prat&parudra of Orissa, was preferred to that against Isma'il 'Adil I of Bijapur. According to a Telugu prose work named Rayavácha kamu, Kșishņadevaraya marched against Bijapur immediately after the capture of Sivaņasamudram. 41 But the arrangement of the events of Krishnadevaraya's regime in this work appear to be fanciful because campaigns cannot have been conducted in the way or in the order in which they are narrated in it. In this paper we are not concerned with the campaigns against Bijapur and Bidar but only with those which were directed against the Empire of Orissa. The first recorded date in the series of campaigns conducted by Krishnadevaraya against Pratâ parudra of Orissa is that of the capture of Udayagiri. Krishộadevaraya brought an image of Balakrishna from Udayagiri, which was dedicated by him in 1514. Udayagiri therefore must have fallen sometime earlier, though an inscription in the HazaraRåmasvá mi temple at Vijayanagara indicates that Udayagiri was holding out in 1513. Krishna devaraya devastated the eastern coast and drove back the Orissan army as far as Kondavidu before the capture of Udayagiri.43
The contemporary Portuguese writer Nunez gives a detailed account of Krishnadeva. råya's campaigns against Prataparudra of Orissa. According to him Narasa Nayaka "in his testament had enjoined on his succeeders the necessity of taking the fortresses of Rracholl (Raichur), Medegulla (Mudkal), and Odigair (Udayagiri). He,43 therefore, collected 34,000 foot-soldiers and 800 elephants, and arrived with his army at Digary (Udayagiri), which, although its garrison numbered only 10,000 foot soldiers and 400 horse, was nevertheless a very strong place on account of its natural position. The king laid siege to it for a year and a half, cutting roads through the surrounding hills in order to gain access to the towers of the fortress, and finally took it by force of arms. On this occasion an aunt of the king of Orissa fell into his hands.44" There is some difference of opinion among the modern writers about the subsequent course of events. Some writers think that Krishnadevaraya returned to Vijayanagara after the capture of Udayagiri, while others maintain that he pushed on to Kondavidu. According to the inscriptions, one Tirumala Rautaraya or Tirumalai Rahuttaraya was captured at Udayagiri. Kanarese and Telugu inscriptions on Udayagiri hill mention the capture at Udayagiri of an uncle of Prataparuda named Tirmula Raghavaraya or Tirumala Kantharaya. This Raghavaraya and Kantharaya appears to be the same as the Rautaraya and Rahutyaråya of other inscriptions than those found on Udayagiri bill, because the term Raütatråya, used in the case of younger sons of kings of Orissa, was not known to the late Mr. Krishna Sastri even in 1908.
The second expedition against Pratå parudra was undertaken shortly after the fall of Udayani, wgainst the strong fort of Kondavidu. Evidently Pratâparudra had made Kondavidu the base of his operations, as Křishnadevaraya laid siege to it. According to Nunəz, "the king of Orissd approaceed with a large army in defence of his country. When Krishnaraya had heard of this, he left a portion of his troops at Kondavidu as a guard against any attack from behind, and advanced himself four miles (legoas). On the banks of a
great river with salt water,' wnich apparently is the Krishna, a battle took place which ended in the defeat and flight of the king of Orissa. After this victory the king told his regedor Salvatinda (Salva- l'imma) that he intended to continue the siege of Kondavidu. After two months the fortress surrendered, and Salva-Timma was appointed Governor of Kondavidu. But as he wished to accompany the king on his further expedition against the king of Orissa, he conferred, on his part, tue governorup on one of his brothers. After taking the fortress of Condepailyr (Kondapalle) and occupying the country as far north as Symamdary, Kfish. para ya made a peace wign tne king of 0.18d and married one of his daughters. "'46 Kondavidu
41 Sources of Vijayanagara History, p. 111. 43 Ann. Rep. Arch. Surv., 1908-9, p. 170.
43 Krishnadevaraya. + Epi. Ind., vol. VII, p. 19: Sewell, A Forgotten Empire, p. 131, for the date of the fall of Udayagiri, of. Epi Ind., vol. VL p. 110, note 5.
46 Epi. Inch, vol. VI, p. 110.