Kapilendra Deva

Kapilendra Deva (died 25 November 1466) was the founder of the Gajapati Empire that ruled parts of eastern and southern India with present-day Odisha as the center of the kingdom. 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. He was known for his aggressive military campaigns, He defeated the Muslim forces like the Sultan of Jaunpur (Mahmud Shah), Bahmani Sultanate and the young ruler of Bengal Samsuddin Ahmad Shah who were continuously preparing to invade Odisha and had continuous rivalries with powerful kings such as Deva Raya II of Vijayanagara along with Reddys of Rajmahendri.

Kapilendra reduced the taxation and warned the nobles not to oppress the people. He was a devoted worshipper of Jagannath but the Siva temples did not miss his benefactions. Kapilendra was a patron of arts and letters and the renaissance in Odia literature may be traced from his reign. He imparted fresh vigour and life to a declining kingdom and left it to his son Purushottama, in a prosperous condition. After his death his youngest son Purushottama Deva became the successor by the wish of his father which led to a civil war with his elder brother Hamvira Deva.