History of Orissa from the Earliest Times to the British Period v1.c28.9.4

v1.c28.9.4

A Sanskrit drama named *Gaṅgādāsa-Pratāpa-Vilāsam* by Gaṅgādhara states that after the death of Devarāya II the Bahmanī Sulṭan combined with the Gajapati king and invaded Vijayanagara territories,¹ but were defeated by the Vijayanagara emperor Mallikārjuna. Both statements are unreliable, because, in the first instance, the relations of Kapilendra Gajapati were never cordial with Devarāya II and his death was hailed with great delight and relief by the Musalmans of the Deccan. Devarāya II died in February 1449 and the accession of his son Mallikārjuna took place in the same year. The war with the combined armies of Kapilendra and 'Alāuddīn Aḥmad II (1436-58) must have taken place in 1451. A war had indeed taken place, because the inscriptions of Kapilendra discovered in the South Arcot district prove that his occupation of the northern portion of the Tamil districts lasted for more than ten years.