History of Orissa from the Earliest Times to the British Period v1.c31.36

v1.c31.36

In northern Orissa the title of Gajapati remained in abeyance till 1592, or 24 years, when, by a clever manipulation of religious opinion, Māna Simha managed to gain over the priests of Jagannātha in favour of Rāma Chandra I of Khurda against Telinga Rāmachandra. For 24 years, from 1568 till 1592, there was anarchy in Orissa and very little is known of the short Afghan rule in that province. Sulaimān Kararānī was followed by his sons Bāyazid and Dāūd and after the fall of the latter at the battle of Rajmahal in 1576, Orissa became a debateable country where the disaffected Afghans found refuge whenever chased out of Bengal. More often than not Mughal Subadars found it convenient to let troublesome Afghan chiefs like Qatlū or Osmān remain in possession of Orissa, and, therefore, the Mughal rule in Orissa did not really begin till the accession of the Mughal Emperor Nūruddīn Jahāngīr. The story of the Mughal-Afghan struggle for Orissa and the creation of a fresh Gajapati by the Rajput chief Māna Siṃha is narrated in the next chapter. (Second Volume)