History of Orissa from the Earliest Times to the British Period v2.c38.45

v2.c38.45

The next chief attacked was the Gajapati of Khurda. It appears from the Muraqāt that as the nominal head of the Hindu chiefs of Orissa, the Khurda chiefs had suffered more from the Mughals than any other power. They were still the fountain-head of honour in the country. All other Zamindars regarded them as gods, disobedience to whom was a sin (pp. 77 and 102). They waited on him with due humility and honour. Nearly half a century after the departure of Rājā Mān Singh from the country the Rājās of Khurda, instead of being regarded as independent chiefs in alliance with the Mughal emperor, had descended very low in the scale and become feudatories or Zamindars. Rājā Mukunda Deva, the son and successor of Gaṅgādhara, had succeeded to the throne at the age of four (1662 according to Hunter and 1664 according to Stirling). Both dates are wrong, as the Muraqāt describes him as an adult who took a leading part in the war with the Khān-in-Daurān. He was accused of remaining absent from the Mughal army sent to punish the refractory Zamindars and having caused lawlessness personally.