A History of South India from Prehistoric Times to the Fall of Vijayanagar c16.68

c16.68

About 1476 the people of Kondavidu rose against their oppressive Muslim governor, put him to death and delivered the town to Hamir, an Oriya nobleman. The person so described by the Muslim historians was doubtless Dakshina Kapileśvara Kumāra Hamvīra Mahāpātra, a son of Hambar (Hamvīra) who had contested the throne of Orissa with Purushottama. Hamir sent word that the time had come for Purushottama to recover his lost territory, so he invaded Telengana and besieged Malik Hasan in Rajahmundry. Muhammad, however, marched across the country and relieved him, the Orissan king retired to his country whither Muhammad followed him in 1478, when he had to make peace at the cost of many elephants and other rich presents to the sultan. Hamir, who had shut himself up in Kondavidu, eventually surrendered and was spared his life. Muhammad destroyed the great temple at Kondavidu, built a mosque on its site, and earned for himself the title of ghazī by killing with his own hand the Brahmin priests of the temple.