Kapilendradeva or Kapilendra Routray (ruled 1435-1466 AD) was the emperor of Kalinga-Utkal (Orissa) and the founder of the Suryavansi Gajapati empire which annexed large swathes of territory in Telengana, [[Andhra], Tamil Nadu and Karnataka in the south to Madhya Pradhesh in central india and most of present day Bengal in the north]. His name is also written as Kapilendra Deva, or Sri Sri Kapilendra Deva. In claiming descent from the surya-vaMsha (solar dynasty) of the mahabharata, he also took the title shri shri ...(108 times) gajapati gauDesvara naba koTi karnATa kalbargesvara This title is still used by the solar dynasty kings of Puri on ritual occasions.
Kapilendra's ancestors were feudatory chiefs under the Ganga dynasty, but with the weakening of their authority, Kapilendra mounted a rebellion and seized power in 1434. In his early years, he overcame a number of challenges from other chiefs, and also an invasion by Sultan Ahmed Shah of Bengal. By 1443, with the help of his able minister Gopinath Mahapatra, he had consolidated his power. In 1444, while Kapilendra was fighting the Sultan of Jaunpur Mahmud Shah in the north, the kingdom was invaded from the south by the Reddy kingdom of Rajamundry and king Devaraya II of Vijayanagar.[1] His son Hamvira defeated the Reddy's and the Gajapati kingdom eventually came to occupy a large region from Midnapore in Bengal till Guntur in Andhra.
In 1448 Hamvira defeated the Bahmani SultanAladdin Ahmad Shah II. In 1459, Aladdin's son Humayun Zalim Shah invaded Debarkonda and was defeated by Hamvira, after which Telengana was occupied by Kapilendra's forces and the Velama Chief of Debarkonda became a feudatory.[2]
Kapilendradeva also patronized vaishnavism and expanded the Jagannath temple at Puri. Although his entire life was spent in warfare, the Jagannath temple became the center for an efflorescence of drama and dance (Odissi) and other forms of art during Gajapati rule.[3]
After his death in 1468, he chose his youngest son Purushottam, as heir, resulting in a rebellion by Hamvira. In 1472, Purushottam was defeated and Hamviradeva became king, but in 1476 Purushottam fought back and recaptured the throne.[2]