Bahmani invasion of Orissa

Purushottam Deva became the second King of the Gajapati Empire following the demise of his father, Kapilendra Deva. In 1461, seizing an opportunity presented by the death of Bahmani Sultan Humayun Shah, Kapilendra initiated an invasion against the Bahmanis, capitalizing on the youth of their king, Nizam Shah. However, the invasion faced a setback when Bahmani minister Mahmud Gawan deployed forces to resist the Gajapatis, leading to their defeat. Consequently, Kapilendra surrendered and withdrew to his own territories. Nizam Shah's reign was brief, and on July 30, 1463, he was succeeded by his younger brother, Muhammad Shah III Lashkari. In 1475, Bhimraj (also known as Hamid Rai), a rebel, staged a revolt at Kondavidu, a Bahmani territory, where he killed the Bahmani officials at the fort. Recognizing the Bahmani threat, Bhimraj sought assistance from Purushottam. He persuaded Purushottam by highlighting the prevailing famine in Deccan, anticipating challenges for the Sultan's forces. Consequently, Purushottam forged an alliance with the chiefs of Telangana and Jajnagar, leading a march towards Bahmani territories. ==Conflicts==

First encounter (1476) Muhammad III sent a force led by his commander Nizam-ul-Mulk Bahri, but they were defeated by the Gajapatis, compelling a retreat to Wazirabad, Telangana. An inscription at Simhachalam dated A.D. 1476 proves that the Gajapati King Purushottama was on his way to Rajahmundry and had reached that place, where he made offerings to god Narasimha, no doubt for the success of his arms. Ferishta's accounts read with those of the Burhan-i-Ma’asir indicate that there was an Oriya invasion of the south-eastern portion of the Bahamani kingdom in A.D. 1476 or A.D. 1477 and in consequence the Bahamani Sultan lost both Rajahmundry and Kondavidu provinces. In response, the Sultan directed the army to advance to Malikpur near Ashtur. Acting on Mahmud Gawan's counsel, the Sultan personally led the forces marching toward Rajahmundri. Witnessing the Sultan's army approaching, Bhimraj was compelled to retreat towards the Kondavidu fort. Muhammad Shah III launched an invasion into Orissa, penetrating its heart. Alarmed by this, Purushottam expressed his willingness to pay homage to the Sultan, offering to disarm and presenting costly gifts along with a large number of elephants. The Sultan accepted Raya's homage, confirming him as the ruler of his patrimony. On the Sultan's return, he encountered an Orissa fortress whose garrison chose to fight rather than surrender, leading the Sultan to lay siege to it. Upon learning of this, Purushottam sent sincere apologies to Muhammad Shah, begging him to take possession of the fort and, if he wished, to return it as his vassal. == Aftermath ==

In the aftermath of the conflicts, the Bahmanis secured Rajahmundry and Kondavidu, along with tribute from the Gajapati ruler. Notably, they ended the career of Hamvira, who had defected to the side of his brother Purushottam. This marked a significant shift, considering Hamvira's previous alliance with the Bahmanis in his pursuit of the throne. ==References==