OR CUTTACK. 285 



with the plunder of the capital, they proceeded towards Puri where they 

 committed dreadful devastations ; but the grand object of their search, the 

 Idol or Deo of Orissa, had been removed out of their reach, the priests 

 having- taken the precaution, so soon as they heard of the approach of the 

 invaders, to carry off Sri Jeo and the other images in boats across the 

 Chilka in order to conceal them amongst the hills. Raja Pertab Rudra 

 Deo on receiving intelligence of these disastrous occurrences, hastened 

 back from the Deccan, and performing a journey of months in a few days, 

 he came up with the invading army before they had left the khetr, gave 

 them battle, and destroyed a great number of the Miecchas (Foreigners and 

 Barbarians). He was however himself so much crippled by the contest, 

 that he was happy to conclude a peace nearly on the enemy's terms, when 

 they retired and left the province to itself. 



This Prin „ one years. With 



the three ab :able reigns, terminate all the glories of the Ganga 



Vansa dynasty, and the royal house of Orissa. The race itself became ex- 

 tinct soon after the demise of Raja Pertab Rudra Deo, and the indepen- 

 dence of the country was not destined long to survive. Pressed at both 

 extremities by the vigour and enterprize of the Mohammedan governments 

 of Bengal and Telingana, now in the full maturity of their strength, the 

 downfall of the Orissan monarchy was further hastened by intestine com- 

 motions, disunion amongst the chiefs, and a series of bloody and destructive 

 contests for the supreme dignity. 



Pertab Rudra Deo left thirty-two sons. The eldest of these reigned 

 about five years, when he was murdered by the powerful minister Govind 

 Bidyadhar. Another son succeeded, who was murdered at the expiration 

 of a year. The minister then barbarously put to death the whole of the 

 remaining thirty princes of the royal house, by the hands of his own son 

 Madhu Srichander, and having destroyed several other persons of emi- 

 nence, he thus literally waded up to his neck in blood to the throne, whick 



