286 ON ORISSA. PROPER 



he ascended A. D. 1533 under the title of Raja Govind Deo. Two re- 

 markable personages became first generally known during his administrati- 

 on, Mukund Harichandan, the Telinga, who received the government of 

 the town of Cuttack, and Danaye or Danardan Bidyadhar, who, was ap- 

 pointed Prime Minister. The former afterwards became Raja of the coun- 

 try, and was the last of its independent sovereigns ; the latter, though not 

 himself a king, was the parent of kings— in other words, he was the ances- 

 tor of the third and titular branch of the Gajapatis of Orissa, known in af- 

 ter ages as the Rajas of Khurda. 



The presence of the Raja being required in the Deccan, he resided for 

 eight months at Malgunda or Maligonda with his minister. We may in- 

 fer from Ferishteh, that the possession of Rajamundry and other places 

 near the Godaveri was about this period much disputed between the Una 

 princes and tho MuaGoiman kinjya of the Deccnn, hath the Bahminis, and 

 that branch of their successors who ruled at Golconda under the title of 

 Kutteb Shahis. Ferishteh's account of the latter monarchs contains a 

 passage relating to Orissa which I may here quote. He says, " Hindu 

 84 writers observe that there are three countries adjoining each other, the 

 " climates of which resemble each other greatly, and possess much the same 

 " peculiarities, viz. Teling, Beng, and Oorek (Orixa). Teling, is that pos- 

 " sessed by the Kutteb Shahi sovereigns. Beng, is Bengala. Oorek lies be- 

 " tween them. No Musselman prince has ever been able to conquer the 

 " latter, but king Mohammed Kuli Kooteb attacked it and subdued ma- 

 " ny parts. The Hakim of that quarter is called Bahabalinder (a common 

 4< title, it may be observed, of the feudal chiefs of Orissa, but not of the Ra- 

 *'jas);* he fled off to the remotest parts of his country." 



' The usurper's two nephews, Raghu Bhanj Chotra and Balanki Sri* 



* May not this be the original of the Mohammedan Balharas, a term that has puzzled all oriental- 

 ists. It need not be restricted to this province being a regular Sanscrit compound implying', The Io? 

 : «5i;a (chief) of the mighty, or literally, strong-armed.— Note % the Secretary. 



