186 
M. M. Chakravarti — Inscription of Kapilendra tleva. [No. 2, 
was rising again Tinder Narasa of tke 2nd dynasty; and a few years 
later Qutb Shall, general of the Bahmani king, founded the king- 
dom of Golk5nda. Pratapa Rudra, after he l>ad been on the throne for 
about 5 or 6 years, became engaged in a war with Narasa, Madala 
Pahji says that he conquered the king ; but two Vidyanagara copper- 
plates, one of Acyuta Raya and the other of Sada 5 iva Raya, speak of 
Narasa conquering the Gajapati rulerd In 1509 A.D Ismail Ghazi 
(named Surasthana in M. Pahji), a genei’al of the Bengal Nawab, made 
a dash into Orissa, ravaged the country, sacked Puri town and destroyed 
a. number of Hindu temples. Pratapa Rudra hurried from the south, and 
the Maliomedan general retreated. He was closely pursued and defeated 
on the bank of the Ganges (M. Pahji). The general took refuge in Fort 
Mandaran (Subdivision Jehanabad, District Hooglily), and was besieged. 
But one of the Raja’s high officeis, Govinda Vidyadhara, went over to 
the enemy’s side ; and so the Raja had to raise the siege and to retire to 
Orissa. This war and the destruction of the Hindu images have been 
mentioned in several places in the Caitanya-marjgala alias Bhdgavataj 
one of the eai liest biographies of Caitanya the Bengal preacher (com- 
posed circa 1550-60 A.D.).^ 
It was also a period of considerable religious ferment. Vallabha- 
carya had begun his religious preachings in the north ; and Caitanya 
began his religious wanderings in Bengal, Orissa and elsewhere. 
In February 1510 A.D., Caitanya came to Puri and stopped for two 
months. At that time Pratapa Rudra had gone to the south, 
nnd was fighting with Krsna Raya who had just then come to the 
throne of Vidyanagara. Wandering in the south after a year Caitanya 
came back to Puri. There at the time of the Ratha festival the king and 
the preacher met ; and according to the biographies, Pratapa Rudra was 
converted and became a devoted disciple. 
Several of the king’s officers also became Caitanya’s disciples, 
among whom the most prominent was Ramananda Raya, for some 
time governor of Rajamahendri. It is related in Caitanya-carit-dmrta 
(Antya Khanda, 9th Pariccheda) that Ramananda’s brother Gopinatha 
Bayajena, who was the revenue officer in charge of Maljyatha Dandapata 
(at present the eastern part of Midnapur District) fell in arrear of 
a large revenue— two lakh Kalians of cowries, and was ordered by 
the king to be put to death. He was however saved and reinstated by 
the mediation of Caitanya’s disciples. 
1 Ep. Ind., Vol. Ill, p. 152 5 Ep. Ind., Vol. IV, p. 12, “ Viry-ddagram TurusJtam 
Oajapati-nrpatim c = dpi jitvd tad-anydn. ” 
2 Caitanya-maygala alias Bhdgavata, Antya Khanda, 2nd Adhyaya, pp. 772, 
779-80 ; 4th Adhyaya, pp. 865, 866. 
