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How did Kapilendra expand the Kalinga kingdom?
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Odisha
Jagannatha temple, Puri, Odisha, India.
In the 1450s and 1460s, Kapilendra (also known as Kapileshvara), the powerful ruler of Orissa, significantly expanded his kingdom by exploiting the declining central authority of the Vijayanagar empire.
Alongside his son Hamvira, Kapilendra led a series of successful military campaigns:
- Conquests in the East: He conquered the Reddi kingdom of Rajahmundry and the Vijayanagar province of Kondavidu.
- Conflict with the Bahmanis: He captured Warangal and Bidar from the Bahmani sultans.
- Southern Expansion: He occupied Udayagiri and directed a victorious army down the east coast as far south as the Kaveri River.
These military successes weakened the Vijayanagar empire in the east and forced provincial governors to take independent measures to defend their territories. Kapilendra’s expansionist efforts continued until his death in 1470, which triggered a period of civil war in Orissa and allowed Vijayanagar forces to eventually regain lost territories.1