Rattibha

(1) #Thread on the great King of Odisha - Narsimha I (Eastern Ganga dynasty) #History
When the Gangetic parts of India had quickly fallen to the fanatic invaders of #Delhi Sultanate in 12-13th century, the #Hindu lighthouse in #Kalinga shined bright amidst the darkness (👇)

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The powerful #Delhi Sultan - Shamsuddin Iltutmish died in 1236, two years before Narsimha I took over the reins of the #Odisha kingdom.
1243: Narsimha I *invaded* the #Bengal province of Delhi Sultanate. Its capital at Gaur was besieged. +

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The erstwhile #Bengal Gov, Izzuddin Tughan Khan launched counterattack. Narsimha I made tactical retreat to his Contai outpost. He defeated the Muslm army using feigned retreat & sandwiching tactics. Almost all Muslm troops were k!lled & the Gov escaped narrowly. He asked +

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Delhi for help.
1244: 2nd invasion of Bengal by Narsimha I. He attacked Lakhanor, and sieged the capital again! Delhi sultan sent Ayodhya Gov (Qamruddin Tamur Khan [Q henceforth] ) to help Bengal. Q made Izz resign & became Bengal Gov. Narsimha I harassed their territories +

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till monsoon, then returned to Odisha.
1247: Q died. Masud Jani became Bengal Gov. He lost *ALL* battles to Narsimha I in his Gov career.
1251: Masud Jani was fired. Malik Ikhtiyaruddin Yuzbak became Bengal Gov
1253: Narsimha I defeated Yuzbak 3 times in 3 years. Lakhnor +

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loss (Birbhum dist) was especially demoralising for Yuzbak.
1255: During 1251-55, Narsimha I invaded & besieged Gaur (capital) *THREE* times. At last, the #Bengal Gov won a battle vs Narsimha I at Mandaran (👇).
The #Odia aggression however made sure, that no Muslm power +

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fought #Odia Kings for the next 100 years! The Midnapore, Bankura & Hooghly districts thus remained under Hindu control of Narsimha I.
1257: The Bengal Gov focused on Eastern campaigns. But Yuzbak was executed by the Hindu Kamarup Raja. Narsimha I passed away in the same yr.

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Religious Patronage:
Shaiva, Shakti and Jagannath Panth flourished under Narsimha I rule.
He commissioned & completed the temples at #Konark (Surya Mandir), Kapilash, Khirachora Gopinatha, Srikurmam, Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha temple at Simhanchalam, & Ananta Vasudeva temple

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Narsimha I was praised highly, and was given epithet of "Yavan-avani-vallabha" (master of the kingdom of Yavanas). He also took on 'Gajapati' title.
His aggressive policies vs Muslm sultanates proved to be the only policy effective against them, eg. Sieging Bengal capital 5x