Alimirza at 16:34, 24 September 2025

2025-09-24T16:34:07Z

New page

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2024}}
{{Short description|Founder of the Bhoi Dynasty}}
{{Infobox royalty
| type = Emperor
| name = Govinda Vidyadhara
| title = [[Gajapati (title)|Gajapati]]<br/>Suvarnakeshari<br/>Vira Govinda Deva
| succession = Gajapati Emperor
| reign = 1541 CE–1548 CE
| coronation = 1541 CE
| predecessor = Kakharua Deva
| successor = Chakrapratapa
| full name =
| house = [[Bhoi dynasty|Bhoi]]
| father =
| death_place =
| religion = [[Hinduism]]
}}

'''Govinda Vidyadhara'''<ref>{{Cite book |last=Society |first=Bihar Research |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tS_HAAAAMAAJ&q=vira+govinda+deva |title=The Journal of the Bihar Research Society |date=1927 |language=en}}</ref> was the founder of [[Bhoi dynasty|Bhoi Dynasty]]<ref name="Panigrahi1981">{{cite book|author=Krishna Chandra Panigrahi|title=History of Orissa: Hindu Period|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VhFuAAAAMAAJ&q=Govinda+Vidyadhara|year=1981|publisher=Kitab Mahal}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Mohapatra|first=Gopinath|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DH4cAAAAMAAJ&q=Bhoi+dynasty+Yadodu+vamsa|title=Jagannātha in History & Religious Traditions of Orissa|date=1982|publisher=Punthi Pustak|pages=109|language=en}}</ref> in Eastern India.

== Early life ==
He belonged to [[Karan (caste)|writer caste]] and came from a community of accountants or Bhoi.<ref name="Kapoor2002">{{cite book|author=Subodh Kapoor|title=The Indian Encyclopaedia: Gautami Ganga -Himmat Bahadur|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Nt4nbp1VIhsC&pg=PA2687|year=2002|publisher=Cosmo Publications|isbn=978-81-7755-266-9|pages=2687–}}</ref><ref name="Reddy2005">{{cite book|author=Reddy|title=General Studies History 4 Upsc|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yWfeU9eQd5YC&pg=SL2-PA32|date=1 November 2005|publisher=Tata McGraw-Hill Education|isbn=978-0-07-060447-6|pages=2–}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Indian History|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ORnlAAAAQBAJ&pg=SL2-PA175|publisher=Tata McGraw-Hill Education|isbn=978-1-259-06323-7|pages=2–}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Mukherjee|first=Prabhat|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1o8BAAAAMAAJ&q=accountant|title=The History of the Gajapati Kings of Orissa and Their Successors|date=1953|publisher=General Trading Company|pages=108|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Mohapatra|first=Gopinath|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DH4cAAAAMAAJ&q=govinda+vidyadhara+accountant|title=Jagannātha in History & Religious Traditions of Orissa|date=1982|publisher=Punthi Pustak|pages=87|language=en}}</ref>
According to Historian [[Krishna Chandra Panigrahi|KC. Panigrahi]] Bhoi rulers belonged to [[Karan (caste)|Karana]] caste.<ref>{{Cite book |last=PANIGRAHI |first=KRISHNA CHANDRA |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p0mkEAAAQBAJ&dq=govinda+vidyadhara&pg=PT340 |title=History of Orissa: (HINDU PERIOD) |date=2023-01-05 |publisher=Notion Press |isbn=978-1-68586-798-0 |language=en}}</ref> Historian [[Hermann Kulke]] while quoting [[Krishna Chandra Panigrahi|KC. Panigrahi]] mentions the lineage of Govinda Vidyadhara's ancestors and their ancestral occupation, according to him Govinda Vidyadhara's ancestors were [[Karan (caste)|Karanas]] who were employed as writers in [[Gajapati Empire]] and had received land grants in [[Rajahmundry]] in Gajapati administration. Govinda Vidyadhara's younger son was also the founder of [[Peddapuram]] Zamindari of [[Andhra Pradesh]].<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Kulke |first1=Hermann |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JIzXAAAAMAAJ&q=karanas+(+scribes+) |title=Jagannath Revisited: Studying Society, Religion, and the State in Orissa |last2=Schnepel |first2=Burkhard |date=2001 |publisher=Manohar |isbn=978-81-7304-386-4 |language=en}}</ref> [[Hermann Kulke|Kulke]] also mentions that there was an attempt made by later poets to connect the Bhoi rulers with other dynasties despite them being of [[Karan (caste)|writer caste]] lineage.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Kulke |first1=Hermann |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yPlUEAAAQBAJ&dq=bhoi+dynasty+writer&pg=PA408 |title=The Routledge Handbook of the State in Premodern India |last2=Sahu |first2=Bhairabi Prasad |date=2022-01-13 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-1-000-48514-1 |language=en}}</ref> Other historians like [[Ashirbadi Lal Srivastava]] and Francesco Brighenti have also affirmed that Bhoi rulers were of [[Karan (caste)|Karan (writer caste)]] descent.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Brighenti |first=Francesco |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rnnXAAAAMAAJ&q=bhoi+karan |title=Śakti Cult in Orissa |date=2001 |publisher=D.K. Printworld |isbn=978-81-246-0179-2 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Srivastava |first=Ashirbadi Lal |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ce61AAAAIAAJ&q=bhoi+writer+ |title=The Sultanate of Delhi: Including the Arab Invasion of Sindh, Hindu Rule in Afghanistan and Causes of the Defeat of the Hindus in Early Medieval Age (711 - 1526 A.D.) |date=1959 |publisher=Shiva Lal Agarwala |language=en}}</ref> Govinda Vidyadhara had usurped the Gajapati throne by killing 16 sons or heirs of [[Prataparudra Deva]] through treachery and after ascending the throne he took the regnal title of "Suvarnakeshari" as per [[Madala Panji]], his rule was short-lived that for seven years only followed by his son Chakrapratapa.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Subrahmanyam|first=R.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8xhFAAAAIAAJ|title=The Sūryavaṁśi Gajapatis of Orissa|date=1957|publisher=Andhra University|pages=129|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Verma|first=Balraj|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w2owAQAAIAAJ|title=The Beautiful India - Orissa|date=2006|publisher=Reference Press|isbn=978-81-8405-005-9|pages=62|language=en}}</ref> Govinda Vidyadhara founded the Vira-Govindapur Sasana for [[Utkala Brahmin|Brahmins]] and his son Chakrapratapa was the founder of RaiChakrapur Sasana for Brahmins.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=K-dHAAAAMAAJ&q=chakrapratapa |title=The Journal of Orissan History |date=1987 |publisher=Orissa History Congress |language=en}}</ref>

== Not recognised as Gajapati ==
After ascending the throne Govinda Vidyadhara was not recognised as [[Gajapati (title)|Gajapati]] by the feudatory [[Orissa Tributary States|Gadajat]] states of Odisha as the rightful ruler as evident from his own "Jagamohana" inscription of [[Jagannath Temple, Puri]] in which he warned the feudatory states to stay loyal to him or else they will incur the wrath of Lord [[Jagannath]] for the sin of killing a Brahmana.<ref>{{Cite book |last=PANIGRAHI |first=KRISHNA CHANDRA |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p0mkEAAAQBAJ&dq=govinda+vidyadhara&pg=PT340 |title=History of Orissa: (HINDU PERIOD) |date=2023-01-05 |publisher=Notion Press |isbn=978-1-68586-798-0 |language=en}}</ref>

== Conflict with Golconda Sultanate ==
Immediately after ascending the throne Govinda Vidyadhara came into conflict with the Sultan of [[Sultanate of Golconda|Golconda Sultanate]] who had invaded southern Odisha, Govinda Vidyadhara had to spend eight months in fighting the Sultan in southern Odisha meanwhile Raghu Bhanja Chhottaraya a nephew of [[Prataparudra Deva]] started a rebellion in North Odisha with the help of an individual named Abdul Shah and managed to capture [[Cuttack]], Govinda Vidyadhara rushed back to his capital after hearing the news of rebellion and defeated Raghu Bhanja driving him out of Cuttack, Raghu Bhanja wanted to get revenge for the murder of the sons of Gajapati by capturing Cuttack.<ref>{{Cite book |last=PANIGRAHI |first=KRISHNA CHANDRA |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p0mkEAAAQBAJ&q=kc+panigrahi |title=History of Orissa: (HINDU PERIOD) |date=2023-01-05 |publisher=Notion Press |isbn=978-1-68586-798-0 |language=en}}</ref>

== See also ==
*[[Ramachandra Deva I]]<ref>{{Cite book |last=PANIGRAHI |first=KRISHNA CHANDRA |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p0mkEAAAQBAJ&dq=ramachandra+deva&pg=PT185 |title=History of Orissa: (HINDU PERIOD) |date=2023-01-05 |publisher=Notion Press |isbn=978-1-68586-798-0 |language=en}}</ref>
*[[Bisara Mohanty]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:History of Odisha]]
[[Category:15th-century Indian monarchs]]
[[Category:People from Odisha]]

Govinda Vidyadhara - Revision history

Alimirza at 16:34, 24 September 2025