The pioneer of aggressive reign: Langula Narsingh Dev l

-Muskaan

Kalinga, the most powerful ancient Indian kingdom, beholds brave reigns of unforgettable emperors, throughout ancient Indian history. The coastal regions of present-day India’s Odisha and Andhra Pradesh witnessed the vigour of the Kalinga region in ancient India. Well researched for the pivotal Kalinga war of the 3rd century, the region of Kalinga is more than a turning point in Ashoka’s life. This brave land once beheld the dominating rule of a courageous king, who fought against Muslim invaders for the first time in Indian history. He adopted aggressive measures against Muslim invaders and built architectural marvels. The powerful king, lesser known on the pages of old Indian documentation is Langula Narsingh Dev I.

The dominant East Ganga Dynasty king Narsingh Deva reigned over the ancient Odisha (Kalinga) from 1238 – 1264 CE. He was recognised for his strength and bravery in taking aggressive actions against Islam and is also acknowledged with the name ‘ Yavanabaniballava’, which means the destroyer of Islam. Born to father, King Anangbhima Deva III, and mother Kastura Devi, Narsingh Deva was a great statesman appreciated for his effective administration and strong voice for Hinduism.

Father’s reflection:

The Kalinga dynasty observed a series of Narsingh Dev’s military, architectural, and cultural achievements. Preserving the brave legacy of his father, King Anangbhima Deva III, Narsingh also adopted aggressive military policies. He not only defended the Kalinga region from the Muslim forces of Bengal, but also chased them into their territory. Since his father’s ruling time, Bengali Muslim invaders remained a threat to the Kalinga region. To eliminate the root cause of these consistent disturbances in his territory, he went offensive in Bengal. For the Hindu refugees, oppressed by muslims, Narsingh’s reign remained a heaven.

The Battle of Bengal (1243 CE):

When Narsingh accessed the throne in 1238 CE, he was well aware of the aggressive policies of his father against enemies, as a child. In 1243 CE, Tughral Tughan Khan was the governor of Radha province of Bengal. Aware of the Muslim invaders’ intentions, Narsingh with his brother-in-law Paramadri Deva marched towards Bengal. With a grand army, they crossed the small and semi-independent Hindu states of southern Bengal. Noticing the Odisha army advancing towards Bengal, Tughral Tughan Khan urged all the muslims to accompany his army for a holy war against the Hindus. He launched a counterattack against Narsingh’s army.

In a strategic attempt, the Odishan army opted for a defensive position at the Katasin Fort. Muslim forces followed them to the thick forests of Katasin. The guerilla tactics adopted by the Odia forces were hidden from the Muslim army leading them to assume that the enemy had fled from the territory. Once the Muslim forces went back to their camps, the hiding Odishan army attacked them from multiple directions in the thick forests, leading to a massive slaughter. This slaughter turned the clear river water muddy. After the offensive war from both sides, the defeated Khan in an attempt to save his life, took refuge in Lakhnauti and his rule over Bengal came to an end. This way Narsingh conquered the Radha province of Bengal.

The extending influence:

After defeating Khan, Narasimhadeva planned to extend his influence in the region. Lakhnauti was divided into two divisions at that time, namely, Radha and Varendra. Both regions were located on the opposite banks of the Ganges. Narasimhadeva already conquered Radha by defeating Khan, so he directed his army towards Varendra.

The aggressive war and Khan’s defeat filled muslims with fear. Fearful Tughral Khan appealed to Delhi’s Sultan Alauddin Masud Saha for help. Masud sent the governor of Oudh, Quamuruddin Tamur Khan, to help Khan. However, due to previous disagreements over Bengal between the two, Khan was eventually thrown out of Bengal. Tamur Khan remained its governor until his death.

The Battles of Umurdan (1247 to 1256 CE):

In 1247 AD, the newly appointed, and experienced governor of Bengal, Ikhtiyar-ud-Din Yuzbak, was given the task by the Delhi Sultanate to push away Hindu forces from Bengal. The second task given to Yuzbak was to get rid of Tughan Khan, who was planning revenge by claiming independence for Bengal from Delhi. With more than sufficient supplies and soldiers from the Delhi sultanate, Yuzbak now had the sole responsibility to safeguard the eastern front. In the heart of Bengal, a series of four battles were fought between the Odishan army and the Muslim army. Yuzbak won the first two battles, however, in the third battle, despite the Delhi Sultanate’s strong presence, Parmadri Dev secured a conquer. As a result, Yuzbak asked for more supplies from Delhi and marched towards Umurdan in 1256 A.D. In the fourth battle, muslims succeeded to an extent after Paramadri Dev was killed. After the battle, the scared and exhausted muslims never attempted to attack Odisha as they became well aware of the intense retaliation from Odishan forces.

Architectural Achievements

Devoted to his military and other achievements, he built great architectural marvels. In 1250 CE, he started the construction of the Konark Sun temple devoted to the Sun God, in Odisha’s Puri. This temple is an architectural wonder for its grand design and detailed carvings. UNESCO announced it as a World Heritage Site in 1984. He also built the largest fort of East India, Raibania Fort in Balasore district, and Varaha Lakshmi Narsimha Temple at Simhachalam, Andhra Pradesh. The Lingraj temple built by him hints at his conquest over the South ruler Ganapati Deva, who tried to invade South Kalinga.

Love for literature and religion:

Narsingh was a great lover and defender of Sanskrit literature. His court poet composed poems about his accomplishments. Narsingh was also prominent for his religious faith. The Sun temple in Konarka witnesses that he was a great devotee of the Sun God. His inscription suggests that he is a Durga Putra, and a devotee of God Mahesvara. In the inscriptions of Lingaraja temple, Narsingh is crowned as Yavanabaniballava, and in the Kapilash inscription as Gajapati, demonstrating his vast possession of elephants.

The glorious reign of the brave and fearless king Langula Narsingh Dev came to an end in 1264 CE.