King 'Langula' Narasingha Deva I : Who Built the Konarak Sun Temple

    

With the succession of Narasimhadeva I to the Ganga throne in 1238 CE, the Ganga Empire reached its zenith. His twenty-six years of wonderful rule witnessed excellent achievements in every issue of the Ganga administration. 

His competitive and offensive army policy created panic inside the minds of the Muslim rulers of Bengal and Oudh. This led the imperial Gangas to the top of strength, glory, and splendor. 

For the primary time, he bore the name Gajapati showing the great ownership of elephants, and this name was borne by means of the later Ganga rulers every now and then and by the Suryavamsi kings continually. 

The sun temple at Konarka turned into the extraordinary advent inside the subject of structure that introduced Narasimhadeva. He was popularly referred to as Langula Narasimhadeva many of the people of Odisha.

Attacks on Bengal 

    After his accession in 1238 CE., Narasimha I accompanied the coverage of aggressive imperialism. through that time, Tughril Tughan Khann (1233 – 1246 CE.) had come to be the governor of Bengal.

    After consolidating his position, Narasimha marched along with his grand navy aided through Paramadrideva, his brother-in-regulation towards Bengal in 1234 CE. 

    The Odishan military overran some of semi-impartial Hindu rajas of the neighboring location, east of the river Ganges and made a calculated move to northern Radha, the territory of Tughri Tughan Khan. At this juncture, Tughril Tughan gave a clarion call to all of the Muslims for a jihad (holy battle) against the Hindus. Even Qazi Minhaj-us-Siraj joined this holy struggle.

In his, Tabaqat-i-Nasiri Minhaj gives a vivid image of the battle. through 1244 CE. Tughril Tughan released a counter-assault on the Odishan navy. Gaining some preliminary achievement, the Muslim navy pressured the forces of Narasimhadeva to retreat toward their frontier citadel Katasin (Kantei in the Midnapur district of West Bengal) which turned into surrounded through jungles and cane-trees and provided strategic protection to the Odishan military. 

    Tughril-Tughan Khan retired to Lakhnauti with a view to keep his existence. His rule over Radha came to an give up. The victory of Narasimhadeva I over the Muslim army has been defined in the Anantavasudeva temple inscription.

It genuinely established the fact that Narasimha had prolonged his way up to Radha by way of defeating Tughril-Tughan Khan. 

    Narasimhadeva did now not retire after conquering Radha. He desired to extend his sway as much as Varendra. by means of that point, Lakhnauti consisted of two primary divisions- Radha and Varendra, located on either facet of the Ganges. 

    Lakhnor became the headquarters of Radha at the same time as Diwkot became that of Varendra. Having his sway over Radha, Narasimhadeva directed his navy against Varendra. The Odishan army ransacked the Muslim territory at Bengal and created panic inside the minds of the Muslims. 

    Being anxious, Tughril Tughan Khan appealed to Sultan Alauddin Masud Saha of Delhi to come to his rescue who sent Quamuruddin Tamur Khan, the governor of Oudh to help Tugha Khan. but, after achieving Bengal, Tamur had a sharp distinction of opinion with Tughril Tughan who was ultimately driven faraway from Bengal, and Tamur Khan persevered as its governor till his loss of life in 1246 CE.

    Balban, the Sultan of Delhi Sultanate appointed lkhtiyar-ud-Din Yuzbak because of the governor of Lakhnauti. once more Narasimhadeva carried on his arms as much as Bengal. 

    Minhaj’s Tabaqat-i-Nasiri mentions that four battles had been fought between Yuzbak and Narasimha from 1247 to 1256 CE, once more, the leader of this struggle from the facet of the Odishan military became Paramadrideva whom Minhaj mentions as Sabantar. 

    In the first two battles, Yuzbak received success. inside the 0.33 one, he sustained discomfiture on the arms of the Odishan army. He asked for a military useful resource from Delhi and marched closer to Umurdan (present Amanda Mayurbhanj district). but, on this brilliant conflict Paramadrideva, the valiant son-in-regulation of Anangabhimadeva III and brother-in-law of Narasimhadeva I misplaced his existence. 

    The victory of Yuzbak has been substantiated by using the problem of silver coins from the mint of Lakhnauti in reminiscence of the conquest of Umardan. however, after his death, Lakhnauti came under the direct grip of Delhi Sultanate and Narasimhadeva subjugated Bengal, Midnapur, Howrah, and Hoogly to the Ganga empire.

Hostilities with the Kakatiyas

He no longer most effectively subdued the Muslims but created terror in the mind of Kakatiya ruler Ganapati. The Lingaraj temple inscription refers to a war that happened between Ganapati and Narasimha. 

    Ganapati turned into a very powerful ruler of the Kakatiya dynasty who has to have invaded the southern a part of Kalinga grabbing a few portions of it as is thought from the Bhimesvara temple inscription. So, it may be assumed that there might have been a frequent conflict among the 2 kings and Narasimhadeva must have inflicted a crushing defeat upon Ganapati.

His achievements as a builder

    Narasimhadeva’s achievement as a builder was unparalleled. The extraordinary solar temple at Konarka bears the testimony inside the discipline of artwork, architecture, and sculpture. although the main temple has been ruined, Jagamohana (Porch) continues to be status. 

    The marvelous art, structure, and sculpture of the temple charm the attention of tens of millions of vacationers everywhere in the globe who go to the Sun temple of Konark.

His contribution to faith, art, and literature

    He changed into no longer best an extraordinary military genius or builder but additionally, he became a top-notch statesman of his time. His sound administration turned into marked with catholicity. 

    He turned into a champion of the purpose of Hinduism. His Lingaraj temple inscription is famous that he built a monastery known as Sadasiva Matha inside the Ekamrakhetra (Bhubaneswar). 

    This monastery changed into the asylum for the refugee Hindus who came from Gauda and Radha being oppressed with the aid of the Muslim rulers.

The Purchaser of Sanskrit Literature

He becomes a first-rate purchaser of Sanskrit literature. Vidyadhara, his court poet composed his well-known Alankara work Ekavali which describes the achievements of Narasimhadeva I. 

    His courtroom became adorned with extremely good men of letters as is gleaned from the language and style of various inscriptions of, his duration. Narasimhadeva turned into famous for his religious toleration. If the sun temple at Konarka makes an effect that he changed into a brilliant devotee of solar God his Kapilasa inscription phrases him as Sri Durga Putra, Sri Purusottam Putra, and a devotee to God Mahesvara. 

    He really followed the policy of his father Anangabhimadeva III. Narasimhadeva I bore the excessive sounding titles befitting to his fame. The Ekavaii crowns him with the name ‘Vavanani Uallabha’ the Lingaraja temple inscription ornaments him with the title ‘Vira-NaraKesari-Dharadhipa’ and the Kailash inscription entitles him as ‘Gajapati. His wonderful rule came to a result in 1264 CE.

as a consequence, Narasimhadeva-i was a king of many laudable traits. He was skilled in the artwork of government and also patronized men of letters. He becomes well-known because of his heroism and marvelous introduction to the Sun temple, at Konarka.

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