Ramachandra Deva I

Ramachandra Deva was the son of Danai Vidyadhara, a lieutenant of Bhoi king Govinda Vidyadhara.{{cite web|author=Dr.Manas Kumar Das|title=History of Odisha|url=https://ddceutkal.ac.in/Syllabus/MA_history/Paper-17.pdf|publisher=DDCE Utkal University|page=41|accessdate=2021-07-22}}{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0B5uAAAAMAAJ&q=ramachandra+yaduvamsa|title=The Orissa Historical Research Journal|publisher=Superintendent, Research and Museum, Orissa|year=1982}} According to historian K.C Panigrahi, Ramachandra Deva's family belonged to Karana community however Madala Panji associated him with Yaduvamsa to raise his status in the eyes of the Mughal general Man Singh to legitimise his claim over the kingship of Khurda and Puri.{{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}} Ramachandra Deva was the Raja of Khurda kingdom and after the death of Mukunda Deva, Ramachandra Deva became "Gajapati".{{cite book|author=J P Das|title=A Time Elsewhere|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mXFyDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT299|date=13 October 2018|publisher=Penguin Random House India Private Limited|isbn=978-93-5305-340-6|pages=299–}}{{cite book|author=Orissa (India)|title=Orissa District Gazetteers: Puri|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0S9uAAAAMAAJ&q=ramachandra++Bidyadhar|year=1966|publisher=Superintendent, Orissa Government Press}}{{cite book|author=Francesco Brighenti|title=Śakti Cult in Orissa|year=2001|publisher=D.K. Printworld|isbn=978-81-246-0179-2}} Ferishta mentioned him as "a Prince of great fame and Power".{{cite book|title=Crafts and Commerce in Orissa|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ybX1-CqEXPkC&pg=PA179|publisher=Mittal Publications|pages=179–|id=GGKEY:4EYA3F6QHL9}} As Kharavela was the morning star when the forward march of the Odias began, Ramachandra Deva was the midnight star, he came to the throne when complete darkness engulfed the people towards the end of the century.{{cite book|author=N. K. Sahu|title=History of Orissa from the Earliest Time Up to 500 A.D.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=a8MBAAAAMAAJ&q=Ramachandra+Deva+mornind+star+Kharavela|year=1964|publisher=Utkal University}} Ramachandra Deva's eldest son was Padmanav Pattanaik, Padmanav Pattanaik played an instrumental role in retrieving the Brahma Padartha of Lord Jagannath from Bisara Mohanty of Kujang Garh.{{Cite journal |title=Bishar Mohanty, An Ardent Devotee. Odisha Review, ISSN 0970-8669 |url=https://magazines.odisha.gov.in/Orissareview/2020/Jun-Jul/engpdf/20-30.pdf |journal=Bishar Mohanty, an Ardent Devotee |pages=27–30}}

Due to the sustained invasion of Afghans over Orissa, Ramachandra Deva accepted the suzerainty of Akbar through Man Singh I of Amer and defeated them with Mughal support. The Mughals took control over Orissa and Ramachandra Deva continued as a subordinate king. In the settlement of 1592, Ramachandra Deva was granted the principality of Khurda by the Mughal emperor. His territory was called Qila Khurda, alienated from the Khalisa and its domain extended from the river Mahanadi to Ganjam. The 31 subordinate Zamindars in his control including all the later tributary Mahalas of Cuttack and south of the river Mahanadi and seven principal Zamindars, which were not styled or titled Rajas. These important chiefs were the zamindars of Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Bishnupur, Fatehbad, Narayangarh, Karrangarh and Nag or Bagbhum.{{cite book|author1=Chandan Kumar Sadangi|author2=Sanjay Mohapatra|title=Change Management for Organizations: Lessons from Political Upheaval in India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=csqODgAAQBAJ&pg=PA13|date=3 April 2017|publisher=Emerald Group Publishing|isbn=978-1-78714-119-3|pages=13–}}

The invasion of Kalapahad brought an immense loss of wealth that was stored in various ancient temples of the region. The reconstruction of these temples was promptly taken up by Ramachandra Deva.{{cite book|title=Crafts and Commerce in Orissa|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ybX1-CqEXPkC&pg=PA22|publisher=Mittal Publications|pages=22–|id=GGKEY:4EYA3F6QHL9}} He was able to present himself as the successor to the culture and tradition of the former Gajapati kings. He renovated the Jagannath Temple in Puri and reinstalled the idols of the trinity by droving out the muslim forces from the city in 1575 A.D.{{cite book|author1=Masaaki Kimura|author2=Akio Tanabe|title=The State in India: Past and Present|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aUtuAAAAMAAJ&q=Ramachandra+Deva+bhoi|year=2006|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-567277-0}} He continued the Gundicha Yatra, eight years after the installation of the deities, which was discontinued after the destruction caused by Kalapahad.

For his remarkable work, the king was popularly known as the Second Indradymna or Abhinava Indradyumna, which is an honorable comparison to the legendary founder of the temple, Maharaja Indradyumna.{{cite book|author=Trilochan Dash|title=Story of Lord Sri Jagannatha in Srimandira at Sri Purusottam Kshetra|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hd0rnGa72PsC&pg=PA263|publisher=Trilochan Dash|pages=263–|id=GGKEY:Y2TR84PZ0DD}}{{cite book|author=Sitakant Mahapatra|title=Beyond the Word: The Multiple Gestures of Tradition|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GpweSxFyXSQC&pg=PA191|year=1993|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass Publ.|isbn=978-81-208-1108-9|pages=191–}} He established sixteen villages of Brahmins by giving endowments of land and established some forts in the Pipili area - Bhuinmul, Sahajpal, Kharagarh and Kahnan, which are identified with the present Bhuinmulgarh, Sahajpani, Aragarh and Garh Kurki respectively.{{cite book|author=Jagannātha Prasāda Dāsa|title=Puri Paintings: The Chitrakara and His Work|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RvzVAAAAMAAJ&q=gajapati+ramachandra+deva|year=2005|publisher=Prafulla|isbn=978-81-901589-7-8}}{{cite book|author=Amiya Kumar Pattanayak|title=History with a Difference: Reflections on the Works of Jagannath Patnaik|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uI4MAQAAMAAJ&q=ramachandra+deva+Khurda|year=2007|publisher=Indian Publishers' Distributors|isbn=978-81-7341-451-0}}

The rulers like Kapilendra Deva, Purushottama Deva, Prataparudra Deva of Suryavansha dynasty and Ramachandra Deva of Bhoi dynasty patronised art and music in Orissa. During his reign classical music, dance and other forms of art reached an apex.{{cite book|author=Bhagabana Sahu|title=Cultural History of Orissa, 1435-1751|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sTduAAAAMAAJ&q=gajapati+ramachandra+deva+Kapilendra|year=1997|publisher=Anmol Publications|isbn=978-81-7488-654-5}} In his reign, the young boys were dressed as girls and performed under the guide of Odissi, called the Gotipua Nrutya. Devadasis were originally intended for temple service only but during the time of Ramachandra Deva they were engaged in providing entertainment to the royal court.{{cite book|author=Sujata Patnaik|title=Folk Legend Bhagaban Sahu|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R9yBAAAAMAAJ&q=ramachandra+deva+I|year=2006|publisher=Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India|isbn=978-81-230-1342-8}}{{cite book|author=Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute|title=Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Poona|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=m29jAAAAMAAJ&q=ramachandra+deva+I|year=2005|publisher=Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute}}

• Bisara Mohanty
• Indradyumna
• Nabakalebara

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Category:History of Odisha

Category:16th-century Indian monarchs

Category:People from Odisha