The beginning of the 15 century opened a new horizon for Oriya 0085, 1t coincided with the most glorious period of Oriya history. Kapilendra Dev (1434-1467), a worthy son ए the Orissan soil, usurped the kingdom from the hands of the ‘Gangas’, a southem dynasty, and became the monarch of Orissa. He conquered vast territories of the southern peninsula up 0 the Krishna river in the south and Gulbarga in the west, and united people of many languages under one administration. His victory in a number of battles created an atmosphere of seli-confidence in the Oriyas asa heroic nation, and they directed their attention to improving their language and literature. As aresull, a great poet like Sarala Das emerged from the society. King Kapilendra Dev also encouraged his people to write in Oriya and he himself included one Oriya poem in his Sanskrit work Parashurama Vyayoga and accepted Oriya as the state language, in place of Sanskrit and Tamil, and he issued a number of royal orders in Oriya. His ardent love for Jagannatha and his full dependence on Him, contributed a lot to bring about a creative atmosphere.
Which monarch is credited with opening a new horizon for Oriya poets at the beginning of the 15th century ?
