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Debendra K. DashDipti R. Pattanaik 49allowed equal space for all of them in the power-spectrum as isevident from the Srisailam record:Kapilendra, in his Srisailam record called himself PuranaVaishnav, Purana Maheswar and Durgaputra. Thus, hewas a Vaishnavite, a Saivite and a Shaktaite at the sametime (Satyanarayan 1983).Sarala’s Mahabharata and other writings, which wereproduced during Kapilendra’s rule, demonstrate the compositenature of the cultural and religious affiliation. Jaina and folkelements jostle to find expression within the predominantlyBrahminical text, resulting ultimately in the subversion of Brahminideology. This cultural diversity had to face a challenge again fromIslam during the 15 th century. A major part of Orissa came underdirect Muslim control in the second half of the 16 th century.However, indirect influences of Islamic culture had already been feltin the earlier centuries because several parts of India had come underMuslim administrative control before the end of the 14 th centuryitself. Before the Muslims came on the Indian scene, the role of theIndian states in the cultural life of the people had been minimal. Theroyal administration confined itself to maintaining a standing army,and collecting revenue for the upkeep of the same. In matters ofethics and morality, adjudication of the rule of the law etc. peopleenjoyed a lot of autonomy. Only during transitional phases betweenthe decline of one dynasty and the rise of another, there wasdisruption in this kind of autonomy. Since the rulers and the peoplebelonged to contiguous faiths and religious practices under the broadrubric of Indian composite culture, there was a common ritualisticbond between the people and the state. This weakened with theestablishment of Muslim domination. The hitherto dominantBrahmincal ideology received a severe setback due to such aweakening. The subaltern heterodox voices, which were recessiveduring the Brahmin hegemony, became more audible.