The
Battle of TalikotaTalikota is a town in Bijapur district in the Indian state of Karnataka. Talikota is a small town in northern Karnataka, about 80 kilometres to the southeast of Bijapur. It lies on the River called Doni. It is famous for the Battle of Talikota in 1565....
Kannada ತಾಳಿಕೋಟೆ(or
Tellikota) (January 26, 1565), a watershed battle fought between the
Vijayanagara EmpireThe Vijayanagara Empire referred as the Kingdom of Bisnaga by the Portuguese, was a South Indian empire based in the Deccan Plateau. Established in 1336 by Harihara I and his brother Bukka Raya I, it lasted until 1646 although its power declined after a major military defeat in 1565 by the Deccan...
and the
Deccan sultanatesThe Deccan sultanates were five Muslim-ruled late medieval kingdoms–-Bijapur, Golkonda, Ahmadnagar, Bidar, and Berar of south-central India. The Deccan sultanates were located on the Deccan Plateau, between the Krishna River and the Vindhya Range. These kingdoms became independent during the...
, resulted in a rout of Vijayanagara, and ended the last great
HinduA Hindu is an adherent of Hinduism, a set of religious, philosophical and cultural systems that originated in the Indian subcontinent. The vast body of Hindu scriptures, divided into Śruti and Smriti , lay the foundation of Hindu beliefs which primarily include dhárma, kárma, ahimsa and saṃsāra...
kingdom in
South IndiaSouth India, also known as the Dravida in the Indian anthem, is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of area...
. Talikota is situated in northern
KarnatakaKarnataka is a state in the southern part of India. It was created on November 1, 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act...
, about 80 km to the southeast of the city of
BijapurBijapur city is the district headquarters of Bijapur District of Karnataka state. Bijapur city is well known for it's historical monuments of architectural importance built during the rule of Adil Shahi dynasty...
.
The throne of the Vijayanagara Empire had passed from Achyuta Raya, upon his death, to Rama Raya, who according to many scholars interfered in the affairs of the neighbouring
Muslim:A Muslim , , is an adherent of the religion of Islam. The feminine form is Muslimah . Literally, the word means "one who submits ". Muslim is the participle of the same verb of which Islam is the infinitive. Muslims believe that there is only one God, translated in Arabic as Allah...
Sultanates.
The
Battle of TalikotaTalikota is a town in Bijapur district in the Indian state of Karnataka. Talikota is a small town in northern Karnataka, about 80 kilometres to the southeast of Bijapur. It lies on the River called Doni. It is famous for the Battle of Talikota in 1565....
Kannada ತಾಳಿಕೋಟೆ(or
Tellikota) (January 26, 1565), a watershed battle fought between the
Vijayanagara EmpireThe Vijayanagara Empire referred as the Kingdom of Bisnaga by the Portuguese, was a South Indian empire based in the Deccan Plateau. Established in 1336 by Harihara I and his brother Bukka Raya I, it lasted until 1646 although its power declined after a major military defeat in 1565 by the Deccan...
and the
Deccan sultanatesThe Deccan sultanates were five Muslim-ruled late medieval kingdoms–-Bijapur, Golkonda, Ahmadnagar, Bidar, and Berar of south-central India. The Deccan sultanates were located on the Deccan Plateau, between the Krishna River and the Vindhya Range. These kingdoms became independent during the...
, resulted in a rout of Vijayanagara, and ended the last great
HinduA Hindu is an adherent of Hinduism, a set of religious, philosophical and cultural systems that originated in the Indian subcontinent. The vast body of Hindu scriptures, divided into Śruti and Smriti , lay the foundation of Hindu beliefs which primarily include dhárma, kárma, ahimsa and saṃsāra...
kingdom in
South IndiaSouth India, also known as the Dravida in the Indian anthem, is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of area...
. Talikota is situated in northern
KarnatakaKarnataka is a state in the southern part of India. It was created on November 1, 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act...
, about 80 km to the southeast of the city of
BijapurBijapur city is the district headquarters of Bijapur District of Karnataka state. Bijapur city is well known for it's historical monuments of architectural importance built during the rule of Adil Shahi dynasty...
.
Prelude
The throne of the Vijayanagara Empire had passed from Achyuta Raya, upon his death, to Rama Raya, who according to many scholars interfered in the affairs of the neighbouring
Muslim:A Muslim , , is an adherent of the religion of Islam. The feminine form is Muslimah . Literally, the word means "one who submits ". Muslim is the participle of the same verb of which Islam is the infinitive. Muslims believe that there is only one God, translated in Arabic as Allah...
Sultanates. Though this tactic worked initially to his favor, it backfired later and finally the Sultanates decided to unite and destroy the Hindu kingdom. Inter-family marriages between Sultans solved many of their internal conflicts and they finally united against the Vijayanagara empire, which was seen as the common enemy.
The Battle
On January 26, 1565 the Deccan Sultanates of
AhmednagarAhmednagar is a city of Ahmednagar District in the state of Maharashtra, India, on the west bank of the Sina river, about 120 km northeast of Pune and 120 km from Aurangabad. Ahmednagar is the largest district in the Maharashtra state of India. Sugar, milk and bank co-operatives thrive...
,
Berar*Berar Sultanate & Ancient*Berar Subah *Berar Province *Central Provinces and Berar *Berar Division * Berar...
,
BidarBidar is a city and taluka in Karnataka state, India. It is the administrative seat of Bidar District. Bidar is also known as Karnatakda kerita.Bidar city is known for its unique Bidri handicraft products...
, Bijapur and
GolcondaGolconda may be:Places:* Golkonda, ruined city and fortress in India* Golconda, Illinois, town in the United States* Golconda, Nevada, former town in the United StatesOther:* Golconda...
, who had formed a grand alliance, met the Vijayanagara army at
TalikotaTalikota is a town in Bijapur district in the Indian state of Karnataka. Talikota is a small town in northern Karnataka, about 80 kilometres to the southeast of Bijapur. It lies on the River called Doni. It is famous for the Battle of Talikota in 1565....
between two villages called Rakkasa and Tangadi, on the alluvial banks of the
Krishna RiverThe Krishna River , is one of the longest rivers in central-southern India .-Course:...
, in present day
KarnatakaKarnataka is a state in the southern part of India. It was created on November 1, 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act...
state. It was one of the few times in medieval Indian history that a joint strategy was employed. The sultanates were also aided by some minor Hindu kingdoms who held grudges against the Vijayanagara Empire. The Deccan kings had a grand total of 80,000
infantryInfantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of the Combat Arms they are the backbone of armies...
and 30,000
cavalryCavalry were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback in combat. Cavalry were historically the second oldest and most mobile of the combat arms...
. Vijayanagara, on the other hand, had 140,000 foot soldiers, with another 10,000 on horseback. The armies also had large numbers of
war elephantA war elephant is an elephant trained and guided by humans for combat. Their main use was to charge the enemy, trampling them and breaking their ranks....
s. This decisive battle was fiercely fought. Fighting in a rocky terrain, the invading troops launched a classic offensive strategy. First they softened up the primary lines of the Vijayanagara army using
cannonA cannon is any tubular piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellants to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...
fire. The concentrated
artilleryArtillery is a military combat Arm that employs weapons capable of discharging large projectiles in combat. They are generally capable of adding considerable fire power to the military capability of an armed force...
took its toll, and the massive frontal attack by the combined armies finished the job. The battle ended in a complete victory for the sultanates, with the raja being beheaded and put on display as a trophy. What followed was pillage and the plunder of
VijayanagaraVijayanagara is in Bellary District, northern Karnataka. It is the name of the now-ruined capital city, located at , of the historic Vijayanagara empire which extended over the southern part of India.-Location and Surroundings:...
.
Aftermath
The battle spelt the death knell for the large Hindu kingdoms in
IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
, and it also ended the last great southern empire in India. What followed was a victorious army along with hordes of robbers and
jungleA jungle is usually a dense forest in a hot climate, such as a tropical rainforest. The word jungle originates from the Sanskrit word jangala which refers to uncultivated land, among other meanings. The term is prevalent in many languages of the Indian subcontinent and particularly Urdu and Hindi...
dwellers falling upon the great city, looting, robbing, murdering and pillaging the residents. With
axesAxes may refer to:* Axes, woodworking hand tools* The plural of axis* Axes , a 2005 rock album* X and Y axes, or X, Y, and Z axes, perpendicular lines used in the Cartesian coordinate system...
,
crowbarCrowbar may refer to:* Crowbar * Spud bar* Crowbar , an electrical circuit* Crowbar , a sludge metal band from Louisiana** Crowbar , an album by the band* Crowbar...
s, fire and sword the victorious armies went about the task of bringing to
rubbleRubble is broken stone, of irregular size,shape and texture. This word is closely connected in derivation with "rubbish", which was formerly also applied to what we now call "rubble". Rubble naturally found in the soil is known also as brash...
the city of Vijayanagara which never recovered from the onslaught. The highly diminished Vijayanagara empire now tried to stage an unsuccessful comeback with its capital at
PenukondaPenukonda is a small town in the Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh, India. It is 70 km away from Anantapur town. This region was controlled at different points in history by the Hoysalas, Chalukyas, Vijayanagar, Nawabs, Maratha chieftain Murari Rao, Tipu Sultan, Nizam and eventually came...
. Tirumala however could not lay claim over Vijayanagara as local support was to make the younger brother of
Aliya Rama RayaRama Raya, popularly known as "Aliya" Rama Raya, was the progenitor of the "Aravidu" dynasty of Vijayanagar Empire. This dynasty, the fourth and last to hold sway over the Vijayanagara Empire, is often not counted as a ruling dynasty of that empire, for reasons delineated below...
, also called Tirumala, the regent. It was another six years before Tirumala could claim regency over the former capital of Vijayanagara. During this time, anarchy had spread.
Aliya Rama RayaRama Raya, popularly known as "Aliya" Rama Raya, was the progenitor of the "Aravidu" dynasty of Vijayanagar Empire. This dynasty, the fourth and last to hold sway over the Vijayanagara Empire, is often not counted as a ruling dynasty of that empire, for reasons delineated below...
s habit of nominating family relatives to key positions of the former kingdom instead of loyal officers became a reason for family feuds and
rebellionRebellion is a refusal of obedience or order. It may, therefore, be seen as encompassing a range of behaviors from civil disobedience and mass nonviolent resistance, to violent and organized attempts to destroy an established authority such as the government. Those who participate in rebellions are...
. The
Polygar (
Palyagar) system (local
chieftainA traditional tribal chief is the leader of a tribe, or the head of a tribal form of self-government.The notion of a "tribal chief" is rather vague and arbitrary; neither chief nor tribe is clearly defined, so in many cases other designations are used for the same institution, such as petty ruler...
s) which had been so successful earlier was also a reason for break away factions. The Nayaks of
TamilTamil people , are an ethnic group native to Tamil Nadu, a state in India, and the north-eastern region of Sri Lanka. They speak Tamil , with a recorded history going back two millennia. Emigrant communities are found across the world...
speaking regions;
GingeeGingee is a panchayat town in Viluppuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The nearest town with a railway station is Tindivanam, 28 km away....
, Madurai Nayaks and Tanjore Nayaks were flexing their freedom and in fact Tirumala Deva Raya had to tacitly accept the independence of these Nayakas in order to keep their friendship in an hour of impending invasions from Bijapur. Later, the Vijayanagara empire shifted capitals to
ChandragiriChandragiri , is a suburb of Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh, south India. Recently it is included under Municipal Corporation limits of Tirupati...
and eventually to
VelloreVellore is a city and headquarters of Vellore district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The 142-year old municipality was crowned as largest Corporation in Tamil Nadu on August 1st 2008. Vellore is ninth corporation converted after Tirupur and Erode. Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Mr...
during which time the other feudatories, the Kingdom of Mysore, Nayakas of Keladi in Shimoga and Nayakas of
VelloreVellore is a city and headquarters of Vellore district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The 142-year old municipality was crowned as largest Corporation in Tamil Nadu on August 1st 2008. Vellore is ninth corporation converted after Tirupur and Erode. Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Mr...
also became independent. As a result of the Vijayanagara empire's collapse, the political system of the southern areas disintegrated. However, it left a residue of
TeluguThe Telugu people or Telugus are an ethnic group of India. They are the native speakers of the Telugu language, the most commonly spoken language in India after Hindi and Bengali...
enclaves and local elites scattered over most of
South IndiaSouth India, also known as the Dravida in the Indian anthem, is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of area...
. Kannada country lost its united identity for the coming four centuries, with the creation of smaller states such as the
Kingdom of MysoreThe Kingdom of Mysore was a kingdom of southern India, traditionally believed to have been founded in 1399 in the vicinity of the modern city of Mysore. The kingdom, which was ruled by the Wodeyar family, initially served as a vassal state of the Vijayanagara Empire...
,
Keladi NayakaKeladi Nayaka were an important ruling clan of post-medieval Karnataka, India. They initially started to rule as a feudatory of the Vijayanagar Empire...
s,
Nayakas of ChitradurgaNayakas of Chitradurga ruled parts of eastern Karnataka. During the rule of Hoysala Empire and Vijayanagara Empire, they served as a feudatory. Later after the fall of the Vijayanagara empire, they ruled at times as an independent kingdom and at other times as feudatory of the Mysore Kingdom,...
, the latter two eventually merging with the Kingdom of Mysore. For the Sultanates and Muslim rulers of the south, victory seemed temporary as they continued to engage in squabbling and fighting amongst themselves which ultimately resulted in their capitulation to the
MughalsThe Mughal Empire was an Islamic and Persianate imperial power of the Indian subcontinent which began in 1526, invaded and ruled most of Hindustan by the late 17th and early 18th centuries, and ended in the mid-19th century...
and later the
British EmpireThe British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom, that had originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height it was...
. Some Kannada speaking regions became part of
HyderabadHyderābād state was the largest princely state in the erstwhile British Indian Empire. It was located in the south-central region of the Indian subcontinent, and was ruled, from 1724 until 1948, by a hereditary Nizam...
KarnatakaKarnataka is a state in the southern part of India. It was created on November 1, 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act...
ruled by the
NizamNizam , a shortened version of Nizam-ul-Mulk , meaning Administrator of the Realm, was the title of the native sovereigns of Hyderabad State, India, since 1719, belonging to the Asaf Jah dynasty...
of Hyderabad and
Bombay PresidencyThe Bombay Presidency was a former province of British India. It was established in the 17th century as a trading post for the British East India Company, but later grew to encompass much of western and central India, as well as parts of post-partition Pakistan and the Arabian Peninsula.At its...
governed by
Maratha Marāthā has three related usages: within the Marathi speaking region it describes the dominant Maratha caste or to the Maratha and Kunbi castes together; outside Maharashtra it can refer to the entire regional population of Marathi-speaking people; historically, it describes the Maratha empire...
chieftains all of whom came under the British umbrella.
Causes of defeat
Historians have debated over the cause of the defeat with much enthusiasm. Apart from
epigraphalEpigraphy is the study of inscriptions or epigraphs engraved into stone or other durable materials, or cast in metal, the science of classifying them as to cultural context and date, elucidating them and assessing what conclusions can be deduced from them...
analysis, historians also have at their disposal writings of
EuropeanThe European peoples are the various nations and ethnic groups of Europe. European ethnology is the field of anthropology focusing on Europe....
travellers to the kingdom around the time of the war.
- It has been suggested that while the Vijayanagara armies had relatively lesser number of cavalry
Cavalry were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback in combat. Cavalry were historically the second oldest and most mobile of the combat arms...
on horseback and depended on commanders riding war elephants making them slower on battlefield, the Sultanate armies had many more swift Persian horses used by key sections of the army and commanders. This gave the them an edge.
- It is also well known that all the three main commanders of the Vijayanagara army including Aliya Rama Raya were aging compared to the young commanders of the Sultanate armies.
- While the Vijayanagara infantry depended on bows
A bow is a weapon that projects arrows powered by the elasticity of the bow. Essentially, it is a form of spring. As the bow is drawn, energy is stored in the limbs of the bow and transformed into rapid motion when the string is released, with the string transferring this force to the arrow...
made of bambooThe bamboos are a group of woody perennial evergreen plants in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Some are giant bamboos, the largest members of the grass family. Bamboos are the fastest growing woody plants in the world...
, the Sultanate armies used crossbowA crossbow is a weapon consisting of a bow mounted on a stock that shoots projectiles, often called bolts. The medieval crossbow was called by many names, most of which derived from the word ballista, a siege engine resembling a crossbow in mechanism and appearance.Crossbows historically played a...
s made of metal which were much more lethal in accuracy and distance. Also, the Vijayanagara army was overconfident and used long spearA spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a sharpened head. The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with bamboo spears, or it may be of another material fastened to the shaft, such as obsidian, iron or bronze...
s and javelinThe pilum was a heavy javelin commonly used by the Roman army in ancient times. It was generally about two meters long overall, consisting of an iron shank about 7 mm in diameter and 60 cm long with pyramidal head. The iron shank may be socketed, but more usually widens to a flat tang; this was...
s while the Sultanate armies used long spears while riding horse back. This gave them a clear advantage.
- The Sultanate armies had a much better prepared artillery
Artillery is a military combat Arm that employs weapons capable of discharging large projectiles in combat. They are generally capable of adding considerable fire power to the military capability of an armed force...
division manned by gunners from TurkestanTurkestan, spelled also as Turkistan and Turkharistan is a region in Central Asia, which today is largely inhabited by Turkic peoples. It has been referenced in many Turkic and Persian sagas and is an integral part of Turan...
, who were at that time considered the best at artillery warfare while Vijayanagara depended on European mercenariesA mercenary is a professional soldier hired by a foreign army, as opposed to a soldier enlisted in the armed forces of a sovereign state. He or she takes part in armed conflict on many different scales, and is "motivated to take part in the hostilities essentially by the desire for private gain...
who were not as well trained.
External links