Battle of Talikota
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Talikota
(January 26, 1565), a watershed battle fought between the Vijayanagara Empire
and the Deccan sultanates
, resulted in a rout of Vijayanagara, and ended the last great Hindu
kingdom in South India
. Talikota is situated in northern Karnataka
, about 80 km to the southeast of the city of Bijapur
.
, Bijapur and Golconda
, who had formed a grand alliance, met the Vijayanagara army at Talikota
, Bijapur taluk between two villages called Rakkasa and Tangadi, on the alluvial banks of the Krishna River
, in present day Karnataka
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 infantry
and 30,000 cavalry
. Vijayanagara, on the other hand, had 140,000 foot soldiers, with another 10,000 on horseback. The armies also had large numbers of war elephant
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 cannon
fire. The concentrated artillery
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 Vijayanagara
.
, and it also ended the Vijayanagara empire in India. What followed was a victorious army along with dwellers falling upon the great city. With axes
, crowbar
s, fire and sword the victorious armies went about the task of bringing to rubble
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 Penukonda
. Tirumala however could not lay claim over Vijayanagara as local support was to make the younger brother of Aliya Rama Raya
, 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 Raya
s habit of nominating family relatives to key positions of the former kingdom instead of loyal officers became a reason for family feuds and rebellion
. The Polygar (Palyagar) system (local chieftain
s) which had been so successful earlier was also a reason for break away factions. The Nayak
s of Tamil
speaking regions; Gingee
, 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 Chandragiri
and eventually to Vellore
during which time the other feudatories, the Kingdom of Mysore, Nayakas of Keladi in Shimoga and Nayakas of Vellore
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 Telugu
enclaves and local elites scattered over most of South India
. Kannada country lost its united identity for the coming four centuries, with the creation of smaller states such as the Kingdom of Mysore
, Keladi Nayaka
s, Nayakas of Chitradurga
, 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 Mughals
and later the British Empire
. Some Kannada speaking regions became part of Hyderabad
Karnataka
ruled by the Nizam
of Hyderabad and Bombay Presidency
governed by Maratha
chieftains all of whom came under the British umbrella.
analysis, historians also have at their disposal writings of European
travellers to the kingdom around the time of the war.
Despite all these disadvantages the greatest reason of loss was betrayed by two muslim commanders ( Gilani Brothers) of Vijaynagara Army.At the critical point of war Moslem officers in the Vijayanagaran army to launch a subversive attack. Suddenly Ramaraya found his rear surprised by the two Moslem divisions in his ranks turning against him. All Moslem troops of Vijaynagara army had opened a vigorous rear attack on the Hindus and captured several artillery positions. Several cannon shells landed near Ramaraya’s elephant and he fell from it as his mount was struck by a cannon shard. Ramaraya tried to recover but Nizam Shah made a dash to seize him.
On the D-day Tirumala was standing before Adil shah, Venkatadri before Qutb shah and Ramaraya was facing Nizam shah. Ramaraya had ordered his soldiers to capture Qutb shah and Adil shah and behead Nizam shah. First honors were enjoyed by Hindu forces.
At one point of time Nizam shah and qutb shah thought of running away from the battle field. Tirumala and Venkatadri had given such a mortal blow to both of them. Suddenly there was confusion in the ranks of Hindu troops. They were dumb struck that they were being attacked from behind. That was the deciding moment of the war. Two muslim soldiers, the Gilani brothers had betrayed the Hindu troops. They were expelled from Adil shah`s army for betraying him but were offered higher status in Ramaraya`s army !!
A day before the war, they were secretly invited by the muslim troops and were instigated to betray Hindus. Same thing happened. No one knew what was going on and that was a total intelligence failure on the part of Ramaraya. Canons fired continuosly from the frontend leaving thousands of Hindus dead and at that point of time an elephant belonging to Ahmadnagar pushed Ramaraya out of his litter. He was taken prisoner and was produced before Adil shah. In no time Ramaraya was beheaded and his head was exhibited to the troops. Seeing that their king was dead, in utter confusion as well, the Hindu troops turned their back to the warfield and ran away.
There was no one to lead the troops, though the army consisted of lakhs of soldiers. They had come travelling almost for 160 Kms from the capital city. The muslim soldiers chased Hindu troops and butchered them on their way. More than one lakh soldiers were killed that day.
The people at the capital city received the news that Ramaraya was killed and the army had lost the war. But they wouldn`t believe the news because they had neither seen such a scenario not heard the news of vijayanagar being defeated in the war for that past 200 years. But when the troops entered the city along with Tirumala and Venkatadri with their heads down they could hardly believe what they were seeing. Tirumala and Venkatadri slipped into palace and took whatever they could before muslims came and killed them too. They fled along with their family members. Those who remained loyal to throne followed them and the rest who dint want to leave their beloved motherland stayed there and waited for muslims to enter and kill them. There was a pitched battle at that juncture also, but in vain.
The muslim troops waited and rested outside the capital for three days. And those three days saw the never before scenario of theft and robbery in a city where Gold and diamonds were sold on road sides !
After three days, Muslim troops entered the city. There was no one to stop them. They looted, plundered and destroyed the city. Men, women and children were killed without any mercy. Shops, temples and houses were burnt and the sacred Hindu idols were destroyed. This destructive episode continued for six months relentlessly. The havoc was complete. The scenes showed the magnitude of hatred Muslims had for Hindus. That was the end of the most splendid city of the World. The end of a Great hindu empire.
Talikota
Talikota 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....
(January 26, 1565), a watershed battle fought between the Vijayanagara Empire
Vijayanagara Empire
The Vijayanagara Empire , referred as the Kingdom of Bisnaga by the Portuguese, was an empire based in South Indian in the Deccan Plateau region. It was established in 1336 by Harihara I and his brother Bukka Raya I of the Yadava lineage. The empire rose to prominence as a culmination of attempts...
and the Deccan sultanates
Deccan sultanates
The 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 breakup...
, resulted in a rout of Vijayanagara, and ended the last great Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
kingdom in South India
South India
South India 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 India's area...
. Talikota is situated in northern Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
, about 80 km to the southeast of the city of Bijapur
Bijapur, Karnataka
Bijapur Urdu:بیجاپور city is the district headquarters of Bijapur District of Karnataka state. Bijapur city is well known for its 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, The Sultanates decided to unite and destroy the 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 Ahmednagar, BidarBidar
Bidar is a city in the Indian state of Karnataka. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the north-eastern part of Karnataka. It is the headquarters of the Bidar District....
, Bijapur and Golconda
Golconda
Golconda 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 Talikota
Talikota
Talikota 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....
, Bijapur taluk between two villages called Rakkasa and Tangadi, on the alluvial banks of the Krishna River
Krishna River
The Krishna River , is one of the longest rivers in central-southern India, about . It is also referred to as Krishnaveni in its original nomenclature...
, in present day Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
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 infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen 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 combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
and 30,000 cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the 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 elephant
War elephant
A war elephant was an elephant trained and guided by humans for combat. Their main use was to charge the enemy, trampling them and breaking their ranks. A division of war elephants is known as elephantry....
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 cannon
Cannon
A cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents 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 artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
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 Vijayanagara
Vijayanagara
Vijayanagara is in Bellary District, northern Karnataka. It is the name of the now-ruined capital city "which was regarded as the second Rome" that surrounds modern-day Hampi, of the historic Vijayanagara empire which extended over the southern part of India....
.
Aftermath
The battle spelt the death knell for the large Hindu kingdoms in IndiaIndia
India , 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 with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, and it also ended the Vijayanagara empire in India. What followed was a victorious army along with dwellers falling upon the great city. With axes
Axes
Axes may refer to:* Axes, woodworking hand tools* The plural of axis* Axes , a 2005 rock album by the British band Electrelane* X and Y axes, or X, Y, and Z axes, perpendicular lines used in the Cartesian coordinate system...
, crowbar
Crowbar (tool)
A crowbar, a wrecking bar, pry bar, or prybar, or sometimes a prise bar or prisebar, and more informally a jimmy, jimmy bar, jemmy or gooseneck is a tool consisting of a metal bar with a single curved end and flattened points, often with a small fissure on one or both ends for removing nails...
s, fire and sword the victorious armies went about the task of bringing to rubble
Rubble
Rubble 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 Penukonda
Penukonda
Penukonda or Penu Konda is a small town in the Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh, India. It is 70 km away from Anantapur town.-Geography:Penukonda is located at...
. Tirumala however could not lay claim over Vijayanagara as local support was to make the younger brother of Aliya Rama Raya
Aliya Rama Raya
Rama 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. Rama Raya...
, 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 Raya
Aliya Rama Raya
Rama 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. Rama Raya...
s habit of nominating family relatives to key positions of the former kingdom instead of loyal officers became a reason for family feuds and rebellion
Rebellion
Rebellion, uprising or insurrection, is a refusal of obedience or order. It may, therefore, be seen as encompassing a range of behaviors aimed at destroying or replacing an established authority such as a government or a head of state...
. The Polygar (Palyagar) system (local chieftain
Tribal chief
A tribal chief is the leader of a tribal society or chiefdom. Tribal societies with social stratification under a single leader emerged in the Neolithic period out of earlier tribal structures with little stratification, and they remained prevalent throughout the Iron Age.In the case of ...
s) which had been so successful earlier was also a reason for break away factions. The Nayak
Nayak (ethnic group)
-History and origin:The word nayak means a head of a regiment. This word is derived from the Sanskrit senanayaka, which means head of a regiment. The community trace there descent from the Vaghela Rajputs who converted to Islam in the 12th Century. They established a number of petty states in...
s of Tamil
Tamil people
Tamil people , also called Tamils or Tamilians, are an ethnic group native to Tamil Nadu, India and the north-eastern region of Sri Lanka. Historic and post 15th century emigrant communities are also found across the world, notably Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, South Africa, Australia, Canada,...
speaking regions; Gingee
Gingee
Gingee 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 Chandragiri
Chandragiri
Chandragiri , is a suburb of Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh, India. Recently it is included under Municipal Corporation limits of Tirupati...
and eventually to Vellore
Vellore
Vellore It is considered one of the oldest cities in South India and lies on the banks of the Palar river on the site of Vellore Fort. The city lies between Chennai and Bangalore and the Temple towns of Thiruvannamalai and Tirupati...
during which time the other feudatories, the Kingdom of Mysore, Nayakas of Keladi in Shimoga and Nayakas of Vellore
Vellore
Vellore It is considered one of the oldest cities in South India and lies on the banks of the Palar river on the site of Vellore Fort. The city lies between Chennai and Bangalore and the Temple towns of Thiruvannamalai and Tirupati...
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 Telugu
Telugu people
The Telugu people or Telugu Prajalu 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 India
South India
South India 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 India's area...
. Kannada country lost its united identity for the coming four centuries, with the creation of smaller states such as the Kingdom of Mysore
Kingdom of Mysore
The 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 Nayaka
Keladi Nayaka
Keladi Nayaka Kingdom were an important ruling dynasty of post-medieval Karnataka, India. They initially started to rule as a feudatory of the Vijayanagar Empire...
s, Nayakas of Chitradurga
Nayakas of Chitradurga
Nayakas 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 Mughals
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
and later the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
. Some Kannada speaking regions became part of Hyderabad
Hyderabad State
-After Indian independence :When India gained independence in 1947 and Pakistan came into existence in 1947, the British left the local rulers of the princely states the choice of whether to join one of the new dominions or to remain independent...
Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
ruled by the Nizam
Nizam
Nizam-ul-Mulk of Hyderabad popularly known as Nizams of Hyderabad was a former monarchy of the Hyderabad State, now in the states of Andhra Pradesh , Karnataka , and Maharashtra in India...
of Hyderabad and Bombay Presidency
Bombay Presidency
The Bombay Presidency was a province of British India. It was established in the 17th century as a trading post for the English 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 greatest...
governed by Maratha
Maratha
The Maratha are an Indian caste, predominantly in the state of Maharashtra. The term Marāthā has three related usages: within the Marathi speaking region it describes the dominant Maratha caste; outside Maharashtra it can refer to the entire regional population of Marathi-speaking people;...
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
Epigraphy Epigraphy Epigraphy (from the , literally "on-writing", is the study of inscriptions or epigraphs as writing; that is, the science of identifying the graphemes and of classifying their use as to cultural context and date, elucidating their meaning and assessing what conclusions can be...
analysis, historians also have at their disposal writings of European
European ethnic groups
The ethnic groups in Europe are the various ethnic groups that reside in the nations 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 fewer number of cavalryCavalryCavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the 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 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 bowsBow (weapon)The bow and arrow is a projectile weapon system that predates recorded history and is common to most cultures.-Description:A bow is a flexible arc that shoots aerodynamic projectiles by means of elastic energy. Essentially, the bow is a form of spring powered by a string or cord...
made of bambooBambooBamboo is a group of perennial evergreens in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family....
, the Sultanate armies used crossbowCrossbowA crossbow is a weapon consisting of a bow mounted on a stock that shoots projectiles, often called bolts or quarrels. The medieval crossbow was called by many names, most of which derived from the word ballista, a torsion engine resembling a crossbow in appearance.Historically, crossbows played a...
s made of metal which were much more effective in accuracy and distance. Also, the Vijayanagara army used 7 feet (2.1 m) long spearSpearA spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head.The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with bamboo spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fastened to the shaft, such as flint, obsidian, iron, steel or...
s and javelinPilumThe pilum was a javelin commonly used by the Roman army in ancient times. It was generally about two metres long overall, consisting of an iron shank about 7 mm in diameter and 60 cm long with pyramidal head...
s while the Sultanate armies used 15 feet (4.6 m) long spears while riding horse back. This gave them a clear advantage. - The unpopular acts of placing family members by Aliya Rama Rayas at key public posts, led to civil unrest.
- The Vijayanagara armies had pillaged their neighbor empires and had formed alliance with imperial forces, also sowed dissident.
- The Sultanate armies had a much better prepared artilleryArtilleryOriginally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
division manned by mercenaryMercenaryA mercenary, is a person who takes part in an armed conflict based on the promise of material compensation rather than having a direct interest in, or a legal obligation to, the conflict itself. A non-conscript professional member of a regular army is not considered to be a mercenary although he...
gunners from TurkestanTurkestanTurkestan, spelled also as Turkistan, literally means "Land of the Turks".The term Turkestan is of Persian origin and has never been in use to denote a single nation. It was first used by Persian geographers to describe the place of Turkish peoples...
, who were at that time considered the best at artillery warfare while Vijayanagara depended on European mercenariesMercenaryA mercenary, is a person who takes part in an armed conflict based on the promise of material compensation rather than having a direct interest in, or a legal obligation to, the conflict itself. A non-conscript professional member of a regular army is not considered to be a mercenary although he...
who were not as well trained.
Despite all these disadvantages the greatest reason of loss was betrayed by two muslim commanders ( Gilani Brothers) of Vijaynagara Army.At the critical point of war Moslem officers in the Vijayanagaran army to launch a subversive attack. Suddenly Ramaraya found his rear surprised by the two Moslem divisions in his ranks turning against him. All Moslem troops of Vijaynagara army had opened a vigorous rear attack on the Hindus and captured several artillery positions. Several cannon shells landed near Ramaraya’s elephant and he fell from it as his mount was struck by a cannon shard. Ramaraya tried to recover but Nizam Shah made a dash to seize him.
On the D-day Tirumala was standing before Adil shah, Venkatadri before Qutb shah and Ramaraya was facing Nizam shah. Ramaraya had ordered his soldiers to capture Qutb shah and Adil shah and behead Nizam shah. First honors were enjoyed by Hindu forces.
At one point of time Nizam shah and qutb shah thought of running away from the battle field. Tirumala and Venkatadri had given such a mortal blow to both of them. Suddenly there was confusion in the ranks of Hindu troops. They were dumb struck that they were being attacked from behind. That was the deciding moment of the war. Two muslim soldiers, the Gilani brothers had betrayed the Hindu troops. They were expelled from Adil shah`s army for betraying him but were offered higher status in Ramaraya`s army !!
A day before the war, they were secretly invited by the muslim troops and were instigated to betray Hindus. Same thing happened. No one knew what was going on and that was a total intelligence failure on the part of Ramaraya. Canons fired continuosly from the frontend leaving thousands of Hindus dead and at that point of time an elephant belonging to Ahmadnagar pushed Ramaraya out of his litter. He was taken prisoner and was produced before Adil shah. In no time Ramaraya was beheaded and his head was exhibited to the troops. Seeing that their king was dead, in utter confusion as well, the Hindu troops turned their back to the warfield and ran away.
There was no one to lead the troops, though the army consisted of lakhs of soldiers. They had come travelling almost for 160 Kms from the capital city. The muslim soldiers chased Hindu troops and butchered them on their way. More than one lakh soldiers were killed that day.
The people at the capital city received the news that Ramaraya was killed and the army had lost the war. But they wouldn`t believe the news because they had neither seen such a scenario not heard the news of vijayanagar being defeated in the war for that past 200 years. But when the troops entered the city along with Tirumala and Venkatadri with their heads down they could hardly believe what they were seeing. Tirumala and Venkatadri slipped into palace and took whatever they could before muslims came and killed them too. They fled along with their family members. Those who remained loyal to throne followed them and the rest who dint want to leave their beloved motherland stayed there and waited for muslims to enter and kill them. There was a pitched battle at that juncture also, but in vain.
The muslim troops waited and rested outside the capital for three days. And those three days saw the never before scenario of theft and robbery in a city where Gold and diamonds were sold on road sides !
After three days, Muslim troops entered the city. There was no one to stop them. They looted, plundered and destroyed the city. Men, women and children were killed without any mercy. Shops, temples and houses were burnt and the sacred Hindu idols were destroyed. This destructive episode continued for six months relentlessly. The havoc was complete. The scenes showed the magnitude of hatred Muslims had for Hindus. That was the end of the most splendid city of the World. The end of a Great hindu empire.