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| Battle of Talikota | |||||||
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| Part of Islamic invasion of India | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
| The Vijayanagara Empire | The Deccan sultanates | ||||||
| Commanders | |||||||
| Rama Raya | Deccan Sultanite Kings & Generals | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 140,000 foot, 10,000 horse and over 100 War elephants[1] | 80,000 foot, 30,000 horse and several dozen cannons[1] | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Unknown but very heavy including Rama Raya | Unknown but moderate to heavy | ||||||
The Battle of Talikota Kannada ತಾಳಿಕೋಟೆ(or Tellikota) (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.
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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 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.
On January 26, 1565 the Deccan Sultanates of Ahmednagar, Berar, Bidar, Bijapur and Golconda, who had formed a grand alliance, met the Vijayanagara army at Talikota 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 elephants. 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.
The battle spelt the death knell for the large Hindu kingdoms in India, and it also ended the last great southern empire in India. What followed was a victorious army along with hordes of robbers and jungle dwellers falling upon the great city, looting, robbing, murdering and pillaging the residents. With axes, crowbars, 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 Rayas 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 chieftains) which had been so successful earlier was also a reason for break away factions. The Nayaks 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.[2] Kannada country lost its united identity for the coming four centuries, with the creation of smaller states such as the Kingdom of Mysore, Keladi Nayakas, Nayakas of Chitradurga, the latter two eventually merging with the Kingdom of Mysore.[3] 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.
Historians have debated over the cause of the defeat with much enthusiasm.[4] Apart from epigraphal analysis, historians also have at their disposal writings of European travellers to the kingdom around the time of the war.