In part 1 of this article on the Vijayanagara Empire, https://www.myind.net/venkatapati-deva-raya-unsung-emperor-vijayanagara-empire the Talikota and post Talikota battles waged by Aliya Rama Raya and Tirumala Raya are described in great detail. Before Tirumala Raya retired, he had rebuilt the Vijayanagara Empire which had shifted its capital city from Hampi to Penukonda.

For a while after Tirumala Raya’s retirement, the Sultans watched, vary of the revived army of the Vijayanagara Empire. Sriranga I (Sriranga Deva Raya) (rule: 1572–1586 CE) was the eldest son of Tirumala Deva Raya and his immediate successor. He carried forward the restoration of the Vijayanagara Empire, but his reign was marred with repeated attacks and loss of territories from his neighbors.

By 1576, Sultan Adil Shah had vastly strengthened his army and fortified Adoni as a base to launch a “non-stop war” on Vijayanagara. A huge army suddenly set forth from Adoni to attack Penukonda from different directions. The capital and treasury lay in great peril, so Shriranga retreated with the treasury to Chandragiri and from there established a supply line for Chennappa Nayaka to defend Penukonda. One of the generals in Adil Shah’s army was a Maharashtrian Brahmin called Yamaji Rao. Chennappa sent a message to him and appealed to his duty to Dharma. Yamaji Rao accepted the message and joined the Vijayanagar side with the Hindu troops in the Shah’s army. Chennappa immediately struck with great vigor.

On December 21st 1576, the holy solistical day, Chennappa advanced heavy guns against the Adil Shah’s flanks and opened an intense simultaneous bombardment from the Penukonda ledges and flanks. Adil Shah’s army broke up very rapidly and retreated in disarray. Shriranga sent reinforcements to tear apart the disarrayed enemy ranks and they fully retreated. In the meantime, Shriranga negotiated peace with Qutb Shah who did not send any reinforcements to Adil Shah allowing the Vijayanagarans to completely evict him.

However, Qutb Shah soon appointed Murari Rao, as his commander-in-chief, who began strengthening the Golconda army. In 1579 Murari Rao launched a sudden operation. His hordes began systematically ravaging the territory south of the Krishna with great ferocity. In late 1579, he appeared near the Narasimha temple at Ahobilam, which had been enormously endowed by several generations since the Reddis and the Vijayanagarans. Along with his Moslem troops he ransacked the temple and laid waste to it. He uprooted an ancient ruby-studded pure gold idol of Vishnu and sent it to the Sultan as gift.

Sriranga (rule: 1572–1586) hurried to parry the attack and defeated Murari Rao and his Golconda raiders. Finally, by 1580, he turned the tide and started chasing the Golconda army northwards recovering the territory they had seized. In the process Murari Rao was captured but his life spared because of Sriranga’s forgiving nature.

Ibrahim Qutb Shah was furious and decided to settle the matters himself and invaded Kondavidu with the rest of his army and took the fort. Then he launched a massive raid on Udayagiri and slaughtered Hindus in his so called Jihad. But Shriranga kept the fight on and repulsed the Golconda army from Udayagiri after an initial retreat. Unfazed Qutb Shah struck at Vinukonda and seized the fort. Shriranga along Chennappa rushed to counter the attack. After much fierce fighting the Golconda army was forced to retreat. The Hindus stormed the fort of Vinukonda after intense fighting. Then Chennappa stormed Kondavidu and died fighting even as he forced the Islamic army to retreat. But Sriranga got into an intercine conflict with his brothers, who refused to cooperate in the national struggle. Qutb Shah took advantage of this and in late 1580 captured Kondavidu firmly and died in Golconda shortly after that. His son, Muhammad Quli became Qutb Shah thereafter. In 1585 Shriranga died without any successors and his brother Venkatapati Raya (Venkata –II) became the Emperor of Vijayanagara Empire which was still very much intact.

Venkata II (Venkatapati Deva Raya) (rule: 1585–1614 CE) was the younger brother of Sriranga I (also the youngest son of Tirumala Deva Raya) and the ruler of Vijayanagara Empire. His reign of three decades saw a revival of strength and prosperity of the empire. He dealt successfully with the Deccan sultans of Bijapur and Golkonda, quelled internal disorders, promoting economic revival in South India. He brought rebelling Nayaks of Tamil Nadu and parts of present day Andhra Pradesh under his control. Historical analysts put him as one who revived the Vijayanagara Empire and successfully defeated the Deccan rulers. His rule is considered as one that saved the culture of Deccan until Marathas took over to save the south of Vindhyas from Moslem rulers from the north.

From the beginning of his reign, Venkata-II was faced with an aggressive Jihad launched by the new Qutb Shah. The Qutb Shah invaded Kurnool in Andhra and seized that territory shortly after Venkata came to power. Then he went onto ravage Cuddapah and having completely laid waste to it, marched onto Anantapur burning and plundering the area. Next a large army under the Qutb’s personal command besieged Penukonda. Another division under the fierce Turk Rustam Khan ravaged Gandikota and Gutti and annexed them.

Venkata realized the deep crisis that had dawned and decided to resort to stratagem. He sent a delegation to the Shah stating that he was suing for peace and accepting him as the overlord of the conquered territory. The Shah pleased with his conquests decided to consolidate them rather than stand a long siege before Penukonda. Venkata, moved very rapidly to strengthen Penukonda to withstand a long siege and declared war on the Shah.

The Sultan hurried back to renew the siege. Venkata waited till just before monsoon and launched a strong artillery barrage on the arriving enemy army. The Sultans army began to retreat and the monsoons began swelling the Krishna River and ultimately cut off their escape route.

Qutb somehow escaped the attack and retreated to Kondavidu. Then Venkata attacked the garrison at Gutti and destroyed it to re-conquer the fort. Then from Kondavidu a large force advanced to provide relief to the besieged Qutb’s garrison at Gandikota. But Venkata intercepted this army, destroyed it and stormed Gandikota to liberate the territory that was earlier taken by Qutb Shah.

Qutb Shah was furious and decided to put an end to the resistance for good and sent his ace general Rustam Khan with an army of 100000 men.

Venkata-II quickly prepared for their charge and prepared an ambush them between Gandikota and the Penna River. Rustam Khan believed that the Vijayanagara Army were not reacting and fell into the Vijayanagaran ambush in mid-1588. Venkata’s army opened artillery fire and after having softened Rustam Khan’s leadership ranks, fell upon them with their infantry and cavalry divisions.

A carnage followed, Rustam Khan was killed, and over 50,000 of his troops were killed in the battle of Penna. The Sultan’s men were on the retreat everywhere. Venkata followed this up with a strike on Udayagiri and liberated it from the stranglehold of Rustam Khan’s troops. After this there was no looking back. Vijayanagara Empire recovered the territory it lost to the Qutb Shahs and repulsed them beyond the Krishna River after almost 50 years. Thus, till the end of Venkata’s rule the Deccan advance was pushed beyond the Krishna. For another 28 years Venkatapati ruled wisely and brought great prosperity to the region.

However, some of the vassals and chiefs remained disunited and after Venkatapati Raya’s death there was a long period of instability. But the measure of Venkata had kept out the Deccan rulers till Adil Shah recovered and sent Abdul Wahabi to savagely attack Kurnool. Yet again, Vijayanagar general Gopalaraja defeated and repulsed this attack in 1620. Then another Adil Shahi general Randhula Khan finally overcame the Hindu resistance, and with help from some Hindu chieftains took Bangalore in 1641. In 1645 the Mughal Emperor of Delhi instructed the Sultans of the Deccan to wage a comprehensive Jihad in the south. Mustafa Khan led this campaign.

The last Hindu ruler of Vijayanagara Sriranga III was too weak to do much and was driven into exile. Some loyal generals and advisors finally met at Tirupathi to use to wealth from temple donations in a final ditch attempt at organizing a defense against the Deccan marauders and Mughals. They called upon the Nayaks to fight for the Dharma and inflict a defeat on Mustafa Khan. But finally all invading powers combined their forces and pressed on again with Sardar Mir Jumla strengthening Mustafa Khan’s assault. The Hindus put up their last fight in very fiercely fought battle at Virincipuram. While they suffered heavy losses in the engagement, Moslems too suffered heavy losses and could not pursue their conquests immediately for over 25 years.

However, even as Sriranga III was vanishing into oblivion in 1649, a new Hindu power that was to conquer the south, central and eventually much of northern India had emerged in the form of the king of the Marathas. As a young man, Shivaji grew up listening to the great exploits and administrative policies of the illustrious kings of Vijayanagara Empire. The Maratha and Sikh Empires took forward the mantle of protecting India against further weakening for another 200 years until everyone fell to the British in 1857.

References:

(1)  https://vajrin.wordpress.com/2014/11/23/venkatapati-deva-raya-the-great-savior-of-southern-india/

(2)  https://manasataramgini.wordpress.com/2004/11/23/the-post-talikota-struggle/

(3)  http://manybooks.net/titles/sewellroetext02fevch10.html

(4)  Chronicles of Domingos Paes