Battle
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The Battle of Toppur took place in late 1616 between the de facto Vijayanagara emperor Jagga Raya, and Rama Deva Raya. This battle caused devastation to the already declining Vijayanagara Empire. It was a civil war fought by the claimants for the throne of the Vijayanagara Empire. Jagga Raya challenged the Sriranga Authority on behalf of his nephew.
Venkatapati Raya, the ruler of the Vijayanagara Empire belongs to the Aravidu dynasty died without direct heirs. So he declared his nephew Sriranga II as heir. But Venkatapati's queen Bayamma, who had adopted a Brahmin boy named Chenga Raya as her son to succeed him to the throne. Her ambition caused a civil war in the empire. Bayamma's brother Gobburi Jagga Raya kidnapped and murdered the king and his whole family. Only his one son survived. This brutal murder caused anger in Royal court and among other nayak commanders. The commander of Imperial army Velugoti Yachama Nayaka revolted and supported the son of Sriranga II named Rama Deva Raya.[ citation needed ]
The location of the battle that took place is mentioned as Toppur by most historians, located on the banks of Cauvery river a mile of Grand Anicut, which is present day Thogur. [1]
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The battle was won by the Raghunatha Nayak faction and Yachama Naidu, Rama Deva Raya, son of Sriranga II, who was only 13 years old and was crowned as Emperor.
It was the battle which caused the complete disintegration of the Vijayanagar Empire, which was reviving slowly. This civil war caused severe problems to the Vijayanagara Empire.
Aliya Rama Raya was a statesman of the Vijayanagara Empire, the son-in-law( Aliya in kannada ) of Emperor Krishna Deva Raya and the progenitor of the Aravidu dynasty of Vijayanagara Empire, the fourth and last dynasty of the empire. As a regent, he was the de facto ruler of the empire from 1542 to 1565, although legally the emperor during this period was Sadasiva Raya, who was merely a puppet ruler. Rama Raya was killed at the Battle of Talikota, after which the Vijayanagara Empire fragmented into several semi-independent principalities paying only nominal allegiance to the empire.
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Pemmasani Kamma Nayaks were a ruling clan in the south Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. They came into prominence during Vijayanagara Empire. After the Battle of Talikota in 1565 AD, the collapse of Vijayanagara Empire led to the emergence of Pemmasani Nayakas in the Rayalaseema region. They belonged to the Kamma social group.
Vellore Fort is a large 16th-century fort situated in heart of the Vellore city, in the state of Tamil Nadu built by the Emperors of Vijayanagara. The fort was at one time the imperial capital of the Aravidu Dynasty of the Vijayanagara Empire. The fort is known for its grand ramparts, wide moat and robust masonry.
The Aravidu Dynasty was the fourth and last Hindu dynasty of Vijayanagara Empire in South India. Its founder was Tirumala Deva Raya, whose brother Rama Raya had been the masterful regent of the last ruler of the previous dynasty. Rama Raya's death at the Battle of Talikota in 1565 led to the subsequent destruction of Vijayanagar by the combined forces of the Muslim states of the Deccan. The Aravidu family claimed to be Kshatriyas and were based in Andhra region. They claimed to belong to the Atreya gotra and traced their lineage to the Eastern Chalukya king Rajaraja Narendra.
Tirumala Deva Raya was the first crowned Emperor of Vijayanagara from the Aravidu Dynasty. He was the younger brother of Rama Raya and the husband of princess Vengalamba, making him the son-in-law of Emperor Krishna Deva Raya. Following the Battle of Talikota, he rescued the last Tuluva Emperor, Sadasiva Raya, and relocated the imperial capital to Penukonda. After Sadasiva's death in 1570 CE, he ascended as the Emperor of Vijayanagara. He was succeeded by his son, Sriranga I in 1572.
Sriranga II was nominated in 1614 by Emperor Venkata II to succeed him as the Emperor of Vijayanagara. Sriranga was supported by a faction headed by Yachama Nayaka of Recherla Velama dynasty, one of the Venkata II's loyal viceroys and commanders and Nayak of Venkatagiri, but was not favored by a set of nobles headed by Gobburi Jagga Raya, brother of Venkata II's favourite consort, Empress Bayamma.
Rama Deva Raya ascended the throne after a gruesome war in 1617 as the Emperor of Vijaynagara. In 1614, his father Sriranga II, who was the preceding emperor, and his family were murdered by rival factions headed by Jagga Raya, who was one of their kins. Rama Deva himself was smuggled out of the prison by Yachama Naidu, a faithful commander and the viceroy of earlier emperor Venkata II.
Sriranga III was the last ruler of the Vijayanagara Empire, who came to power in 1642 following the death of his uncle Venkata III. He was also a great grandson of Aliya Rama Raya.
Sriranga Deva Raya was the second Emperor of Vijayanagara from the Aravidu Dynasty. He reigned from the fortress of Penukonda. Sriranga succeeded his father, Emperor Tirumala Deva Raya. After the fall of Vijayanagara to the Turko-Persian Sultanates of Deccan, he carried out the restoration of the empire from Penukonda. His reign was marred by repeated invasions and subsequent losses of territory to his Turko-Persian Muslim neighbours.
Venkatapati Raya was the third Emperor of Vijayanagara from the Aravidu Dynasty. He succeeded his older brother, the Emperor Sriranga Deva Raya as the ruler of Vijayanagara Empire with bases in Penukonda, Chandragiri and Vellore. His reign of nearly three decades saw a revival in the strength and prosperity of the empire. He successfully dealt with the Turko-Persian Deccan sultans of Bijapur and Golkonda, the internal disorders, promoting economic revival in the realm. He subdued the rebelling Nayakas of Tamil Nadu and parts of present-day Andhra Pradesh.
Venkata III was the grandson of Aliya Rama Raya. Venkata III belonged to a Telugu family. and became the King of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1632 to 1642. His son-in-law Pedda Koneti Nayak was ruler of Penukonda. His brothers-in-law were Damarla Venkatappa Nayaka and Damarla Ayyappa Nayaka, both sons of Damarla Chennapa Nayakadu.
The Madurai Nayaks were a Telugu dynasty who ruled most of modern-day Tamil Nadu, India, with Madurai as their capital and the Kingdom of Kandy, in Modern day Sri Lanka. The Madurai Nayaks had their origins in the Balija warrior clans of present-day Andhra Pradesh. The Nayak reign which lasted for over two centuries from around 1529 to 1736 was noted for its achievements in arts, cultural and administrative reforms, revitalization of temples previously ransacked by the Delhi Sultans, and the inauguration of a unique architectural style.
The Venkatagiri estate was an estate in the erstwhile Madras Presidency. It was located in the Nellore district of the present-day Andhra Pradesh. The town of Venkatagiri was the administrative headquarters.
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Achuthappa Nayak was the Nayaka of Thanjavur under the Vijayanagara Empire from 1560 to 1614. From 1560 to 1580, he was co-Nayaka along with his father and from 1580 to 1614, he ruled on his own. His reign was eventful and its later years were marked by conflict.
Gobburi Jagga Raya was a de facto King of Vijayanagara Empire on behalf adopted nephew named Chenga Raya, a rival claimant to the Vijaynagara thorne. He was the brother of Venkata II's favourite Queen Obayamma who was bequeathed the Pulicat region and belonged to the Gobburi family of Nayaks under the Vijayanagar Empire.
Damarla Chennapa Nayaka also known as Damal Chennappa Nayakkar was a Nayaka ruler of Kalahasti and Vandavasi under the suzerainty of Vijayanagar emperor Venkatapati Raya. He was also the Dalavoy or the Commander-in-Chief of the emperor.
The Deccani–Vijayanagar wars were a series of conflicts and battles between the Deccan Sultanates and the Vijayanagar Empire from 1495 to 1678.
The Vijayanagar Civil War (1542–1543) was conflict between Rama Raya and Salakamraju Tirumala, when Salakaraju Tirumala usurped the throne by assassinating Venkata I son of Achyuta Deva Raya. In response, Rama Raya proclaimed the imprisoned Sadasiva Raya as the rightful emperor and led a war to install him to power. After defeating Tirumala in several battles, Rama Raya then defeated Salakamraju Chinna Tirumala on the banks of Tungabhadra River killing him. Salakamraju Pedda Tirumala committed suicide In the palace. Rama Raya then entered Vijayanagara and installed Sadasiva Raya as emperor.