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The Vijayanagara military supported the Vijayanagara Empire in particular with regard to the empire's long-lasting rivalry with the Bahmani Sultanate. Besides a large standing army, the Vijayanagara rulers also maintained a powerful navy. This helped make the Vijayanagara empire the most centralised polity ever to have emerged in southern India.
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The numerical strength of the Vijayanagara army is disputed. Niccolò de' Conti reported a figure of 245,000 men during the reign of Krishnadevaraya but Fernao Nuniz claimed it to be around 200,000, consisting of 170,000 foot soldiers, 30,000 cavalry and 550 war elephants. Rayawacha countered that the force contained 500,000 foot soldiers, 60,000 cavalry and 1,200 war elephants.
Deva Raya II, to counter the superior Bahmani cavalry, is believed to have enrolled 2000 Muslim cavalrymen to teach the art of archery to his Hindu soldiers and officers. [1]
The military leadership of the Hindu confederacy which Ballala III had so ably wielded devolved apparently on the Vijayanagara kings after his death. The Vijayanagara principality was at this time the most influential, besides it was situated at a strategic point, and therefore, the Vijayanagara kings were likely to accomplish the great mission of Ballala III, viz., that of warding off the Mussalman menace and rebuilding a Hindu empire in South India. The Vijayanagara kings were rapidly rising and after A. D. 1346 they gradually absorbed the whole of the Hoysala Empire as a matter of course, without the least sign of opposition. An inscription dated A. D 1346, belonging to Ballala IV is found in the Begurr Hobli, Bangalore Taluk, and the very next year an inscription belonging to Harihara 1 is found in the same Hobli*. It is therefore evident that the Vijayanagara kings occupied the Hoysala empire within a very short period. Many of the early Vijayanagara inscriptions describe Harihara and Bukka as ruling “the Hoysala kingdom”. [2]
The Vijayanagara army contained two main branches, being the Kaijeeta Sainya and the Amaranayaka Sainya. Sainya roughly means army.
The Kaijeeta is Vijayanagar claims that it comprised 50,000 men during the reign of Krishna Deva Raya, including 2,00,000 horsemen who served as palace guards and 2,000 who served as the emperor's personal bodyguards. Razak Rayala says that the army was on salary, being paid every four months rather than by the award of jagirs.[ citation needed ]
The Amaranayaka Sainya was maintained using the feudal nayankara system of the Kakatiyas. For this purpose, the empire was divided into Amaras (areas of revenue-producing land), that were granted to leaders called Nayakas. In return, these Nayakas supplied soldiers when required. The number supplied depended on the rank of the Nayaka, who himself divided lands among his subordinates. According to Nuniz, the Amaranayaka army strength stood at 600,000 during the rule of Achyuta Deva Raya; Rayawacha itemised the forces supplied as being 200,000 foot soldiers, 24,000 cavalry, 1,200 war elephants.[ citation needed ]
The Vijayanagara army consisted primarily of infantry, cavalry and war elephants, armed with bows and arrows, swords and lances as its principal weapons. According to Ferishta, the foot soldiers applied oil to their bodies but did not wear armour or helmets, whereas Portuguese travellers, such as Pace and Barros, described protective clothing made of animal skin and that they carried shields. [3]
Although the Vijayanagran kings had little interest in guns, the infantry did have a regiment of men armed with matchlock. They also built a navy, sited on the west coast, which was headed by the governor of Hanover Timmoju in the time of Krishna Deva Raya and which, according to Heeras Rayala, assisted the Portuguese in their occupation of Goa. [4] The powerful navy enabled the Vijayanagara rulers to invade Sri Lanka repeatedly. [1]
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Forts played an important role in medieval warfare. According to tradition, there were eight types of forts. However, Rayawachaka mentions four types of forts. They are giri (hill), stala, jala (water)and vana (forest) forts. Krishnaraya suggests that forts were mainly constructed in Gadi and border areas. Pace wrote that many forts were present in border areas. Deep forests were grown around forts. Catapults and damboli were used for fort defense. Damboli is a cannon which throws stones on enemies. To occupy forts they used lagga systems. Krishnadevaraya used them to occupy Kondaveedu fort.
Emperor Krishna Deva Raya recruited soldiers from Kannada and Telugus of the frontier, Mysoreans and Malabarese from the west and centre, mixed with the Tamils from the remoter districts to the south. [5] Empire training facilities improved bravery, interest in war, and body strength. According to books written in that time, the samu garidi (dance performance of knives and fire) and training gyms were both present throughout the country. Hontakaras trained the fighters. Since Vijayanagara was a multi-faith country, Muslims also joined the army. Their strength increased from the era of Deva Raya II and peaked in the time of Aliya Rama Raya, diminishing after his surprise defeat in the Battle of Talikota.[ citation needed ]
The Vijayanagara Empire or the Karnata Kingdom was a late medieval Hindu empire that ruled much of southern India. It was established in 1336 by the brothers Harihara I and Bukka Raya I of the Sangama dynasty, members of a pastoralist cowherd community that claimed Yadava lineage.
The history of southern India covers a span of over four thousand years during which the region saw the rise and fall of a number of dynasties and empires.
Krishnadevaraya was an emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire reigning from 1509 to 1529. He was the third monarch of the Tuluva dynasty, and is considered to be one of the greatest rulers in Indian history. He ruled the largest empire in India after the fall of the Islamic Delhi Sultanate. Presiding over the empire at its zenith, he is regarded as an icon by many Indians. Krishnadevaraya earned the titles Andhra Bhoja, Karnatakaratna Simhasanadeeshwara, Yavana Rajya Pratistapanacharya, Kannada Rajya Rama Ramana, Gaubrahmana Pratipalaka and Mooru Rayara Ganda. He became the dominant ruler of the peninsula by defeating the sultans of Bijapur, Golconda, the Bahmani Sultanate and the Gajapatis of Odisha, and was one of the most powerful Hindu rulers in India.
Achyuta Deva Raya was an emperor of Vijayanagara who succeeded his older brother, Krishnadevaraya, after the latter's death in 1529 CE.
BukkaRaya I was an emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire from the Sangama Dynasty. He was a son of Bhavana Sangama, claimed by Harihara II to be of Yadava lineage. The first Bahmani-Vijayanagar War occurred during the reign of Bukka Raya I, in which he was besieged, and sued for peace.
Deva Raya I was an Emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire. After Harihara II died, there was a dispute among his sons over succession, in which Deva Raya I eventually emerged victor. He was a very capable ruler noted for his military exploits and his support to irrigation works in his Empire. He modernized the Vijayanagara army by improving the cavalry, employed skilled archers of the Turkic clans and raised the fighting capacity of his bowmen and imported horses from Arabia and Persia.
Saluva Timmarusu was the prime minister (mahapradhana) and military commander of Krishnadevaraya. He is also known as "Appaji". He had also served as the prime minister under Viranarasimha Raya and Tuluva Narasa Nayaka.
Harihara I, also called Hakka and Vira Harihara I, was the founder of the Vijayanagara Empire, in present-day Karnataka, India, which he ruled from 18 April 1336 to 20 November 1355. He and his successors formed the Sangama dynasty, the first of four dynasties to rule the empire. He was the eldest son of Bhavana Sangama.the chieftain of a cowherd pastoralist community, who claimed Yadava descent.
The origin of the Vijayanagara Empire is a controversial topic in South Indian history, with regard to the linguistic affiliation of the founding dynasty, the Sangama family. The Vijayanagara Empire rose to power in southern India in the 14th century CE. Over the past decades historians have expressed differing opinions on whether the empire's founders, Harihara I and Bukka I, were of Kannada people or Telugu origin. There are various opinions about role of the Vidyaranya, the Hindu saint and guru of Harihara I and Bukka I in the founding of the Vijayanagara empire.
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.
Virupaksha Temple is located in Hampi in the Vijayanagara district of Karnataka, India, situated on the banks of the river Tungabhadra, a glorious 7th century temple of Lord Shiva. It is part of the Group of Monuments at Hampi, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The temple is dedicated to Sri Virupaksha. The temple was built by Lakkan Dandesha, a nayaka (chieftain) under the ruler Deva Raya II, also known as Prauda Deva Raya of the Vijayanagara Empire.
Tuluva Narasa Nayaka was an Indian general and later an imperial regent who founded the Tuluva dynasty of the Vijayanagara Empire. He was the father of the emperors Viranarasimha Raya, Krishnadevaraya and Achyuta Deva Raya.
The Battle of Raichur was fought between the Vijayanagara Empire and the Sultanate of Bijapur in 1520 in the town of Raichur, India. It resulted in a decisive victory for Vijayanagara forces, and the Bijapur ruler was defeated and pushed across the river Krishna.
The political history of medieval Karnataka spans the 4th to the 16th centuries in Karnataka region of India. The medieval era spans several periods of time from the earliest native kingdoms and imperialism; the successful domination of the Gangetic plains in northern India and rivalry with the empires of Tamilakam over the Vengi region; and the domination of the southern Deccan and consolidation against Muslim invasion. The origins of the rise of the Karnataka region as an independent power date back to the fourth-century birth of the Kadamba Dynasty of Banavasi which was the earliest of the native rulers to conduct administration in the native language of Kannada in addition to the official Sanskrit.
Hamvira Deva was an Odia prince of the Gajapati Empire in India and Gajapati ruler for a brief period. He was the eldest son of Kapilendra Deva, founder of the Gajapati Empire. He played a vital role in the military expansion of the Gajapati Empire but was bypassed in the succession order in favour of his younger half-brother Purushottama Deva.
The Bahmani–Vijayanagar war, also known as the First Bahmani–Vijayanagar War, spanning from 1362 to 1367, was a significant period of conflict between the Bahmani Sultanate and the Vijayanagar empire in Deccan India during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. It began due to disputes over the acceptance of coins in both states, with Bahmani ruler Muhammed Shah I banning Vijayanagar coins in his dominions. This move prompted Vijayanagar's Bukka Raya I to forge an alliance with Musunuri Nayakas, the then rulers of Warangal, Kanhayya, and local bankers, resulting in the destruction of Bahmani coins and the escalation of tensions leading to outright war. This was the first war in India where the Europeans fought at the Deccan and the infantry was used.
The Deccani–Vijayanagar wars were a series of conflicts between the Deccan Sultanates and the Vijayanagar Empire that took place from 1495 to 1678.
The Bahmani–Vijayanagar War began with the Siege of Pangal, where Sultan Firuz Shah of the Bahmani Sultanate attempted to capture the fort. They faced setbacks, including a disease outbreak among their ranks, leading to the failure of the siege. In response, Deva Raya I of the Vijayanagara Empire launched a successful counteroffensive, defeating Sultan Firuz Shah in a decisive battle. This victory dealt a significant blow to the Bahmani Sultanate, ultimately leading to Firuz Shah's demise and further weakening of his empire.
The War of the Goldsmith's Daughter or the Bahmani–Vijayanagar War of 1406 was a significant conflict between the Bahmani Sultanate and the Vijayanagar Empire, the two primary powers in the Deccan region of thirteenth and fourteenth century India, occurring in 1406. Led by Tajuddin Firuz Shah, the Bahmani forces, supported by Velama chiefs and the Reddis, launched multiple attacks on the Vijayanagar empire ruled by Deva Raya I. Despite his initial resistance, Deva Raya suffered heavy casualties, ultimately leading to the acceptance of the terms imposed by the Bahmanis, ending the war.
The Bahmani–Vijayanagar War of 1443 marked as the last war between the Bahmani Sultanate and the Vijayanagara empire in the peninsular India. It commenced between the Bahmanis under Alauddin Ahmad Shah and the Vijayanagar under Deva Raya II, taking place in present-day Mudgal, Karnataka. During the course of two months, three battles unfolded, with the Vijayanagara forces initially securing victory, followed by two subsequent wins by the Bahmanis. These defeats compelled the Vijayanagara ruler to seek peace, agreeing to pay tribute to the Bahmanis.
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