Battle of Kalyani (1543)
| Battle of Kalyani | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Deccani–Vijayanagar wars | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Vijayanagar Empire | |||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Rama Raya Tirumala Deva Raya Venkatadri Hande Hanumappa Nayaka |
 Jamsheed Quli Qutub Shah Burhan Nizam Shah IAli Barid Shah I | ||||||
The Battle of Kalyani was a confrontation between the Vijayanagara Empire led by the regent Rama Raya and the combined forces of the Sultanates of Ahmadnagar, Golconda, and Bidar. led by Burhan Nizam Shah I, Jamsheed Quli Qutub Shah and Ali Barid Shah I The Vijayanagar army inflicted a defeat on the combined Sultanates forces forcing the three Sultans to flee the battlefield.[1][2]
Background
[edit]After returning to Bijapur, Ibrahim Adil Shah I joined a confederacy with Burhan Nizam Shah I of Ahmadnagar against Bidar and Vijayanagara. As part of their agreement, the Sultan of Ahmadnagar would target Ali Barid Shah I of Bidar, while Bijapur would focus on advancing into Vijayanagara's territory without interference. The plan was swiftly executed Burhan Nizam Shah stormed and captured the fort of Kandhar. Meanwhile, Amir Barid Shah, unaware of the secret alliance, sought refuge with Ibrahim Adil Shah I only to be imprisoned by his former ally.[1][2] Following this, Ibrahim Adil Shah marched south, reportedly making significant territorial gains from Vijayanagara. However, historical evidence casts doubt on these claims of conquests,[1][2] as there are no records of substantial territorial losses for Vijayanagara during this period. Additionally, Rama Raya was later engaged in a conflict with Ahmadnagar suggesting that Vijayanagara’s power remained intact.[3][4][5]
Battle
[edit]Rama Raya perceiving that the true instigator of the conflict with Bijapur was likely Burhan Nizam Shah I of Ahmadnagar, chose to focus his efforts on weakening the alliance between the two Sultanates. Rather than retaliate against Bijapur he strategically decided to confront Ahmadnagar directly. Determined to sow division between the allies, Rama Raya mobilized his forces and marched against Burhan Nizam Shah I.[1][2][5]
To reach the territories of Ahmadnagar Rama Raya had to traverse the regions controlled by Golkonda and Bidar necessitating a well coordinated strategy to address potential resistance. To ensure the success of his campaign, he divided his army into three sections. Rama Raya himself led the contingent tasked with confronting the Sultan of Golkonda while his brother Tirumala commanded the forces dispatched against the Sultan of Bidar. The third section, under the leadership of Hande Hanumappa Nayudu of Sonnalapuram, was sent directly against Ahmadnagar.[1][2]
The events of this campaign are mentioned in Hindu poems which recount the capture of the city of Kaliyani, a decisive battle between the Vijayanagar and Allied Sultans Army and the subsequent sack of Ahmadnagar. While the Vasucharitramu omits details about Kaliyani’s fall, the Annals of Hande Anantapuram provide a clear account of the battle. The Vijayanagar army, having reunited its three sections, faced the combined forces of the Sultans of Ahmadnagar, Golkonda, and Bidar. In the ensuing clash, the allied Sultan armies suffered a defeat. The three Sultans, witnessing the collapse of their forces, fled the battlefield. The victorious Vijayanagar army pursued them relentlessly, during which Hande Hanumappa Nayaka captured Burhan Nizam Shah I.[1][2][5]
Aftermath
[edit]Following his capture by Hande Hanumappa Nayaka during the war, Burhan Nizam Shah I found himself in the hands of Rama Raya. The Regent of Vijayanagara, seizing the opportunity, compelled Burhan Nizam Shah to renounce his alliance with Ibrahim Adil Shah I of Bijapur. This was Rama Raya's primary objective, aimed at weakening the confederacy between the Muslim states. Once Burhan Nizam Shah agreed to the terms and severed ties with Bijapur Rama Raya released him promptly.[1][2]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g Henry Heras (1927). The Aravidu Dynasty Of Vijayanagara. pp. 75–77.
- ^ a b c d e f g Heras, H. (1927). South India Under The Vijayanagar Empire Vol. 1. pp. 75–77.
- ^ Further sources of Vijaynagar History-1 by N. Venkataramanayya. Further sources of Vijaynagar History-1 ( N. Venkataramanayya). p. 253.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Puri, B. N.; Das, M. N. (2003-12-01). A Comprehensive History of India: Comprehensive history of medieval India. Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd. p. 95. ISBN 978-81-207-2508-9.
- ^ a b c Subrahmanyam, T. G. (1969). Famous battles in Indian history. p. 96.