Battle of Talikota

Battle of Talikota
Part of Deccan sultanates–Vijayanagara conflicts

Battle of Talikota from Ta'rif-i Husain Shahi (Chronicle of Husain Shah), 16th century.
Date23 January 1565
Location
Around the villages of Rakkasagi and Tangadagi near Talikota in present-day Karnataka[1]
Result Deccan Sultanates alliance victory
Belligerents
Vijayanagara Empire Vijayanagara Empire
Commanders and leaders
Vijayanagara Empire Rama Raya Executed
Vijayanagara Empire Venkatadri †
Vijayanagara Empire Tirumala Deva Raya
Vijayanagara Empire Achutappa Nayak

The Battle of Talikota, also known as that of Rakkasagi–Tangadagi (23 January 1565), was a watershed battle fought between the Vijayanagara Empire and an alliance of the Deccan sultanates.[2] The battle resulted in the defeat and death of Rama Raya, the de facto ruler of the Vijayanagara Empire, which led to the immediate collapse of the Vijayanagara polity and reconfigured South Indian and Deccan politics.[2]

The specific details of the battle and its immediate aftermath are notoriously difficult to reconstruct in light of the distinctly contrarian narratives present across primary sources.[3] The defeat in this battle is usually blamed on the gap in relative military prowess of the combatants.[4][3] Orientalist and nationalist historians claimed the battle as part of a clash of civilizations between Hindus and Muslims.[2][3] Contemporary scholars reject such characterizations as flawed.[5][6]

  1. ^ Sastri, K A Nilakanta, ed. (6 January 2024), "The battle of Rakkasagi-Tangadagi", Further Sources of Vijayanagara History Vol 1, pp. 263–264
  2. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference :5 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Eaton, Richard M. (2019). India in the Persianate Age : 1000–1765. University of California Press. ISBN 9780520325128.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference :14 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference :12 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).