Vijayanagar -Part 11 - The battle of Talikota
On december 25th 1563 the combined forces of Islam gathered at Bijapur and marched towards Talikota. The Hindu forces led by Tirumala and Venkatadri headed towards the battle field as well. On january 24th 1565, both the armies came face to face at the battle field. At the infamous venue Rakkasathangadi.
The hindu army comprised of 650,000 foot soldiers, 32000 cavalry and 550 elephants in comparison to the Combined Islamic troops of 350,000. On the D-day Tirumala was standing before Adil shah, Venkatadri before Qutb shah and Ramaraya was facing Nizam shah. Ramaraya had ordered his soldiers to capture Qutb shah and Adil shah and behead Nizam shah. First honors were enjoyed by Hindu forces.
At one point of time Nizam shah and qutb shah thought of running away from the battle field. Tirumala and Venkatadri had given such a mortal blow to both of them. Suddenly there was confusion in the ranks of Hindu troops. They were dumb struck that they were being attacked from behind. That was the deciding moment of the war. Two muslim soldiers, the Gilani brothers had betrayed the Hindu troops. They were expelled from Adil shah`s army for betraying him but were offered higher status in Ramaraya`s army !!
A day before the war, they were secretly invited by the muslim troops and were instigated to betray Hindus. Same thing happened. No one knew what was going on and that was a total intelligence failure on the part of Ramaraya. Canons fired continuosly from the frontend leaving thousands of Hindus dead and at that point of time an elephant belonging to Ahmadnagar pushed Ramaraya out of his litter. He was taken prisoner and was produced before Adil shah. In no time Ramaraya was beheaded and his head was exhibited to the troops. Seeing that their king was dead, in utter confusion as well, the Hindu troops turned their back to the warfield and ran away.
There was no one to lead the troops, though the army consisted of lakhs of soldiers. They had come travelling almost for 160 Kms from the capital city. The muslim soldiers chased Hindu troops and butchered them on their way. More than one lakh soldiers were killed that day.
The people at the capital city received the news that Ramaraya was killed and the army had lost the war. But they wouldn`t believe the news because they had neither seen such a scenario not heard the news of vijayanagar being defeated in the war for that past 200 years. But when the troops entered the city along with Tirumala and Venkatadri with their heads down they could hardly believe what they were seeing. Tirumala and Venkatadri slipped into palace and took whatever they could before muslims came and killed them too. They fled along with their family members. Those who remained loyal to throne followed them and the rest who dint want to leave their beloved motherland stayed there and waited for muslims to enter and kill them. There was a pitched battle at that juncture also, but in vain.
The muslim troops waited and rested outside the capital for three days. And those three days saw the never before scenario of theft and robbery in a city where Gold and diamonds were sold on road sides !
After three days, Muslim troops entered the city. There was no one to stop them. They looted, plundered and destroyed the city. Men, women and children were killed without any mercy. Shops, temples and houses were burnt and the sacred Hindu idols were destroyed. This destructive episode continued for six months relentlessly. The havoc was complete. The scenes showed the magnitude of hatred Muslims had for Hindus. That was the end of the most splendid city of the World. The end of a Great hindu empire.
Robert sewell in his book "The Forgotten empire" concludes thus -With fire and sword, with crow bars and axes, they carried on day after day their work of destruction. Never perhaps in the history of the World has such havoc been wrought, and wrought so suddenly, on so splendid a city, teeming with a wealthy and industrious population in the full plentitude of prosperity one day, and on the next seized, pillaged and reduced to ruins, and scenes of savage massacre and horrors begging description.
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