Battle of Toppur

Venkata II (Venkatapathi Raya) (1586-1614 CE), the younger brother of Emperor Sriranga I who was established as the monarch of the Vijayanagara Empire, was the most significant king of the Vijaynagar Empire in its last years. During his three-decade rule, the empire's power and riches were restored. He skillfully dealt with the internal unrest and the Deccani sultan of Bijapur and Golconda while fostering the nation's economic recovery. He put down the insurgent Nayaks of Tamil Nadu and some of modern-day Andhra Pradesh. Venkata II moved his capital from Penukonda to Chandragiri, which was situated further south and close to the Tirupati hills, perhaps about 1592. Currently, Penukonda is located in Andhra Pradesh's Anantapur district.

Background:

In the modern state of Tamil Nadu, the impregnable Vellore Fort served as both a key base and a secondary capital. By providing relaxed tax conditions and revitalizing crops that had been routinely destroyed by the advancing Bahmani Sultans, he was able to bring order to the northern regions of his realm. The village's administration was simplified, and the justice system was strictly upheld. He was now being overthrown by a number of his chiefs in his North, notably several of Aliya Rama Raya's descendants. Thus, throughout his legendary reign of about 30 years, Venkata II significantly restored the empire's lost status as a consequence of the Talikota conflict. But following him, the empire broke down.

Despite having multiple queens, Venkata II regrettably did not produce a son; as a result, he named Sriranga II, the eldest child of his brother Rama, as his heir. This was carried out to stop Bayamma, one of the King's favorite queens, from defrauding him by taking a kid from her Brahmin maid and passing it off as her own. The baby was secretly brought into the royal residence by Bayamma, who was the result of the wedding of a Venkata I's niece and a Brahman boy who had been raised under the illusion that he was the king's son, according to Robert Swell's book. Venkata II remained silent out of concern for his reputation, but he proposed Sri Ranga II as his replacement. However, Gobburi Jagga Raya, the favored Queen Obayamma of the outgoing monarch Venkata II, claimed her child as the King and contested Sri Ranga II's right to succeed. At the Vellore fort, he incarcerated Sri Ranga II and his entire family. However, this was particularly despised and disapproved of by the devoted vassals of the Vijaynagar kingdom, the Nayakas of Tanjore and Kalahasti. The Kalahasthi king Yachama Naika, a powerful, loyal warrior of Late Venkata II, did not approve of Jaggaraya's conduct.

The war:

The Vijayanagara Kingdom, which is now in Vellore and Chandragiri, saw a civil war as a result. Yachama Naika organized for Ramdeva, the legitimate successor to the kingdom, to be smuggled out. He was SriRanga II's son, who was held captive at Vellore. Jagga Raya was moved by this to kill the monarch Sri Ranga II and every member of his family in the Vellore jail. Yachama Naika and other Tanjore chieftains and rulers united in opposition to Jagga Raya as a result of their enraged response to this. To assault Yachamaneni and Rama Deva, Jagga Raya asked the Gingee Nayak and Muttu Virappa of Madurai for assistance. Near Tiruchirapalli, the capital of Muttu Virappa, Jagga Raya gathered a sizable force made up of the troops of Gingee, Chera, Madurai, and some Portuguese from the coast. From Vellore, Raghunatha Naika's forces from Tanjore joined Yachama Naika's armies of Vijayanagara and Kalahasti. The nobility from Karnataka and (according to other stories) the Dutch and Jaffna troops added to Yachama's army's power.

In the last months of 1616, both Armies came together at Toppur, an open area on the northern banks of the River Cauvery, bordering Tiruchirapalli and Grand Anicut. As stated by Dr. Barradas in Sewell's book, the enormous coalition of troops on either side had as many as a million men and is regarded as one of the largest conflicts in Southern India. This was the biggest battle since the Talikota battle, which took place in the 16th century between the forces of Aliya Rama Raya, the de facto emperor of Vijayanagara, and the unified army of Deccani sultans. Rama Raya lost that battle and was killed as a result of the treachery of his Muslim Generals at a crucial juncture in the war.

In the Battle, Jagga Raya's soldiers were unable to stave off the imperial forces' onslaught. The two generals of the royal camp, Yachama, and Raghunatha Naika, commanded their troops with excellent commitment and discipline. God was supporting them, and they had a sincere cause. On the field of battle, Jagga Raya was killed by Yachama Naika, and his army dispersed and fled. Jagga Raya's brother Yethiraja had to flee for his life. Muttu Virappa attempted to flee, but Yachama's General Rao Dama Nayani chased him and caught him close to Tiruchirapalli. In the battle, the Nayaka of Gingee lost all but Gingee Fort, and the supposed son of Venkata II was the main source of conflict.

In the early months of 1617, the imperial soldiers led by RaghunathaNayaka and Yachamanedu (or Yachama Naika) celebrated the victory by erecting victory pillars and crowning Rama Deva as Rama Deva Raya. Rama Deva Raya took the throne at the age of just 15 years old. All resistance to Sri Rama Deva was eliminated as a result.

The consequence of the war:

Compared to the fight of Tallikota waged in 1565, the fight of Toppur produced more disastrous repercussions on the fortunes of the Vijaynagar kingdom. The Vijayanagara kingdom was not destroyed during the Talikota conflict. It maintained its position and made significant gains. It lasted for an additional 100 years. Following the battle of Toppur, the vassals were split. Tanjore (Thanjavur) and Vijaynagar developed a fierce hatred for the nails of Madhura (Madurai) and Chenji (Jinjee). They occasionally conspired with the sultans of Bijapur and Golconda to prepare for the collapse of the empire. Despite Sri Ranga III's heroic efforts, the upshot was that the Vijayanagara kingdom failed to last for very long and crumbled 40 years following the war. In 1649, the Vijaynagar Empire vanished from history. With this, the Deccani sultans—vassals of the Mughals—became the dominant force in South India, assisted by the self-centered Naikas of Madhura and Chenji.

Aftermath:

Yachama Naidu, Rama Deva Raya, son of Sriranga II, who was just 13 years old and was anointed as Emperor, led the Raghunatha Nayak group to victory in the conflict.

The conflict was what caused the Vijayanagar Empire, which had been slowly recovering, to completely collapse. The Vijayanagara Empire faced serious challenges as a result of this civil conflict.