The Aravidu Dynasty of Vijayanagara, Vol. I v1.c11.16

v1.c11.16

4. Rama Raya perhaps suspected that the real promoter of the war waged by Adil Shah was the Sultan of Ahmadnagar. Hence he left Bijapur alone and, being resolved to establish division between these two allies, marched against Burhan Nizam Shah. To reach his dominions, however, he had to cross the states of Golkonda and Bidar; so, to be prepared for any emergency, the Regent divided his army into three sections. Rama Raya took command of the section sent to attack the Sultan of Golkonda; his brother Tirumala was at the head of the troops despatched against the Sultan of Bidar; and Hande Hanumappa Nayudu of Sonnalapuram was sent with the rest of the army against Ahmadnagar². The actions in this war are recorded in the Hindu poems: the capture of the city of Kaliyani, a pitched battle between the Muhammadans and the Hindus, and the sack and destruction of the city of Ahmadnagar. The *Vasucharitramu* does not give any information about the capture of Kaliyani, which belonged to the Sultan of Ahmadnagar³; but the *Annals of Hande Anantapuram* give a short but precise account of the battle. It seems that the three sections of the army were again united that day, while the three Sultans had likewise joined their forces. The battle resulted in a tremendous defeat for the allies; the three Sultans fled from the battle-field after seeing the rout of their troops, while the Hindu army followed in pursuit in the course of which Hande Hanumappa Nayudu took Burhan Nizam Shah prisoner ¹. After such a disaster the city of Ahmadnagar could not resist the might of the victorious army. It was probably then that Rama Raya captured the capital of the Nizam Sultans, razed it to the ground and sowed castor seeds there, a fact recorded in the *Ramarajiyamu* ². On account of this victory, Rama Raya is given in the same poem the title of ‘Destroyer of the fortifications of Ahmadnagar’ ³.