Page:Madras District Gazetteers - Anantapur.pdf/39

POLITICAL

HISTORY .

19

which Achyuta's weakness had occasioned, but, like others of his CHAP. II.

VIJAYANApredecessors, he treated his opponents, the Musalman kings of the GAR KINGS , Deccan, as dirt beneath his feet and allowed his troops to practise

1335-1565 .

every description of outrage and sacrilege in their territories whenever he obtained a victory there.

For a long while their mutual jealousies and enmities prevented The Musalmans comthe Musalman kings from combining to retaliate upon him, but at bine against length they patched up their quarrels and formed " a general league Vijayanagar. of the faithful " against him . On Christmas Day, 1564, they began their united advance southward and halted near the town and fortress of Talikóta, 25 miles

north of the Kistna river. Ráma Rája despatched his brother Tirumala with 20,000 horse, 100,000 foot and 500 elephants to block the passage of the river, then sent off his brother Venkatádri with

another large army, and finally marched in person to the point of attack with the whole remaining power of the Vijayanagar empire. His total force is said to have numbered 600,000 foot and 100,000

horse. The Hindus had fortified their side of the ford opposite the enemy's camp, but the latter drew them off by pretending to attempt another passage, and then returning suddenly to the original ford crossed it unopposed. They then marched south towards Ráma Rája's camp.

On the 23rd January 1565, the great battle of Talikóta (as it was The battle of Talikóta, called), one of the most decisive engagements in all South Indian 1565. history, was fought. All the available forces on either side took part in it. Ráma Rája, though over ninety years of age, commanded the

Vijayanagar centre and his brothers Tirumala and Venkatádri led, respectively, the left and right divisions. The Musalmans awaited the attack with their artillery in the centre, opposite Ráma Rája's division . This consisted of six hundred pieces of ordnance disposed in three lines, the heavy artillery in front, then the smaller pieces, and in the rear light swivel guns. Masking all these were two thousand archers. These latter kept up a heavy fire as the enemy advanced and then falling rapidly back allowed the massed batteries to open fire. Their effect was murderous and decisive, and the Hindus retreated in con-

fusion. On the flanks they had, however, been more successful and had driven back the Musalmans, and the centre rallied for a charge upon the guns. At first their onslaught seemed to prevail, but the Musalmans' heavy guns, loaded with bags of copper coin, were fired into them at close quarters, 5,000 of them fell, and the Musalman

cavalry charged through the intervals of the guns and cut their way straight through the disorganised masses of the enemy right up to where Ráma Rája was posted.