Battle of Toppur

This battle caused complete destruction of the already declining Vijayanagara Empire. It was a civil war fought by the claimants for the throne of the Vijayanagara Empire. Jagga Raya challenged the Sriranga Authority on behalf of his nephew.

Background

Venkatapati Raya, the ruler of the Vijayanagara Empire belongs to the Aravidu dynasty died without direct heirs. So he declared his nephew Sriranga II as heir. But Venkatapati's queen Bayamma, who had adopted a Brahmin boy named Chenga Raya as her son to succeed him to the throne. Her ambition caused a civil war in the empire. Bayamma's brother Gobburi Jagga Raya kidnapped and murdered the king and his whole family. Only his one son survived. This brutal murder caused anger in Royal court and among other nayak commanders. The commander of Imperial army Velugoti Yachama Nayaka revolted and supported the son of Sriranga II named Rama Deva Raya.^{[citation needed]}

Battle

The location of the battle that took place is mentioned as Toppur by most historians, located on the banks of Cauvery river a mile of Grand Anicut, which is present day Thogur.^[1]For the first time in south india cannons are extensively used in this battle.

Aftermath

The battle was won by the Raghunatha Nayak faction and Yachama Naidu, Rama Deva Raya, son of Sriranga II, who was only 13 years old and was crowned as Emperor.

It was the battle which caused the complete disintegration of the Vijayanagar Empire, which was reviving slowly. This civil war caused severe problems to the Vijayanagara Empire.

References

^ Srinivasachari, C. S. (1943). History of Gingee and Its Rulers (2nd ed.). The Annamalai University. p. 135.

Rao, V. N. Hari. "Thiruvarangam - History". History Of Srirangam Temple. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 23 August 2019 – via thiruvarangam.com.
Rao, Velcheru Narayana, and David Shulman, Sanjay Subrahmanyam. Symbols of substance : court and state in Nayaka period Tamilnadu (Delhi ; Oxford : Oxford University Press, 1998) ; xix, 349 p., [16] p. of plates : ill., maps ; 22 cm. ; Oxford India paperbacks ; Includes bibliographical references and index ; ISBN 0-19-564399-2.
Sathianathaier, R. History of the Nayaks of Madura [microform] by R. Sathyanatha Aiyar ; edited for the University, with introduction and notes by S. Krishnaswami Aiyangar ([Madras] : Oxford University Press, 1924) ; see also ([London] : H. Milford, Oxford university press, 1924) ; xvi, 403 p. ; 21 cm. ; SAMP early 20th-century Indian books project item 10819.
K.A. Nilakanta Sastry, History of South India, From Prehistoric times to fall of Vijayanagar, 1955, OUP, (Reprinted 2002) ISBN 0-19-560686-8.

[1] Srinivasachari, C. S. (1943). History of Gingee and Its Rulers (2nd ed.). The Annamalai University. p. 135.

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