Siege of Vijayangara

The Bahmani–Vijayanagar war of 1423 was fought between the Bahmani Sultanate, led by Ahmad Shah I and his commadar Rana Ugrasen Bhonsale, and the Vijayanagar Empire, ruled by Vira Vijaya Bukka Raya III. The conflict began after the Vijayanagar Empire massacred civilians following their victory over the Bahmanis in 1420, breaking a treaty. Ahmad Shah, seeking revenge for his brother’s defeat, assembled an army and attacked Vijayanagar. Despite initial resistance, Vira Vijaya was captured but escaped. Ahmad Shah retaliated by massacring the Vijayanagar population. Eventually, Vira Vijaya sought peace by paying a large tribute and returning the lands seized from the Bahmanis.


Background
In 1419, during the Bahmani-Vijayanagar war, Ahmad Shah Wali, the brother of Bahmani ruler Tajuddin Firuz Shah, successfully protected most of the Bahmani territories. After the war's failure, Firuz, weakened by illness and his own shortcomings, realized that he and his son, Hassan, could not effectively rule without Ahmad's help. As a result, Firuz handed over more of the kingdom's responsibilities to his brother.

In 1413, a saint named Hazrat Gesu Daraz arrived in Gulbarga from Delhi and began attracting many followers. Firuz, despite being knowledgeable, questioned the saint's intellect, leading to tensions. The saint eventually moved to a new location where his tomb stands today. Ahmad, recognizing the saint's influence, sought to gain favor with his followers.

Struggles at Vijaynagara
The internal conflict within the Bahmani Sultanate might have seemed like a chance for the Vijayanagar Empire to break it apart. However, in 1422, the Vijayanagar Empire was also dealing with its own internal problems. Deva Raya II may have returned from his northern campaigns because he was aware of the unrest in Vijayanagar, which, in turn, may have unintentionally helped the Bahmanis.
Battle
Ahmad, after 40 days of trying to provoke the enemy into battle, decided to take action. He sent 10,000 soldiers upstream under the command of Rana Ugrasen Bhonsale to create a diversion and attack the Vijayanagar army’s flank. However, the Vijayanagar forces avoided battle and retreated. The Vijayanagar king, Vira Vijaya, hid in the sugarcane fields but was captured by Bahmani troops, who mistook him for a gardener.

As the Bahmani army crossed the river, the Vijayanagar forces, now leaderless and under attack, scattered. While Ahmad’s troops looted their camp, the Vijayanagar king escaped but chose not to rally his army, instead fleeing to Vijayanagar.

Ahmad, seeking revenge for the atrocities of the Vijayanagar troops in 1420, did not lay siege to the city but instead marched through the kingdom, killing men and enslaving women and children. His army's brutality was recorded, and Ahmad commemorated the death of every 20,000 victims. During a hunting trip, he was ambushed by Vijayanagar soldiers, but his bodyguard Rana Ugrasen Bhonsale fought bravely until reinforcements arrived. Impressed by the defense, Ahmad recruited 3,000 foreign archers, which had a lasting impact on Muslim presence in the Deccan.

Ahmad continued his campaign, destroying temples and slaughtering cows to hurt the Vijayanagari’s religious and cultural sentiments. In March 1423, during a hunting trip, he was attacked by 5,000 Vijayanagar horsemen. Despite losing half of his bodyguard, Ahmad was protected by his foreign archers under his hindu commadar Rana Ugrasen Bhonsale until reinforcements arrived, causing the Vijayanagar troops to flee, leaving behind many dead. Ahmad then marched toward Vijayanagar, and the Vijayanagar king, seeing the destruction, asked for peace, accepting Ahmad's terms.

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