Vijayanagara–Bahmani War

The Vijayangara–Bahmani Wars are series of conflicts occurred between the Vijayanagara Empire and the Bahmani Sultanate between 14th–15th century. 

The conflict began with Muhammad Shah I of Bahmani Sultanate invading the Vijayangara held by Bukka Raya I the first war resulted in the victory of Bahmani Sultanate and Bukka Raya I sued for peace. The Wars continued till the regin of Ahmad Shah II of Bahmani Sultanate and Dev Raya II of the Vijayanagara Empire . In the final battle fought between these two in 1443 the latter was defeated ending the 81 year Conflict between the two.

## The Wars
### The First Vijayangara–Bahmani War
The First Vijayangara–Bahmani War was fought between Muhammad Shah I of Bahmani Sultanate and Bukka Raya I of the Vijayanagara Empire.

Bukka Raya, aware of the threat from Sultan Muhammad Shah, sent his treasures to Vijayanagar and prepared for battle. The next day, heavy rainfall bogged down his army, which gave the Sultan an opportunity to advance. Bukka, realizing he couldn't win, fled to the fortress of Adoni, leaving his forces behind. Muhammad Shah then plundered the Vijayanagar camp, killing tens of thousands, and recaptured Mudgal.

Bukka set up his headquarters in Adoni and sent his general Mallinatha to fight the Bahmanis. Mallinatha, confident of victory, planned to capture the Sultan. The Bahmanis, led by Muhammad Shah, moved into Vijayanagar territory, and a battle took place on July 20, 1366. Despite initial successes by the Vijayanagar forces, Muhammad Shah's timely arrival turned the tide.

Afterward, Bukka used guerrilla tactics to harass the Bahmanis, but Muhammad Shah eventually laid siege to Vijayanagar. The devastation was so great that it took decades for the region to recover. Eventually, Bukka sought peace, and Muhammad Shah agreed after a payment was made.
### The Second Vijayanagara–Bahmani War
In 1375, Bukka Raya of Vijayanagar went to war with Sultan Mujahid of the Bahmani Sultanate over control of land in the Doab region.

Mujahid's army attacked, and Bukka used his usual tactic of avoiding direct battles, retreating into the hills. He then attacked the Raichur Doab with an army of 30,000 cavalry and 900,000 troops. Meanwhile, Prince Bukka II subdued the Velama chiefs of Telangana, who were allied with the Bahmanis. Frustrated by the stalemate, Firuz's officer, Qazi Sirajuddin, proposed a risky plan to infiltrate the Vijayanagar camp disguised as performers. Sirajuddin and his group crossed the river, assassinated Prince Harihara’s son, and caused confusion within the Vijayanagar camp. This chaos allowed a small Bahmani force to attack and drive the Vijayanagar army back. Firuz was injured and retreated but continued to win battles, capturing important forts like Bankapur and gaining control of valuable land. However, a disease outbreak weakened his forces, leading to failure in capturing the fort and heavy losses. Seizing the opportunity, Devaraya I, the king of Vijayanagar, sought revenge for past humiliations. He attacked the weakened Bahmani army, aided by fresh forces and Hindu chiefs. The besieging army was surrounded, and the garrison launched a successful counterattack. The Bahmani forces were defeated, and Sultan Feroz fled. His forces continued to devastate Bahmani lands, destroying mosques and killing civilians, including in regions like Konkan. In desperation, Sultan Feroz sought help from the Sultan of Gujarat but received no assistance. to attack the Vijayanagar army's flank. However, the Vijayanagar forces retreated, and their king, Vira Vijaya, was captured by Bahmani troops, who mistook him for a gardener.

With the Vijayanagar army leaderless, Ahmad's troops looted their camp. Although the king escaped, he chose not to rally his army and instead fled to Vijayanagar.

Seeking revenge for past atrocities, Ahmad marched through the Vijayanagar kingdom, killing men and enslaving women and children. He also destroyed temples and slaughtered cows to hurt the Vijayanagar's religious beliefs. During a hunting trip, Ahmad was ambushed by Vijayanagar soldiers but was defended by his bodyguard, Rana Ugrasen Bhonsale, until reinforcements arrived. Impressed by this defense, Ahmad recruited 3,000 foreign archers.

In March 1423, Ahmad was again attacked by 5,000 Vijayanagar horsemen but was protected by his archers and bodyguard until reinforcements arrived, causing the Vijayanagar forces to flee. Ahmad then marched toward Vijayanagar, and the king, seeing the destruction, asked for peace and accepted Ahmad's terms.
### The seventh Vijayangara-Bahmani War
Deva Raya aimed to reclaim the Raichur Doab, sending his sons to Raichur and Bankapur while he took Mudgal. He raided Bahmani lands, causing destruction up to Sagar and Bijapur. The Bahmani Sultan, worried, sent an army under Khalaf Hasan to relieve Raichur and defeated Deva Raya’s son there. Meanwhile, Deva Raya’s other son was defeated at Bankapur.

Deva Raya and the Bahmani forces clashed at Mudgal. The Vijayanagara forces initially won, but after two months, the Bahmani forces triumphed, killing Deva Raya's eldest son. Deva Raya captured two Bahmani officers, but after being threatened with mass retribution, he agreed to peace.
## List of Battles
## References