Battle of Belavadi
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| Battle of Belavadi | |||||||||
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 The Ruins of Belavadi Temple | |||||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
| Seuna (Yadava) dynasty | Hoysala Kingdom | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
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Ramachandra Tikkama Saluva Harapala |
Vira Narasimha II Aneika Guliya Nayak † Nanjeya † Maideva † Kannaradeva † | ||||||||
The Yadava King Ramachandra's general, Saluva Tikkama, supported by local chieftains and Irungola's army, invaded Hoysala territory and besieged the fort at Beļavādi. Despite Saluva's boast of capturing Dora-samudra quickly, the Hoysalas, led by Kumāra Chikka-Kētayadaņņāyaka, mounted a strong defense. On April 25th, a fierce battle resulted in a decisive Hoysala victory. Ankeya, Chikka-Kētaya's son, played a crucial role in repelling the Yadava forces, causing chaos among them. Haripāla fled, Saluva retreated, and Jeydēva, distressed, harmed himself.[1][2][3]
In contrast, a Yadava inscription from 1277 A.D. claims Saluva Tikkama successfully captured Dorasamudra, took tribute, and built a Lakshmi-Nārāyaṇa temple in celebration. This inscription highlights the Yadava victory, contradicting the Hoysala account, and indicates that a significant portion of northern Hoysala territory fell to Ramachandra.[1][2][3]
Background
[edit]In A.D. 1276, the Irungola king, allying with Saluva Tikkama, launched an attack on Dorasamudra. This decision proved ill-fated as Irungōla, fighting alone, was no match for the Hoysaļa king. Consequently, the Hoysaļa minister ChikkaKetaya Nāyaka conducted a successful campaign against the Irungola king.[1][2][3]
In response, the Irungola king took immediate measures to defend against future attacks. By A.D. 1278, he instructed his minister Becha to construct formidable forts at Nidugal and Haniya to safeguard against enemies unwilling to submit. However, in A.D. 1285, Viral Narasimha II led a campaign to the Nidugal fort and destroyed a village named Bageyakere.[1][2][3]
During these events, the Yadavas were encroaching on the Kadamba dynasty and Santara territories and preparing to attack the Hoysala. They had previously seized the strategic stronghold of Belagavi, which served as a refuge after their raids. In A.D. 1271, Yadava king Mahadeva invaded Hoysala territory with a large army, but Narasimha’s strong defense forced him to retreat swiftly, famously remarking that "flight is best."[1][2][3]
The same year, Mahadeva passed away and was succeeded by his son Amana. However, Amana was soon overthrown by his cousin Ramachandra, the son of Krishna Kandhara. During this period, the Senua government in the south was based in Bettur, near Davanagere.[1][2][3]
Battle
[edit]Hoysala Records
[edit]In the name of Yadava King Ramachandra, his general Saluva Tikkama, supported by Jeydēva and Haripala (likely local chieftains) and bolstered by Irungola's army, invaded Hoysala territory. They swiftly set up camp at Beļavādi, north of Halebidu, and laid siege to the fort. Another significant ally of the Yadavas was the Mahamandalēśvara Immadi Balaha Dēvarasa of Setuvina Rajya. Confident of their success, Saluva Tikkama boasted, "I will capture Dora-samudra in just one minute." However, the Hoysaļa forces, led by Kumāra ChikkaKētayadaņņāyaka, mounted a strong defense. On April 25th, a fierce battle ensued, resulting in a decisive victory for the Hoysala. The enemy was routed and driven back past Dummi, a hill on the Shimoga and Chitaldroog frontier. Prince Chikka-Kētaya's son, Ankeya, emerged as the hero of the battle. When asked who would defeat the enemy, Ankeya bravely stepped forward, and he successfully repelled the Yadava forces. His fierce combat led to a scene of chaos and carnage, with heads severed and horses slaughtered. The sight of the defeated Yadavas was so overwhelming that Haripāla fled in fear, Saluva Tikkama, overwhelmed and disgusted, retreated, and Jeydēva, in sheer distress, struck himself.[1][2][3][4]
Despite Saluva's efforts to spread his forces across Belavadi, Ankeya's relentless attacks left him no time to relocate his camp or even eat, forcing him to retreat all the way to Dummi. Saluva faced personal danger as well, with his band of honor on his forehead being damaged by the two generals, Nanjeya and Gullaya.[1][2][3][4]
Yadava Records
[edit]A Yadava inscription provides a different account, stating that Saluva Tikkama captured the city of Dorasamudra, achieved his goal, and took a tribute of various kinds of wealth, particularly horses and elephants, killing Nanjeya and Gullaya in the process. The Yadavas plundered along their route and seized some northern territories of the Hoysaļa kingdom. By A.D. 1277, the town of Harihara was under Yadava king Ramachandra, and upon returning from Dorasamudra, Saluva Tikkama built the Lakshmi-Nārāyaṇa temple to commemorate his former sovereign Yadava Mahadeva and his successful campaign against the Hoysaļas. The region now known as Sorab Taluk, which had long been Hoysala territory, contains numerous Yādava inscriptions from this period. This indicates that a significant portion of northern Hoysaļa territory was conquered by Ramachandra. His titles reflect his victory over the Hoysaļas, including "the disgracer of the Hoysaļa Rāya and establisher of the Telunga Rāya," and "a rough hand on the bracelet of Lakshmi, the Hoysaļa king's empire." Tikkama Saluva is also titled "Establisher of Kadamba kings" and "Overthrower of Hoysala Kings."[1][2][3][5]
Harihara Inscription
[edit]In an inscription from 1277 A.D. found at Harihara in Mysore, it is recorded that Yadava commander Mahāpradhāna Sāļuva Tikkamadeva visited the area after a victorious campaign. He had recently subdued the city of Dvārasamudra, exacted tribute in the form of elephants and horses, and celebrated his victory by constructing a temple dedicated to the god Narayana (Vishnu) and endowing it with a grant. This tribute collection suggests that the Hoyasala forces were defeated in this encounter, highlighting the valor of the Yadava troops.[1][2][3][5]
Reference
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Coelho, William (1949). The Hoysala Vamsa. pp. 201–203.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Sharma, R. S. (1992). A Comprehensive History of India: A.D. 985-1206. People's Publishing House. p. 152. ISBN 978-81-7007-121-1.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Yazdani, Ghulam (1960). The Early History of the Deccan. Oxford University Press. pp. 550–551.
- ^ a b S. Ritti. The Seunas (The Yadavas Of Devagiri). pp. 23–24.
- ^ a b H. V. Trivedi. The Yadavas And Their Times. pp. 120–121.