Jump to content

Battle of Devarakonda

Coordinates: 16°42′00″N 78°55′59″E / 16.700°N 78.933°E / 16.700; 78.933
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Battle of Devarkonda
Part of Bahmani-Gajapati conflicts

Fort of khammam captured by Hamvir dev in Battle of Devarkonda (1458)
Date1458 A.D.
Location
Devarkonda, Telengana, india
16°42′00″N 78°55′59″E / 16.700°N 78.933°E / 16.700; 78.933
Result Gajapati Empire victory
Territorial
changes
  • Hamvira conquered Warangal
  • Devarkonda became a feudal state of Gajapati Empire
  • Khammam fort captured by Gajapatis
Belligerents

Gajapati Empire

Bahmani sultanate
Commanders and leaders
Kapilendra Deva
Hamvira Deva
Humayun Shah
Sanjar Khan
Strength
Few Large
100 elephants
Casualties and losses
Unknown 6,000–7,000

The Battle of Devarkonda took place between Gajapati Empire and Bahmani Sultanate in 1458 A.D. at Devarkonda, Telengana, India. In this battle Odia forces led by prince Hamvira Deva under king Gajapati Kapilendra Deva Crushed a massive Army of Bahmani Muslim forces led by Humayun Shah. The Battle outcomed Odia forces victorious and the Devarkonda state became vassal state of Gajapati Empire.[1]

Battle

[edit]

The Velama chief of Devarakonda (in the present-day Telangana region), Gajaravo Tippa, requested Kapilendra Deva for help against the Bahmani Sultanate. The Velama chiefs of Telangana had angered the Bahmanis by supporting Vijayanagar, their archenemy, in a war against them and the Bahmanis severely devastated the Velama territory.[2]

“From greed of gain and for the defence of paganism, thought himself bound to assist the infidels of that fortress; so he sent a countless force with a hundred elephants to the assistance of the defenders of the fortress.”

— Tabātāba

In 1458, a battle ensued at Devarakonda in which the Orissan army advanced upon them, while the Velamas launched an attack from within the fort. Trapped between these two forces, the Bahmani army suffered a crushing defeat. Their baggage, elephants, and horses were seized as spoils. The Muslim forces were chased for a distance of approximately three jarsakhs, with nearly six to seven thousand cavalry soldiers killed. Many others succumbed to thirst while crossing the arid deserts. Subsequently, he took control of the Khammam Fort and placed the governor of Rajahmundry and his cousin, Raghudeva Narendra Mohapatra in its charge.[3]

Aftermath

[edit]

As a result of this battle Odia forces came out as victorious and Telangana region became a feudal state of the Gajapati empire with the Velama chiefs as the vassal rulers. The victory over the Bahmani Sultanate forces at Devarakonda in 1458 CE enabled Kapilendra Deva to assume the title of Kalavargeśvara which meant the Lord of Kalaburagi. In 1460, an inscription at Warangal fort tells of Hamivradeva Kumara Mahapatra capturing it, being Kapilesvara Maharaya's son.[4]

Kapilendra ruled most of Telengana. He knew the Bahmanis wouldn't accept losing territory and wanted to weaken them forever. According to Ferishta, this battle happened around 1459. The Bahmanis didn't try to take Telengana while Kapilendra lived. Muslim historians had to explain why the Bahmani army was defeated and why Humayun Shah failed to restore its honor. Humayun Shah died in 1461. His eight-year-old son Nizam Shah succeeded him, ruling from 1461 to 1463.[5][6]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ R. C. Majumdar (1967). History and Culture of the Indian People, Volume 06,The Delhi Sultanate. Public Resource. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. pp. 366–367.
  2. ^ The Sūryavaṁśi Gajapatis of Orissa | WorldCat.org. OCLC 1945979.
  3. ^ R. C. Majumdar (1967). History and Culture of the Indian People, Volume 06,The Delhi Sultanate. Public Resource. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. pp. 366–367.
  4. ^ Subrahmanyam 1957, p. 54.
  5. ^ ଏମ୍. ଏ. ହକ୍‍‍; M. A. Haque (1980). Muslim Administration in Orissa. p. 33.
  6. ^ R. C. Majumdar (1967). History and Culture of the Indian People, Volume 06,The Delhi Sultanate. Public Resource. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. pp. 366–367.

Sources

[edit]