Summary

The Battle of Raichur was a battle fought between the Vijayanagar Empire and the Bijapur Sultanate in the year 1520 in the city of Raichur, India. It resulted in a decisive victory for Vijayanagar, and the ruler of Bijapur was defeated. This battle had far-reaching effects.

The Vijayanagara Empire had been facing Muslim attempts to conquer it for centuries. The various sultanates of the Deccan had made great efforts to conquer the last Hindu religious stronghold at the southern tip of the Indian subcontinent.

The Vijayanagara Empire had a force composed of 32,600 horsemen and 551 elephants. The Bijapur Sultanate had a force composed of 7,000 horsemen and 250 elephants. Modern and contemporary writers disagree on how many infantry personnel each side had. Contemporary sources say that Krishnadevaraya had an infantry force consisting of just over 700,000 soldiers. In addition, the use of a Portuguese contingent commanded by Cristovão de Figueiredo with the use of firearms helped to conquer the fortress. In addition, the Portuguese with their arquebuses knocked down the defenders of the walls, and thus allowed the besiegers to approach close to the fortification lines and knock down the stones. Driven to desperation, and with their governor killed, the garrison surrendered and the Vijayanagara Empire emerged victorious.

The battle of Raichur had far-reaching effects. The Hindu victory weakened the power of Bijapur. The victory also caused other sultans in Deccan to form an alliance to defeat the Vijayanagar Empire. The war also affected the fortunes of the Portuguese on the west coast; their colony of Goa increased in importance because of increased trade with India.

Sources

1. Battle of Raichur
2. Batalla de Raichur
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8. Battle of Raichur