Gandikota

Raichur, 1520

Raichur, May 1520

Silhouetted against the rising sun, the fort stood majestically on the hill, looking down on the vast rocky plains, and the Krishna River flowing by. The rising sun, bathed the fort in an orange glow, as its long shadows, crept down the hill, and across the boulders. Looking out over the fertile doab land between the Krishna and Tungabhadra rivers, it had been a witness to some of the most intense battles ever fought for its control. For over 2 centuries, after its founding in 1284 by the Kakatiya ruler Rudra, the fort witnessed a constant battle for supremacy between the Vijayanagar and Bahmani rulers. 

Strategically located in the fertile doab region, the fort became a  bone of contention between the two warring empires. Witness to what was essentially a see saw conflict, which saw it changing hands between the Vijayanagara and Bahmani rulers. Which the man standing outside the tent in just a white dhoti, with a saffron robe covering his broad shoulders, and a tall, imposing physique was determined to end once and for all. The muscles ripped across his chest and torso, from years of exercising with clubs.And piercing eyes, could put the fear of God in friend and enemy alike.

Sri Krishna Deva Raya, the emperor of Vijayanagara, was no ordinary mortal however, at this moment he presided over a mighty empire, that was as large as Austria, covering most of the Deccan and the Southern peninsula. He ruled from one of the world's richest cities at Hampi, whose magnificence, splendour and wealth awed travellers from Portugal to Italy to Persia, as they paid glowing tributes to it in their writings. He was known to be an excellent horse rider, could tame the wildest of horses. He could wield the heaviest of swords with effortless ease, could shoot targets from a distance with unerring accuracy.

Tales were told about him on the battlefield, often leading from the front, striking terror in the enemy camp. Of how he shot a blazing arrow into the heart of Kondavidu fort, bringing a long siege to an end. Or how he routed the Bijapur forces at the Battle of Diwani. Of his expedition right up to Cuttack, in the heart of the Gajapati kingdom. 

 But today would be a battle like never before in his life. It was the dying wish of his ancestor Saluva Narasimha, that Raichur should once again, be with Vijayanagara. But more than that, he wanted to put an end to the constant raids by the Bahmani forces on Vijayanagara. People had become weary of the raids, and were desiring peace. There was only one way, deliver a crushing defeat to those Bahmani rulers, that for some time, they would never dare to even look at Hampi. He had routed the Bijapur forces, defeated Quli Qutub Shah, and taken back the entire Coastal Andhra.

Now it was only Raichur that stood in the way. Take back the fort, secure it and the Bahmani forces would never trouble the Vijayanagar empire for some time. What he was fighting today was not just for the occupation of a fort. At stake, was the very future of Vijayanagara, whether to live in peace, or keep facing more raids from the Bahmani sultans. It was for this sake, that he had bought with him one of the largest armies ever, in the history of Vijayanagara. What he was planning today was one of the most audacious assaults ever, mind boggling in its scale and intent. There were 7 lakh soldiers, 550 elephants, 32,600 horses, armed with lances, swords, arrows, cannons. And it was not just the forces, there were men to supply water, there were dancing courtesans for pleasure, washer men for the soiled linen. 50,000 spies were deployed beforehand to report every move of the enemy. Never before, never again in its history, would Vijayanagara see such a massive campaign in scale, scope and intent.

His spies had been updating him every moment about the movements of the Bijapur forces. Couple of days earlier, the Bijapur Sultan Ismail Adil Shah, had arrived, with a 140,000 strong force, on the other side of the Krishna. And now he heard from his spies, that Adil Shah, had crossed the river, and put up a camp 14 km away from the fort. The battle lines had been drawn, the wait was over, now was the time to act.

"Call for Ramalinga Nayaka" the Raya instructed one of the guards.