Bahmani–Vijayanagara War (1470–1481)

Bahmani–Vijayanagara War (1470–1481)
Part of Bahmani–Vijayanagar Wars
Bahamani Sultanate in 1480
Date 1470–1481 Location Krishna River, Raichur, Vijayanagara Result Bahmani victory Territorial changes Konkan, Goa Chaul, Vijayanagara, Raichur and Kanchipuram captured by Bahmani Sultanate
Belligerents
Bahmani Sultanate	Vijayanagara empire
Commanders and leaders
Muhammad Shah III Lashkari Mahmud Gawan X Malik Hasan Bahri	Virupaksha Raya II X Saluva Narasimha Deva
Strength
Unknown	70,000
Casualties and losses
Unknown	Heavy

Background

During Harihara II’s reign, Vijayanagar forces captured Goa and the Konkan coast after a series of campaigns between 1382 and 1395 CE. This strategic coastal region, including the port of Goa, would later change hands through an unusual turn of events. For many years, Bhatkal had served as the main harbor where Vijayanagar rulers procured warhorses from Moorish traders settled there. In 1469 CE, these traders began supplying horses to the Bahmani Sultan, angering King Virupaksha. He commanded his subordinate at Honāwar to kill as many of the traders as possible and expel the rest. The order was brutally carried out, leading to the death of around 10,000 Moors. The few who survived fled and established themselves in Goa. This massacre had severe and lasting consequences for the kingdom.

War

Loss of Goa (1470)

Mahmud Gawan launched a coordinated assault on the port and island of Goa, dispatching a fleet of around 120 ships to strike from the sea while advancing by land with his forces. The operation was executed with such speed and precision that, before Virupaksha Raya II could mount a defense, Gawan had secured control of the territory. Upon learning of the victory, Sultan Muhammad Shah Bahmani ordered celebratory drumbeats for seven days and held grand festivities. This marked the loss of a key coastline for Vijayanagar, including the prosperous ports of Choul, Dabul, and Goa, which had been under its rule for over seventy-five years.

Loss of Belagaum (1472)

During Saluva Narasinga’s campaigns to suppress revolts in the southern provinces and restore stability in the Tamil region, new challenges arose for the Vijayanagar Empire in the north. Virupaksha Raya II, resentful over the loss of Goa and the Konkan, attempted unsuccessfully to reclaim these territories. Around 1472 CE, he directed his vassal, Birkana Raya of Belgaum, to recover Goa, urging the chief of Bankapur to join the venture. However, the Bahmani Sultanate, then occupied with a campaign in Orissa under Mallik Hussain Bheirz Nizam-ul-Mulk, quickly learned of the plot. Sultan Mahmud Shah responded by marching directly on Belgaum.

Birkana Raya prepared to withstand the siege, and his forces repelled multiple assaults, inflicting around two thousand casualties on the besieging army. Despite his determined resistance, the fort eventually fell, forcing Birkana to surrender both his stronghold and himself to the Bahmani ruler. Impressed by his valor, Mahmud Shah granted him honorable treatment and admitted him into his circle of nobles. The captured territories were subsequently incorporated into the estates of Khwaja Mahmud Gawan, who had played a leading role in the siege.

Loss of Belagaum (1474)

Following the capture of Belgaum in 1472 CE, the Bahmani Sultan shifted his focus toward expanding into the Telangana region. In 1474 CE, he launched an expedition against Wairagarh and seized it from Jatak Roy. During this period, Perkatapha, dissatisfied with the transfer of power, renounced allegiance and led a revolt by occupying the island of Goa. Upon learning of the uprising, Mahmud Gawan sought royal approval to suppress the rebellion, subdue Perkatapha, and extend Bahmani control over Kanara and Vijayanagar territories. Belgaum is believed to have been secured during the subsequent campaign, marking its permanent loss to the Vijayanagara Empire.