Sriranga III
Encyclopedia
Sriranga III was the last ruler of the Vijayanagara Empire
, who came to power in 1642 following the death of his uncle Venkata III. He was also a great grandson of Aliya Rama Raya
.
– Vellore
in 1638. Another invasion of these two in 1642 was defeated by Venkata III’s army, who were also facing Golkonda
armies near Madras. Under this troublesome circumstances Venkata III died, and Sriranga III who was with the Bijapur army deserted them and returned to Vellore and made himself the King of Vijayanagara.
and Damerla Venkatapathy, the chieftain of Madras, had a dislike for him for his mischief in rebelling against the former King. Squabbles among the Sultans of Bijapur and Golkonda helped Sriranga III for a while. In 1644 the Golkonda appeared with a vast army and defeated by Sriranga III. Sriranga III, now feeling strong enough to demand money from the Southern Nayaks
, marched south .
The Muslim forces were losing, but later advanced, when consolidated by additional armies from Deccan. The war went on till 1652. In 1649 Thirumalai Nayak sent his forces supporting the Bijapur ruler, but upon converging at the Gingee Fort, the Madurai forces created a chaos and took sides with the Gingee army, when the Bijapur and Golkonda entered into their agreements. This led to the banishment of Gingee Nayak rule in 1649.
By 1652, Sriranga III was left with only Vellore Fort
, which was finally seized by the Golkonda forces. By now he had only the support of Mysore Ruler, while Tanjore submitted to the Muslim Forces and the Madurai Nayak ended up paying huge sums to Muslim forces, but all three retaining their kingdom.
of Ikkeri
, and was still hoping to retrieve Vellore from the Muslim forces. Thirumalai Nayak
's treachery to Sriranga III made the Mysore ruler Kanthirava Narasa wage a series of ravaging wars with Madurai, later capturing the territories of Coimbatore
and Salem, regions which were retained by Mysore till 1800.
Vijayanagara Empire
The Vijayanagara Empire , referred as the Kingdom of Bisnaga by the Portuguese, was an empire based in South Indian in the Deccan Plateau region. It was established in 1336 by Harihara I and his brother Bukka Raya I of the Yadava lineage. The empire rose to prominence as a culmination of attempts...
, who came to power in 1642 following the death of his uncle Venkata III. He was also a great grandson of Aliya Rama Raya
Aliya Rama Raya
Rama Raya , popularly known as "Aliya" Rama Raya, was the progenitor of the "Aravidu" dynasty of Vijayanagar Empire. This dynasty, the fourth and last to hold sway over the Vijayanagara Empire, is often not counted as a ruling dynasty of that empire, for reasons delineated below. Rama Raya...
.
Early rebellions
Before his accession to the throne, Sriranga III was in rebellion against his uncle Venkata III. He sought help from the Bijapur Sultan and attacked Venkata III in ChandragiriChandragiri
Chandragiri , is a suburb of Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh, India. Recently it is included under Municipal Corporation limits of Tirupati...
– Vellore
Vellore
Vellore It is considered one of the oldest cities in South India and lies on the banks of the Palar river on the site of Vellore Fort. The city lies between Chennai and Bangalore and the Temple towns of Thiruvannamalai and Tirupati...
in 1638. Another invasion of these two in 1642 was defeated by Venkata III’s army, who were also facing Golkonda
Golkonda
Golkonda or Golla konda a ruined city of south-central India and capital of ancient Kingdom of Golkonda , is situated 11 km west of Hyderabad.The most important builder of Golkonda was a Hindu Kakatiya King...
armies near Madras. Under this troublesome circumstances Venkata III died, and Sriranga III who was with the Bijapur army deserted them and returned to Vellore and made himself the King of Vijayanagara.
Reign
Many of his nobles like the Nayak of GingeeGingee
Gingee is a panchayat town in Viluppuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The nearest town with a railway station is Tindivanam, 28 km away....
and Damerla Venkatapathy, the chieftain of Madras, had a dislike for him for his mischief in rebelling against the former King. Squabbles among the Sultans of Bijapur and Golkonda helped Sriranga III for a while. In 1644 the Golkonda appeared with a vast army and defeated by Sriranga III. Sriranga III, now feeling strong enough to demand money from the Southern Nayaks
Nayak (ethnic group)
-History and origin:The word nayak means a head of a regiment. This word is derived from the Sanskrit senanayaka, which means head of a regiment. The community trace there descent from the Vaghela Rajputs who converted to Islam in the 12th Century. They established a number of petty states in...
, marched south .
Battle of Virichipuram
In 1646 Sriranga III collected a large army with help from Mysore, Gingee and Tanjore and met the Golkonda forces.The Muslim forces were losing, but later advanced, when consolidated by additional armies from Deccan. The war went on till 1652. In 1649 Thirumalai Nayak sent his forces supporting the Bijapur ruler, but upon converging at the Gingee Fort, the Madurai forces created a chaos and took sides with the Gingee army, when the Bijapur and Golkonda entered into their agreements. This led to the banishment of Gingee Nayak rule in 1649.
By 1652, Sriranga III was left with only Vellore Fort
Vellore Fort
Vellore Fort is a large 16th-century fort situated in Vellore city near Chennai, in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. The Fort was at one point of time the headquarters of the Vijayanagara Empire...
, which was finally seized by the Golkonda forces. By now he had only the support of Mysore Ruler, while Tanjore submitted to the Muslim Forces and the Madurai Nayak ended up paying huge sums to Muslim forces, but all three retaining their kingdom.
Last years
Sriranga III spent his last years under support of one of his vassal chieftains, Shivappa NayakaShivappa Nayaka
Shivappa Nayaka , also known as Keladi Shivappa Nayaka, was a notable ruler of the Keladi Nayaka Kingdom. The Keladi Nayakas were successors of the Vijayanagara Empire in the coastal and Malnad districts of Karnataka, India, in the late 16th century...
of Ikkeri
Ikkeri
Ikkeri is situated in Shimoga district of Karnataka state at about 6 km to the south of Sagara. The word Ikkeri in Kannada means "Two Streets". It was, from about 1560 to 1640 AD, the capital of the Keladi chiefs, afterwards removed to Bednur...
, and was still hoping to retrieve Vellore from the Muslim forces. Thirumalai Nayak
Thirumalai Nayak
Thirumalai Nayak ruled Madurai between 1623 to 1659 CE. He was the most notable of the thirteen Madurai Nayak rulers in the 17th century. His contributions are found in the many splendid buildings and temples of Madurai. His kingdom was under constant threat from the armies of Delhi Sultanate and...
's treachery to Sriranga III made the Mysore ruler Kanthirava Narasa wage a series of ravaging wars with Madurai, later capturing the territories of Coimbatore
Coimbatore
Coimbatore , also known as Kovai , is the second largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a major commercial centre in Tamil Nadu and is known as the "Manchester of South India"....
and Salem, regions which were retained by Mysore till 1800.