HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Veera Ballala III (r. 1292–1342) was the last great king of the
Hoysala Empire The Hoysala Empire was a Kannadiga power originating from the Indian subcontinent that ruled most of what is now Karnataka between the 10th and the 14th centuries. The capital of the Hoysalas was initially located at Belur, but was later moved ...
. During his rule, the northern and southern branches of the Hoysala empire (which included much of modern Karnataka and northern Tamil Nadu) were consolidated and administered from
Halebidu Halebidu ( IAST: Haḷēbīḍ, literally "old capital, city, encampment" or "ruined city") is a town located in Hassan District, Karnataka, India. Historically known as Dorasamudra (also Dwarasamudra), Halebidu became the regal capital of th ...
(also known as Dwarasamudra). During his rule, he fought numerous wars with the
Yadavas of Devagiri The Seuna, Sevuna, or Yadavas of Devagiri (IAST: Seuṇa, –1317) was a Medieval Indian dynasty, which at its peak ruled a kingdom stretching from the Narmada river in the north to the Tungabhadra river in the south, in the western part of t ...
, the Pandyan Dynasty of
Madurai Madurai ( , also , ) is a major city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Madurai District. As of the 2011 census, it was the third largest Urban agglomeration i ...
and other minor dynasties of South India. But it was his conflict with the invading forces of
Alauddin Khalji Alaud-Dīn Khaljī, also called Alauddin Khilji or Alauddin Ghilji (), born Ali Gurshasp, was an emperor of the Khalji dynasty that ruled the Delhi Sultanate in the Indian subcontinent. Alauddin instituted a number of significant administrativ ...
, and later those of
Muhammad bin Tughluq Muhammad bin Tughluq (1290 – 20 March 1351) was the eighteenth Sultan of Delhi. He reigned from February 1325 until his death in 1351. The sultan was the eldest son of Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq, founder of the Tughlaq dynasty. In 1321, the youn ...
, the Sultan of Delhi, that would alter the course of history of South India. For his courage and fortitude, the historians
Suryanath Kamath Suryanath Upendra Kamath (26 April 1937 – 21 October 2015) was an Indian historian who served as the Chief Editor of the Karnataka State Gazetteer from 1981 to 1995. Early life Kamath was born in a Konkani-speaking family on 26 April 1937. ...
, Chopra, Ravindran and Subrahmanian have called him a "great ruler".Kamath (1980), p.129Chopra, Ravindran and Subrahmanian (2003), p.156 With his death in c. 1343, South India saw the rise of a new Hindu empire, the
Vijayanagara Empire The Vijayanagara Empire, also called the Karnata Kingdom, was a Hindu empire based in the region of South India, which consisted the modern states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Goa and some parts of Telangana and Mahar ...
. In the words of the historian Sen "the Hoysalas were the greatest among those who claim to be the makers of modern Mysore".Sen (1999), p.500 Harihara I and
Bukka Raya I Bukka Raya I (reigned 1356–1377 CE) was an emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire from the Sangama Dynasty.Phrof A V Narasimha MurthyRare Royal Brothers: Hakka and Bukka He was a son of Bhavana Sangama(Unofficial). Background The early life of ...
, the brothers who founded the
Vijayanagara Empire The Vijayanagara Empire, also called the Karnata Kingdom, was a Hindu empire based in the region of South India, which consisted the modern states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Goa and some parts of Telangana and Mahar ...
had served the king in a military capacity.


Pandya and Yadava affairs

In c. 1303, Veera Ballala III subdued the recalcitrant
Alupas The Alupa dynasty (ಅಳುಪೆರ್, ಆಳ್ವೆರ್) (circa 2nd century C.E to 15th century C.E) was an ancient ruling dynasty of India. The kingdom they ruled was known as ''Alvakheda Arusasira'' and its territory spanned the coa ...
of
Dakshina Kannada Dakshina Kannada district is a district of Karnataka state in India, with its headquarters in the coastal city of Mangalore. It is part of the larger Tulu Nadu region. The district covers an area nestled in between the Western Ghats to its east ...
. His attempts to reduce the Yadava power did not diminish either. In c. 1305, Veera Ballala III successfully fought the invading Yadavas at Holalkere and pushed them back to
Lakkundi Lakkundi, also referred to as Lokkugundi, was a major city prior to the 14th-century, and is now a village in Gadag District of Karnataka, India. By 10th-century, it was already a major economic and commerce center with mint operations for South ...
. He dealt swiftly with the rebellious
Kadambas of Hangal The Kadambas of Hangal was a South Indian dynasty during the Late Classical period on the Indian subcontinent, which originated in the region of Hangal in Karnataka. Chatta Deva who reigned from 980-1031 CE founded the dynasty. He helped Weste ...
and the Santaras of Shimoga (Hosagunda). Around 1310, Ballala III successfully played 'king maker' in the affairs of Tamil country by appointing Sundara Pandya as the Pandya king as opposed to his competitor, Vira Pandya. However his focus the rebellious ruler
Kampilideva Kampilideva was the second and last king of the short-lived Kampili kingdom. His son, prince Kumara Rama helped him wage endless wars against the Kakatiya dynasty of Warangal, the Hoysala Empire, and the sultan of Delhi, Muhammad bin Tughlaq. ...
of the Kampili Chiefdom on the banks of the Tungabhadra river and on the affairs in the Tamil country to the south laid open the northern boundaries of his territories to the
invasion An invasion is a military offensive in which large numbers of combatants of one geopolitical entity aggressively enter territory owned by another such entity, generally with the objective of either: conquering; liberating or re-establishing ...
of
Malik Kafur Malik Kafur (died 1316), also known as Taj al-Din Izz al-Dawla, was a prominent slave-general of the Delhi Sultanate ruler Alauddin Khalji. He was captured by Alauddin's general Nusrat Khan during the 1299 invasion of Gujarat, and rose to promi ...
, the commander of the armies of All-ud-din-Khalji. The Yadavas themselves, according to historian
John Keay John Stanley Melville Keay FRGS is a British historian, journalist, radio presenter and lecturer specialising in popular histories of India, the Far East and China, often with a particular focus on their colonisation and exploration by Europ ...
, provided the necessary help to Mallik Kafur's armies to march south.
Halebidu Halebidu ( IAST: Haḷēbīḍ, literally "old capital, city, encampment" or "ruined city") is a town located in Hassan District, Karnataka, India. Historically known as Dorasamudra (also Dwarasamudra), Halebidu became the regal capital of th ...
was attacked and plundered in c. 1311, only to be rebuilt in c. 1316. Veera Ballala III had to accept defeat to the Delhi Sultan, pay a handsome tribute, and send his son Veera Virupaksha to Delhi as an act of submission. His son returned in 1313. According to historian John Keay, claims by later writers such as Ferishta that Mallik Kafur even built a mosque in Halebidu to establish his supremacy are legends without historical evidence.Keay (2000), p.258


Invasion from Delhi

By 1318, the Yadava kingdom had been completely destroyed and
Devagiri Daulatabad Fort, also known as Devagiri Fort or Deogiri Fort, is a historic fortified citadel located in Daulatabad village near Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India. It was the capital of the Yadava dynasty (9th century–14th century CE), for a br ...
occupied by the Delhi Sultan. The Delhi Sultanate was now being ruled by
Qutbuddin Mubarak Shah Qutb-ud-din Mubarak Shah () was a ruler of the Delhi Sultanate of present-day India. A member of the Khalji dynasty, he was a son of Alauddin Khalji. After Alauddin's death, Mubarak Shah was imprisoned by Malik Kafur, who appointed his younger ...
. Veera Ballala III refused to pay tribute and withdrew from his earlier pact to support the Delhi Sultanate as a vassal. Tughluq sent an army to the south in c. 1327 and Halebidu was plundered for a second time. Veera Ballala III had to find refuge in
Tiruvannamalai Tiruvannamalai (Tamil: ''Tiruvaṇṇāmalai'' IPA: , otherwise spelt ''Thiruvannamalai''; ''Trinomali'' or ''Trinomalee'' on British records) is a city, a spiritual, cultural, economic hub and also the administrative headquarters of Tiruvann ...
from where he continued his resistance. By c. 1336 all
Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
kingdoms of south India with the exception of the
Hoysala Empire The Hoysala Empire was a Kannadiga power originating from the Indian subcontinent that ruled most of what is now Karnataka between the 10th and the 14th centuries. The capital of the Hoysalas was initially located at Belur, but was later moved ...
had been defeated and large areas annexed by the Sultanate of Delhi. The
Madurai Sultanate Ma'bar Sultanate ( fa, ), unofficially known as the Madurai Sultanate, was a short lived kingdom based in the city of Madurai in Tamil Nadu, India. The sultanate was proclaimed in 1335 led by Jalaluddin Ahsan Khan declared his independenc ...
was also established around c. 1335-6. With an intention of confronting the Muslim invasion, Veera Ballala III founded a second capital called Hosapattna on the banks of Tungabhadra river, which according to historians
Henry Heras Henry Heras (11 September 1888, Barcelona, Spain – 14 December 1955, Bombay, India) was a Spanish Jesuit priest, archeologist and historian in India. Education Enric Heras de Sicars (later in India he anglicised his Christian name to Henry) w ...
and William Coelho, later came to be called
Vijayanagara Vijayanagara () was the capital city of the historic Vijayanagara Empire. Located on the banks of the Tungabhadra River, it spread over a large area and included the modern era Group of Monuments at Hampi site in Vijayanagara district, Bell ...
, the capital of the
Vijayanagara Empire The Vijayanagara Empire, also called the Karnata Kingdom, was a Hindu empire based in the region of South India, which consisted the modern states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Goa and some parts of Telangana and Mahar ...
.Heras and Coelho in Kamath (1980), p.129 In c. 1342-3, a decisive war that would end the Hoysala fortunes was fought at Kannanur. Veera Ballala III fought a pitched battle against Ghiyas-ud-din, the Sultan of Madurai. Just when a Hoysala victory seemed imminent, The Hoysala monarch was captured, and according to historians Chopra et al., was "strangled and flayed". His son, Veera Ballala IV met the same fate in c. 1346, bringing to an end the rule of the Hoysalas.


Notes


References

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ballala 03 1343 deaths Hoysala kings Hindu monarchs 1291 births Year of birth unknown 14th-century Indian monarchs 13th-century Hindus 14th-century Hindus