RAS question
The Battle of Talikota (1565) led to the decline of which empire?
Correct answer: (D) Vijayanagara Empire.
The Battle of Talikota, also known as the Battle of Rakshasi-Tangadi, led to the decline of the Vijayanagara Empire after its defeat in 1565.
Explanation
The Battle of Talikota was the turning point in the decline of Vijayanagara. NCERT identifies the battle as Rakshasi-Tangadi, also known as Talikota, where Rama Raya, the chief minister of Vijayanagara, led the imperial army in 1565. The combined armies of the Deccan Sultanates defeated Vijayanagara; the victorious forces then sacked the city. NCERT also notes that the city was abandoned within a few years and that the focus of the empire shifted east under the Aravidu line. That chain of defeat, sack and political displacement is why the event is remembered as causing the decline of the Vijayanagara Empire.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) The Bahmani Sultanate had already disintegrated, so the 1565 defeat at Talikota was not its moment of decline.
- (B) The Mughals were not involved in this battle; the contest was between Vijayanagara and the combined Deccan Sultanate forces.
- (C) The Hoysala Dynasty had ended much earlier and was not the empire defeated at Rakshasi-Tangadi in 1565.
Concept
This tests the medieval Indian history theme of Vijayanagara's imperial decline and its relations with the Deccan Sultanates. It recurs in RAS because Talikota links political rivalry, military defeat and the fate of Hampi in one high-yield event.