What were the consequence of Bukka’s War with Brahmins?

Bukka was soon involved in a war with the Bahmani kingdom founded by Hasan who had revolted against the Delhi Sultan and declared his independence. Though he had received valuable support from Kampaya Nayaka, Raja of Telingana, in his designs he had little sympathy with the neighbouring Hindu states and sent expeditions against them. Bahman’s successor, Muhammad Shah Bahmani I (1358-75), found himself in a difficult position.

There was disaffection in the state and some of the nobles openly revolted against him. He was threatened by two powerful neighbours, the Vijayanagar and the Telingana rulers who entered into an alliance and asked him to return the territories his father had conquered from them.

This problem, as rightly pointed out by Prof. Gurty Venkat Rao, was a legacy of the past and should not be attributed to religious differences between the contending parties. The land between the Krishna and the Tungabhadra regions had great economic wealth and was, therefore, a bone of contention between the Western Chalukyans md the Cholas and the Yadavas and the Hoysalas.

This struggle continued when their successors, the Bahmanis and the Vijayanagar came into existence. The wealth of the Vijayanagar rulers was another source of temptation for the neighbouring Muslim states. The religious differences only added to the bitterness and brutality.

Muhammad in a fit of drunkenness ordered that the wages of the singers and dancers who had entertained him should be paid by a draft on the treasury of Vijayanagar. Bukka greatly enraged by this insult ordered that the messenger should be paraded around the city and expelled. He also asked the Bahmani ruler Muhammad Shah to return to him the forts of Raichur and Mudgal along with the neighbouring territories extending up to the river Krishna.

The King of Telingana demanded the restoration of the fort of Kaulas which had been taken away from him. On his refusal to comply with the demands of the allies, Bukka sent twenty thousand soldiers to support his ally, the king of Telingana who invaded the Krishna- Tungabhadra doab.

Bukka crossed Tungabhadra and besieged Mudgal. The Muslim historian Firishta and the Hindu chronicle of the Palaigars of Nadimidoddipalem give contradictory versions of the outcome of the war.

Firishta refers only to the victories of Muhammad Shah who inflicted a crushing defeat on Bukka who had to agree to humiliating terms of peace. The Hindu chronicle speaks of Bukka’s victorious war against Bahmanis. However, if we look closely into the treaty signed by the two rulers, it would be apparent that Bukka fared very well in the war.

The Bahmani ruler agreed to regard river Krishna as the boundary between the two states. However a few mahals on the southern bank of the river were to be ruled jointly by the two rulers.

The Raja of Telingana, Kapaya Nayaka though actively helped by Bukka had to seek peace after having been defeated by Bahadur Khan, general of the Bahmani sultan. A huge indemnity of 1, 00,000 gold huns (huns was the coin known as pagoda by the British in northern India.

It was worth four rupees) to the Bahmani sultan. But this defeat rankled in the mind of Vinayaka Deva, son of Kapaya Nayaka, who harassed the retiring Bahmani soldiers and plundered their baggage. This led to revival of hostilities which resulted in the complete defeat of Kapaya Nayaka who had to part with Golkonda and pay a huge indemnity.

Bukka was successful in initial stages. He captured the important fort of Mudakal. Almost all the inhabitants of the fort were put to death. Muhammad swore to avenge the defeat. He deputed his cousin, Khan Muhammad with a large army while the Vijayanagar forces were led by Mallinath.

The war continued for several months. The first major engagement was at Kaithal in 1367 in which Bahmanis were successful. Mallinath was mortally wounded. Muhammad Shah killed about half a million Hindus but was unable to conquer Vijayanagar. At last a treaty was signed, the important provision of which was that in future wars the lives of the non- combatants should be spared.

The wages of the singers were also paid. The peace was, however, a shortlived one. Mujahid, the son and successor of Muhammad Shah revived the demand for the districts and forts jointly ruled by the two states according to a previous treaty. Bukka asked for the return of elephants captured in previous reign.

Mujahid marched in person to Vijayanagar. Bukka retired to jungles and hills and adopted guerilla warfare. Later on he took shelter in Vijayanagar. Mujahid’s efforts to capture the fort failed. His siege of Adoni was also not successful. Meanwhile he was murdered by his hostile uncle Daud Khan on April 15, 1378. A few months earlier, in February 1377, Bukka, too, had died and was succeeded by his son, Harihara II.