, BIJAYANAGAR, also written Vijianagar, said to be properly Vidia-nagar, or the town of t> • learning, was founded, according to one account, by two fugitives from Telingana ; according to Prinsep, in 1338, by Bilal of Karnata, who resisted Mahomed Toghalak, and founded Vijia nagar. • In 1347, Krishna Rai ruled there ; in 1425, Devi Rai; in 1478, Siva Rai. The sovereigns claimed to be of the Yadu race. Towards the 15th century it was the capital of a great Hindu power, which ruled over the Hindu chiefs to the south and south-east of the territories of the Adal Shahi, Nizam Shahi, and Kutub Sbahi, kings of their Dalian ; and what is now called the Ceded Districts of British India formed the chief part of their dominion. Their capital was successively at Bijanagar on the Tumbudra, at Pennaconda, and Cbandragiri. The rajas long maintained their place among the powers of the Dekhan, but in A.D. 1565 four Mahomedan rulers formed a league against Ram Raj, and a great battle took place (A.D. 25th January 1565, A.H. 20 Jamadi us Sani 972) near Talli-cotta, on the Kistna, at which the venerable raja, then 70 years of age, was taken prisoner, and put to death in cold blood. His
army numbered 70,000 horse, 90,000 foot, 2000 elephants, and 1000 heavy cannon. Writing to wards the middle of the 19th century, Elphin stone says his head was kept till lately at Bijapur as a trophy. This battle destroyed the monarchy of Vijianagar, but added little to the territories of the victors, their mutual jealousies preventing them extending their frontiers, and the country fell into the hands of petty chiefs or insurgent officers of the old government, since known to the British as zamindars or poligars. The brother of the raja removed his residence further east, and finally settled at Chandragiri, 70 miles N.W. of Madras, at which last place his descendant first granted a settlement to the English in A.D. 1640. The ruins of Bijanagar are now known as those of Humpi, and those at Chandragiri are extensive and remarkable.—Elphinstone, p. 416.