HUMPI, a ruined city in the Bellary district of the Madras Presidency, known formerly as Bijanagar, also written Vijayanagar and Vijia nuggur, properly Vidianuggur, or the town of learning. There is a tradition that there was a town here about A.D. 1100, but it first acquired a name from being occupied or founded by two fugitives from Telingana, or, according to Prinsep, in 1338 by Bilal Deo of Karnata, who resisted Muhammad Taghalaq, and founded Vijayanagar. In 1347, Krishna Rai ruled there ; in 1425, Deva Rai ; in 1478, Siva Rai. Vijayanagar sovereigns claimed to be of the Yadu race. Towards the 15th century, the city had become the capital of a great Hindu power, which ruled over the Hindu chiefs to the south of the territories of the Adal Shahi, Nizam Shahi, and Kutub Shahi, kings of the Dekhan. In the middle of the 16th century, these three Mahomedan kings, fearing the growing power of Ramaraja, the sovereign, made war against him. Rama was then in his 70th year. He met the confederates at Talicottah, on the 25th January 1565, with a great army of 70,000 horse, 90,000 foot, 2000 elephants, and 1000 pieces of cannon ; but he was defeated with a loss of 100,000 men, and was taken prisoner. The authors Khafi Khan and Shahab
nd-Din state that the elephant on which he was mounted ran away with him into the confederates' camp. He was beheaded at Kala Chabutra, in the Raichore Doab, and his head remained for 200 years at Bijapur as a trophy. Vijayanagar sank into an insignificant place, and is now known as the ruins of Humpi. The raja's brother, how ever, took refuge in Peniconda, and subsequently at Chandragiri, whence the English merchants obtained the grant of the ground on which Madras was built, and engraved on a gold plate, which was lost in 1746, when Madras was captured by the French under Labourdonnais. The descendant of Ramaraja is the raja of Anagundi, whose title is Sri Raja, Raja Parameswara, Sri Virapratapa, Sri Vira Terumala, Sri Vira venkata Rarnarawya, Dava Maharawya Sumstan Vedaya Nagarum.—Wh. II. I. p. 459.