University Essay: Visual Analysis of the Battle of Talikota

This essay provides a visual analysis of the Battle of Talikota, a significant historical event in India that took place in 1565. The essay examines the conflict between the armies of King Aliya Rama Rao of the Vijayanagara Empire and the Deccan Sultanates. Through a detailed examination of a painting depicting the battle, the essay explores the historical context, key figures, and the reasons behind the battle. The analysis highlights the use of visual elements, such as colors, symbols, and the portrayal of soldiers and rulers, to convey the intensity and significance of the battle. The essay also discusses the role of Muslim commanders and their shift in allegiance, offering insights into the political dynamics of the time. Ultimately, the essay emphasizes the historical importance of the Battle of Talikota and its impact on the Vijayanagara kingdom, using the painting as a primary source for understanding this critical period in Indian history.

Running head: BATTLE OF TALIKOTA
Battle of Talikota
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1BATTLE OF TALIKOTA
The Battle of Talikota
The Battle of Talikota is one of the historical battles fought in the country of India
itself. The battle was fought in the year 1565 between the armies of King Aliya Rama Rao
and those of the Deccan Sultanates in the country of India itself. The painting of The Battle of
Talikota helps to depict the scene of the battle which took place in the country during that
time. It is from the painting that the audiences would get to know about the subject matter of
the painting and the battle which took place between the Vijayanagara kings and that of the
rulers of the Deccan Sultanates in the country itself.
The purpose of this essay is to make a visual analysis of The Battle of Talikota
which took place in the year 1565 in the country of India itself.
Before making a visual analysis of the painting of The Battle of Talikota in the
country of India itself, it is important for the audiences to understand what the image is trying
to tell to the readers themselves. On seeing the image of The Battle of Talikota, the audiences
can make out that the paining tells the story of a battle which is going on between the armies
of the Vijayanagara Kings with that of the Deccan Sultanates1 (Raveen, 2015). In this case, it
can be said that the picture will help the first time audiences to understand about the subject
matter of the battle which took place during that time in the history of the country itself.
The Battle of Talikota took place in the year 1565, mainly due to the refusal of King
Aliya Rama Rao to surrender his kingdom to the armies of the Deccan Sultanate who wanted
to occupy the area of Hampi and the other surrounding areas to their kingdoms. The picture
tells the audiences about the way that the Battle was taking place during that time. For e.g.
the audiences of the image are able to make out the fact that it was a fearsome battle
1 Raveen, Sahil. "The Nature of the Vijayanagar-Bahmani Relations." International Journal
of Research 54 (2015).

2BATTLE OF TALIKOTA
between the rulers of the two kingdoms 2 (Lycett et. all, 2017). The outcome of the battle
might have been on the side of the ruler of Vijayanagara, King Aliya Rama Rao. However, it
was seen by the audiences that the Muslim commanders under the Vijayanagara army turned
against King Aliya Rama Rao and joined on the sides of the Deccan Sultanates in the war
itself. All these facts are revealed to the audiences from the painting of The Battle of Talikota
itself. Therefore, it can be said that the image is of historical reference as it tells the audiences
about the reasons behind the fall of the Vijayanagara kingdom itself (Dutta, 2015). This is the
reason why the image is said to be of historical significance in the country of India itself.
Moreover, the visual analysis of the image itself will help the audience to understand the way
in which the image was created by the artists if that period, showcasing the image of the
battle which took place during that time in the country itself.
While the audiences ties to visually analyse the image and the way in which the image
is created by the artists of the times themselves, the most important thing which comes to the
light for the individuals themselves is the way in which the painting has been created by the
artists themselves. A closer look at the image proves the point that the artists of the image had
used the bright colours to portray the characters and the actions which they are performing on
the horses itself. The information about the war that is taking place in the country can be
understood by the audiences of the image through the symbols and the images of the weapons
and the armies found on both the sides of the image itself. In fact, another important point
which needs to be mentioned in this case is the life of the rulers and the ministers which are
also portrayed for the audiences in the image itself (Sharada, 2017). The audiences
themselves would be able to know about the lifestyle of the kings and the ministers and the
way they used to rule the country for themselves during that time in the country itself. The
2 Lycett, Mark T., and Kathleen D. Morrison. "The “fall” of Vijayanagara reconsidered:
political destruction and historical construction in South Indian history." Journal of the
Economic and Social History of the Orient 56, no. 3 (2013): 433-470.

3BATTLE OF TALIKOTA
words written in Urdu which the audiences are able to see for themselves at the top of the
image are also used to suggest the act that the paintings most probably were created by the
Muslim painters of the times.
The major information which can be derived by the audiences from the painting itself
is that the artists most probably have created the paintings using the water colours and in a
way that the painting can be made to look opaque (Lycett et. all, 2017). In addition to this, the
other features of the painting, which can be seen by the audiences themselves, it is clear that
the artists have painted the soldiers in detail to portray the action which is being carried out
by them in the painting itself. These details of the soldiers as well as the king and the rest of
the army would help the audience to understand better the actions that are being carried out
by the members of the army on both sides of the war. It is because of these reasons that The
Battle of Talikota is considered to be important and of historical significance in the country
itself3 (Dutta, 2018).
Therefore, from the above paragraphs, it can be concluded that The Battle of Talikota
is indeed an important painting of historical significance. This is because of the fact that the
painting and the way that painting is made helps the audience to understand the subject
matter of the battle and the reasons why the battle took place in the country of India itself.
Therefore, it can be said from this, that The Battle of Talikota is an important chapter in the
historical past of the country if India itself.
3 Dutta, Ranjeeta. "Unit-20 Southern Dimension: the Glory of Vijayanagara." IGNOU, 2018.

4BATTLE OF TALIKOTA
Reference List
Dutta, Ranjeeta. "Unit-20 Southern Dimension: the Glory of Vijayanagara." IGNOU, 2018.
Eaton, Richard M., and Philip B. Wagoner. "Warfare on the Deccan Plateau, 1450–1600: A
Military Revolution in Early Modern India?." Journal of World History 25, no. 1 (2014): 5-
50.
Lycett, Mark T., and Kathleen D. Morrison. "The “fall” of Vijayanagara reconsidered:
political destruction and historical construction in South Indian history." Journal of the
Economic and Social History of the Orient 56, no. 3 (2013): 433-470.
Raveen, Sahil. "The Nature of the Vijayanagar-Bahmani Relations." International Journal of
Research 54 (2015).
Srinivasan, Sharada, Rajarshi Sengupta, S. Padhmapriya, Praveen Johnson, Uma Kritika,
Srinivasa Ranganathan, and Pallavi Thakur. "Vijayanagara Era Narasimha Bronzes and
Sculpture: Digital Iconometry." In Digital Hampi: Preserving Indian Cultural Heritage, pp.
173-187. Springer, Singapore, 2017.