Vijayanagara Empire expansion (1470s)

Timeline

1. 1471–1475Raichur · RaichurVijayanagara forces repeatedly attacked the Raichur fortress, contesting this richest agricultural and military stronghold of the Deccan with the Bahmani Sultanate. In the back-and-forth struggle, Vijayanagara gradually gained the upper hand, weakening the southern defenses of the Islamic power to the north.
2. 1473–1478Tamil Nadu coast · Tamil NaduThe empire pushed into the Tamil regions of South India and the Malabar coast, forcing local nayaka chiefs to submit or ally with it, and controlling the spice and horse trade routes. Ports such as Cochin became important nodes of exchange between the empire and Arab and Persian merchants.
3. 1478–1480Deccan frontier · Deccan PlateauThe Bahmani Sultanate fell into civil strife after the death of Mahmud Gawan, and Vijayanagara seized the opportunity to expand its gains on the northern frontier, establishing a more favorable defensive and offensive posture along the Tadpatri line and laying the foundation for South Indian hegemony by the end of the fifteenth century.