Zenith of the Vijayanagara Empire

Timeline

1. 1512–1514Udayagiri · Andhra PradeshAfter suppressing the Umaturlu rebellion, Krishnadevaraya turned his forces east against the Gajapati kingdom of Odisha. Vijayanagara forces besieged the Udayagiri fortress for over a year, and the garrison collapsed from lack of supplies. The king traveled to Tirupati with his family to fulfill a vow; the eastern victory laid the groundwork for the further capture of Kondaveedu in 1515.
2. 1515Kondaveedu · Andhra PradeshAfter besieging Kondaveedu for months, Vijayanagara forces were forced to withdraw by the intense heat; the senior minister Timmarasu discovered the fortress's east gate was weakly defended and organized a night assault to break in. Prince Vira Bhattaraka Gajapati was captured, and the Kondapalli fortress soon fell as well, giving Vijayanagara control of the Krishna River delta and the whole of Kondapalli Nadu.
3. 1515–1529Hampi · KarnatakaIn 1515 Krishnadevaraya built the Krishna temple at Hampi, enshrining the Bala Krishna image captured from Udayagiri to commemorate the eastern victory. Under his rule the empire became the strongest power on the Indian subcontinent, defeating the sultans of Bijapur, Golconda, and Bahmani; scholars gathered at court from all directions, Telugu literature flourished, and trade and diplomacy reached their peak, earning later ages the name 'golden age of Vijayanagara.'