As we all know one of the most significant dynasties of Karnataka that was prior to the Wodeyars dynasty is the illustrious Vijayanagara dynasty. But during its end, at the battle of Talikota, Aliya Ramaraya from the Vijayanagara empire was thoroughly defeated by the Deccan Sultanates that led to the collapse of Vijayanagar empire. This created a huge vacuum for other rulers to become independent and claim their supremacy. One of the most important dynasties that emerged from this vacuum is the Nayaka dynasties. The nayakas were originally military governors under the Vijaynagara empire. But when it collapsed, they sprung up and became important contenders to be the next big dynasty. The nayak dynasty was divided into many divisions, but some of the main nayaka dynasties are the Madurai Nayakas, Nayakas of Gingee, Nayakas of Tanjore, Nayakas of Keladi from the shimogga district.
Apart from the nayakas, the other dynasties that were eyeing for the supremacy over southern India were the Wodeyars of Mysore, The empires of Bijapur and Golconda, and the Marathas under the rule of Shivaji and his brothers Ekoji and Shantaji.
India at that time was going through a period of high political instability. The nayakas were fighting amongst themselves, The empires of Bijapur and Golconda were struggling for their survival against the onslaught of the Mughal emperor Aurangazeb. Amidst all of this, the Deccan or South India was an open playing-field for any of the dynasties present at that time.
The political climate in the Deccan was so volatile that each passing day brought new equations, new rulers and new Supremes. But the two major forces that came face to face with each other, making us ignore other dynasties, and were vying for the same throne of supremacy were the Wodeyars of Mysore, headed by Chikka Devaraja Wodeyar and the multiple rulers of the Marathas. Mainly Shivaji and his brothers Ekoji and Shantaji. There was a direct contest between the two to win over the Southern India.
Chikka Devaraja Wodeyar was a visionary, and an ambitious ruler. On his part, he was consolidating and also expanding the boundaries of mysore. Just after two years of his coronation as a King, he managed to keep many rulers at a distance from the Mysorean territories and conquered vast tracts of land in the Carnatic – Bijapur Balaghat region.
Shivaji after his coronation as a King, he went on a military tour to expand his territory. He swept the Carnatic in 1677. On his way to the south, Shivaji reached the gates of Srirangapatna, and defeated the wodeyars and conquered the territories of Bangalore, Doddaballapur and Hosakote.
Shocked by the violent surprise attack of Shivaji, Chikkadevaraja wanted to swing into action. A series of attacks and conquests followed. To assert himself as the ruler supreme, Chikkadevaraja set out on an expedition: in 1678, he captured Andur, erode, chikkatotlagere, korategere, Magadi, Maddagiri, Kudur and Hosur from the Nayaks of Madurai.
At Hosur, he met the maratha forces headed by Ekoji uder his prime minister, Yeshwant Rao. Yeshwant was dealt with a crushing blow and in characteristic mysorean style lost his nose as well. Many more conquests continued thereafter, including acquiring Sira, which was until then the ancenstral property of Shivaji.
After these many acquisitons and successes, Chikkadevaraja, earned the title as “the emperor of South and the Karnataka Country.” Or the “Sultan of Hindu Kings.”
Luckily, for Chikkadevaraja, the valiant warrior Shivaji also breathed his last. However, that did not stop the marathas from attacking the Mysorean territories to restore their honour. One such attack by the marathas was done on sriranangapatna at 1682. When the army at srirangapatna was deployed to attack a territory elsewhere, the maratha rulers took note of the situations and tried to attack srirangapatna.
Chikkadevaraja being a shrewd ruler understood the strategy behind the attack of the marathas, made a master counter attack them in a way that they had not expected.
When the maratha rulers were sleeping in Kalasagere and kotthathi regions, chikkadevaraja sent a small portion of his army along with 3 thousand of cattle that were let loose from the shed with torch lamps tied to their horns in the middle of the night.
The maratha generals were woken by this sea of lights that were approaching towards them and they were caught off-guard by this sudden attack. The generals were killed, the maratha forces were completely routed and a huge sum of money, military equipment was confiscated from them. This made Chikkadevaraja Wodeyar as one of the most powerful kings of his times also earning him the title “Karnataka Chakravarthi”
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