Rakshas Tangadi was the last play written by Girish Karnad. It was translated into English by Karnad himself. The English version titled Crossing to Talikota premiered in Bengaluru on October 2, 2019 under the direction of Arjun Sajnani. Sadly, Girish Karnad died at the age of 81 on June 10, 2019, before the play could be staged.
Rakshas Tangadi or Crossing to Talikota is written based on the work done by two prominent historians: Richard M. Eaton and Krishna Kolhar Kulkarni. The Battle of Talikota took place in 1565 between the ruler and de facto ruler of the Vijayanagara Empire, Aliya Rama Raya, and the combined forces of four Deccan sultans – Ali Adil Shah of Bijapur, Ibrahim Qutb Shah of Golconda, Hussain Nizam Shah of Ahmednagar. , and Ali Barid Shah of Bidar.
title selection
The location of the battle has long been a matter of debate among historians. Talikota is generally accepted as the village near which the clash between the two armies took place. However, the twin villages of Rakkasagi and Tangadagi, referred to as Rakshasa and Tangadi in contemporary documents such as Ramarayan Bakhairu, also have a plausible claim.
Karnad said, “I am fascinated by the contradiction inherent in the combination of the Sanskrit word Rakshasa (demon) and the Urdu word Tangadi (conch) and, therefore, have used this name as the title of the Kannada version of this play.”
Non-religious perspective of the fight
Robert Sewell was the first historian who threw light on the history of Vijayanagara (Hampi) in his work “A Forgotten Empire” (1900). His depiction of the Battle of Talikota as a Religious war between Hindus and Muslims It became widely accepted during the colonial period. However, the play challenges the popular narrative and offers an alternative perspective.
Religion played a minimal role in this fight. The Krishna River separates Vijayanagara from the five Deccan Sultanates (Bijapur, Golconda, Ahmednagar, Bidar and Berar). If the Sultans had attacked Vijayanagara, the war would have taken place south of the Krishna River. However, both Rakshasa-Tangadi and Talikota are located north of the river, suggesting that the Vijayanagara army moved north to confront the Sultans. Karnad emphasizes Rama Raya’s arrogance and ambition to prove himself the rightful emperor as the major factors in his downfall.
Ram Rai’s character in the drama
Rama Raya, the uncrowned ruler of Vijayanagara, is the main character of the play. Impressed by Ram Rai’s courage and military skills, Krishnadev Rai made Ram his son-in-law. The Vijayanagara administration was under the control of Rama Raya and his two brothers, Tirumala and Venkadadri. The actual emperor sitting on the throne was Sadashiv Rai, a descendant of the Tuluvas.
Despite being the most powerful ruler in the Deccan, Rama Raya was denied the opportunity to ascend the throne of Vijayanagara because of his lower caste. The Tuluvas, who consider the Aravidu family to which Rama belongs, are inferior and believe that he is unfit to rule their kingdom. They see him only as the son-in-law of Krishnadeva Raya, who should only act as the ‘protector’ of the Tuluva region. On the other hand, the people of Vijayanagara despise Rama because of his dealings with the true king Sadashiva.’like a chained dog,
Rama Raya tries to regain royal identity by claiming descent from the Chalukya dynasty. Kalyani, the glorious capital of the Chalukyas, was not under the control of Rama Raya. Whichever Sultan controlled Kalyani, Rama Raya allied himself with him, as if he had authority over the city and the Sultan was merely a caretaker. As his power and influence continued to grow, Ram Roy, now in his eighties, became arrogant and cruel.
,I cannot leave welfare to aliens. I have to ensure its welfare. When Barid Shah started misbehaving, I snatched him away and gave him to Nizam Shah. But now that the bonds of Vijayanagara and Bijapur have been reunited I will hand it over to you Ali,
Satyabhama (Rama’s wife), pointing out Rama Raya’s advancing age, requested her brothers-in-law Tirumala and Venkadadri to lead the Vijayanagara army against the united Sultans. However, Rama found the joint attack of the Sultans an opportunity to prove his royal position as the Chalukya successor and his abilities as an emperor. Eager to lead the Vijayanagara army himself, Rama’s overconfidence led him to underestimate the strength of the Sultan’s army.
,It’s not like previous encounters – just skirmishes that we got involved in by our own choice on behalf of some walking Sultan. This time he is challenging me. I am being recognized as Vijayanagara Avatar, because the Tuluva royal family never recognized me. All my life I have been insulted by the children of Krishna Raya, his royal relatives,
Ram hates his reputation as aKrishna Rai’s son-in-law,‘Aliya Ramarya’ – Protector of Vijayanagara, but do not come close to the throne,
,Alia Ramraya is no more! ‘Ramrai, son-in-law’ is dead,
,I am no longer fighting for Vijayanagara – I am fighting for the pride of Aravidu. This Sultan is the creator of my destiny. They are making me test the glory of our dynasty,
Inform Venkatadri, Tirumala, Sultans. Inform our public. Inform our tributaries, our generals and dependencies. Now what is in front of me is Kurukshetra. A new era will emerge from this encounter. I am Partha, the supreme king of the Aravidu dynasty, which is a descendant of the Chalukyas. Let’s welcome the new era! To Chalukya glory!,
Satyabhama and Khunja Humayun
Karnad’s plays are important from a feminist perspective. On the one hand, he highlights the humiliating life of Rama Raya’s wife, Satyabhama, princess of Vijayanagara, who, despite marrying this great general, never rose to the rank of queen and lived as a queen in her father’s royal palace. She remains just a princess. She remains the wife of lower class Aliya Ram Rai.
Also, he attributes the fall of Vijayanagara to the actions of another woman, Khunza Humayun, who was the Begum of Hussain Nizam Shah. She questions Nizam Shah: “Have you thought how long you all will continue accepting alms from Ram Rai like this? Today he wants Kalyan to be handed over to Bijapur. Tomorrow he will say give it to Golconda. Then, he will say that now it is Bidar’s turn. And you’ll wait around for him – crouching and scratching – drooling? …Do any of you have the strength to say no to that savage?,
He proposed an alliance between Nizam Shah and the three other Sultans to unite them against Ram Rai by marrying his daughters Chand Bibi and Bibi Jamal to Ali Adil Shah and Ibrahim Qutb Shah respectively.
When Rama and his brothers heard the news of the marriage contract, they laughed and made sarcastic comments. Neither Ali, nor Hussain, nor Ibrahim invited them to weddings.
unity of sultans
Hussain Nizam Shah: “There have always been differences of opinion among the four of us regarding our areas. But ever since Ramarai came on the scene, he has turned it into an endless game, pitting us against each other. The world is laughing at us. Unless we come together, we will continue to be made monkeys by him,
Ali Barid Shah: “Ramrai has been deliberately humiliating me in various ways and I have tolerated him. But Jahangir Khan was my man. An impeccable officer who faithfully followed my orders. Ramarai had no reason to kill him….He gives shelter to every aspiring traitor in his court. Many people who planned to kill me tomorrow will be sharpening their daggers today,
Ali Adil Shah: “When he (Ram Rai) was returning home after sending me the keys of Kalyan, he deliberately captured the forts of Udgir and Bagalkot. When I asked for clarification, he did not even meet my messenger. And then he put me beyond my endurance by warning me not to accept the hand of Princess Chand Bibi. ‘Remember, by marrying my enemy’s daughter you will become my enemy.’ The intention was clear. ‘From now on I will be in charge of your personal life also.’ I will not accept that.,
Ibrahim Qutb Shah: “Six months ago, his men entered my area without informing me. And then created uproar in Koilkonda and Guntur. The mosques were defiled there. Many of my villages were vandalized. Why? This has never happened before in Deccan,
end of ramarai
Rama Raya sits on a palanquin and encourages his soldiers to fight for the glory of the Aravidu dynasty.
The play ends when General Rumi Khan of Ahmednagar, on the orders of Hussain Nizam Shah, captures Ram Rai and beheads him. On his signal, Rumi Khan brings a spear and impales Ram Rai’s head on it. ,Take it to Kashi to wash off your sins! And here is my dowry for you, Adil Shah. Deccan! The entire Deccan!,
The final scene shows the crucified head of Ram Rai in front of Adil Shah, who sits in grief. (Ali Adil Shah considered Ram Rai as his father.) The screams and shouts of the soldiers continue to grow louder until the noise becomes deafening and continuous with the sound track of the scene. The flow of celebrating soldiers hides both the severed head and Adil Shah. The stage goes dark, the noise subsides until there is complete silence.
notes
Tirumalamba, wife of Aliya Rama Raya, was the eldest daughter of Emperor Krishnadeva Raya. Also known as Mohanaangi, she wrote a Telugu poem titled Marichi Parinayamu.
The marital alliances immediately before the battle were as follows: Ali Adil Shah married Hussain’s daughter Chand Bibi from Sholapur as dowry, while Ali’s sister Hadiya Sultana was married to Hussain’s son Murtaza.
According to Rafiuddin Shirazi’s Tazkiratul Muluk, the head of Ram Rai was sent to Imad Shah of Berar because he did not join the union of the Sultanate.
Throughout the history of the Vijayanagara Empire, three incidents of usurpation occurred. First, Saluva Narasimha, the founder of the Saluva dynasty, overthrew the last Sangam ruler, Virupaksha II, and usurped the throne himself. Secondly, Veera Narasimha, the founder of the Tuluva dynasty, deposed the last Saluva ruler and himself ascended the throne.
It was Tirumala, brother of Rama Raya, who had the privilege of ascending the throne of Vijayanagara! After the death of Sadasiva Raya in 1570, Tirumala ruled Penukonda and founded the Aravidu dynasty. This can be considered the third occupation as historians agree that the last Tuluva ruler Sadasiva was murdered by Tirumala’s son.
Reference
Girish Karand’s Crossing to Talikota: Exploring the Past Before He Says Goodbye, Prof. By RT Bedre and Dr. MD Sasane
Crossing Talikota by Girish Karnad
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