Surapura Nayaka Kingdom of Karnataka, India (c. 1656 CE - 1858 CE)

Surapura Nayaka Kingdom The Kingdom of Surapura Nayakas was an outcome after the fall of Vijayanagara Empire. They came into the existence d...

Surapura Nayaka Kingdom

The Kingdom of Surapura Nayakas was an outcome after the fall of Vijayanagara Empire. They came into the existence during post-medieval period, mid 17th century CE, who were originally an important ruling vassal (sa: माण्डलिक / kn: ಮಂಡಲೀಕ) clan during the reign of the famous Vijayanagara empire. They handled the plains of the northern region of today's Karnataka, widely called as Kalyana Karnataka.

Surapura Nayakas originally belonged to the warriors tribe, famously known for their indigenous warfare skillsets that were inherited from their tribal culture of hunters which was similar to that of ambushing their prey during hunting spree. They were one of the most feared warriors as they used the most unorthodoxical methods of warfare which was unknown to other contemporary military skillsets & strategies, similar to that of what we today know as Guerilla warfare.

The founding of Surapura Kingdom in 1656 perhaps came more due to a necessity than as an opportunity following to the downfall of Vijayanagara empire in 1565. After the empire of Vijayanagara fell, few of the feudalistic kingdoms became a feudal states for the Bahmanis or went on to progress as independent rulers.

Surapura nayakas perhaps initially surrendered to the new empire, with whom they felt out of place, and might have fallen out later and establish their own independent kingdom in the mid 17th century. The initial rulers would have faced many hardships from the mighty forces of the mughal empire that regularly showered havoc during clashes. However, the strategies that the Surapura nayakas were so unique that the charging enemy almost always suffered setbacks and the clan grew from mere chieftains to kings in the later years.