Question

In which battle did Achutappa Nayak help the king of Vijayanagara?
A) Talikota
B) Kalinga
C) Panipat
D) Plassey

Answer 1

Hint: This battle was fought on 23rd January 1565. It took place on the banks of river Krishna. The Vijayanagara Empire had to face defeat in this battle. Aliya Rama Raya ended up being beheaded at the end of the war, as capital punishment.

Complete answer:
Achutappa Nayak was a king of the Thanjavur Nayak dynasty who reigned from 1560 to 1614. He is known to have had powerful relations with the Vijayanagara kings.

Option A) Talikota - In this battle, the Ahmednagar Sultanate, the Bijapur Sultanate and the Bidar Sultanate formed an alliance to fight against the Vijayanagara Empire. The commanders and leaders of the Vijayanagara army included people like Aliya Rama Raya, Venkatadri (who was killed in action), Tirumala Deva Raya and Achutappa Nayak. Thus, this is the correct option.

Option B) Kalinga - This was a battle between King Ashoka of the Mauryan Empire and the state of Kalinga. It took place in 261 B.C. Achutappa Nayak ruled from 1560 to 1614 in the common era. Thus, this option is incorrect.

Option C) Panipat - Panipat was the site of three different wars over a span of 35 years. The first war of Panipat (1526) took place between Babur and Afghans under Ibrahim Lodi. The second war was fought between King Hemu and King Akbar around 1556. The third battle was fought between the Marathas and the Durrani Empire. Achutappa Nayak was not a part of either of the three wars. Therefore, this is the wrong option.

Option D) Plassey - This battle took place on 23rd June 1757 and was fought between the English East India Company and the Nawab of Bengal. Achutappa Nayak is assumed to have died around the year 1617, i.e. more than a century before the Battle of Plassey. Therefore, this is the wrong option.

Thus, the correct answer is Option (A) Talikota.

Note: The Vijayanagara Empire had an upper hand at the war until two of their generals switched sides and turned against the Vijayanagara Empire itself. With the defeat of the Vijayanagara Empire, the polity of the Deccan region collapsed.