Utkarsh Rai

Rama Raya was the king of great Vijayanagara empire in 1565. The Hindu Vijyanagara empire had multiple Muslim sultanates in the neighbourhood. They were Ahmednagar, Bidar, Berar, Bijapur and Golconda. Rama Raya had started taking keen interest in them, which sometimes amounted to interference. Initially, Rama Raya gained some mileage, but later all sultanates resented this interference and decided to forge a grand alliance against Rama Raya, seeing him as their common enemy. Inter-family marriages also helped them in forging this alliance. Finally, the two armies met at Talikota on the bank of Krishna river.

Lesson: One should tackle one major issue or enemy at a time rather than spread out the resources thinly to tackle multiple issues all at once. One could open multiple frontiers provided one is assured of victory; otherwise, the divide-and-rule strategy should be utilized to isolate the enemies. Similarly mergers and acquisitions of smaller competitors could pose greater threat and one needs to explore various options like preemptive acquisition, alternative markets, different product positioning or differentiated offering.

The battle was fought fiercely with heavy casualties on both sides. The sultanates’ army took an upper hand and won the battle. The ruins of Hampi are a testimony to the plunder and pillage which followed after that, bringing an end of the glorious chapter of the great Hindu empire of South India.

Historians attribute Rama Raya’s defeat to multiple factors. Sultanates had young commanders whereas the commander of Viayanagar army, Rama Raya, was old. There are some advantages for the king to lead from the front, but he could have evaluated other alternatives. Did he study the enemy’s army formation well? Did he evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the enemy and compare it with his own? Did he try to break the grand alliance by giving concession to a few sultanates?

Lesson: The experience should be used in better planning based on the available resources and introspect the weak areas so that it could be covered well. The leader should put right people on the right job so that he himself can look into the bigger picture and take corrective action based on developments in the field. The leader has to groom his staff so that he can confidently delegate the next level of detail to his subordinates. The leader should avoid getting into deeper tactical details as this can distract him from focusing on the strategic goal.

The other reason of defeat was the use of fast-moving horses by sultanates vis-à-vis slow elephants of the Vijayanagara army; and better gunners from Turkestan that were used by the sultanates in breaking the first line of defence of the Vijayanagara army. Bows, arrows and javelin of Deccan Sultanates were far superior to those of Vijayanagara’s. One wonders why Rama Raya did not acquire these latest weapons.

Lesson: Use of superior technology can be a decisive advantage. It helps in making better competitive products and winning the market. Technology can also make company’s internal processes better. Organizations should promote a culture to encourage innovation, so that they can have competitive edge against the competitors.

Historians also attribute the main cause of the defeat to the fleeing of Gilani brothers, with their fleet of thousands of soliders at a crucial juncture. They were the main commanders and joined Rama Raya after defecting from the Adil Shahi kingdom some time ago. The actual reason of their exit is not known. It could be that they were poached by Deccan Sultanates; they might have sensed Rama Raya’s defeat and escaped; there could be internal differences in the Vijayanagara army.

Lesson: The core team should be retained. If there is any difference in opinion, it should be sorted out amicably. If the issue is of improper reward and recognition and the request is significant, then it should be discussed to arrive at the common understanding but the realization should be linked with the outcome of project. This will help tying the reward with the result and to ensure that people stick till the project completion to realize the benefit.

After the battle, Deccan Sultanates could not remain united. They weakened as they started fighting among themselves and were later taken over by the Mughals.

Lesson: Any partnership plan should be formed to cover short term and long term goals. It should be strategic rather than tactical. The rule of engagement should be discussed and a roadmap should be formed not only for achieving the common immediate goal, but for long term success. One can part ways after the goal is achieved, but the separation clause has to be clearly thought through and defined as part of the contract.

The smaller Vijayanagara empire under Tirumala Deva Raya tried to stage a comeback with its capital at Penukonda. He tried his best to regain the past glory, but could not succeed in keeping his folks together. The reason was attributed to Rama Raya’s distribution of important positions to family members rather than loyals and capable officers. This led to family feuds and rebellion, unsettling the state from within. Finally the empire disintegrated into small multiple states.

Lesson: Leader’s mistake in rewarding sycophants or family members over deserving competent members could have far-reaching adverse impact on the company. This might create warring tribes inside the company and could be the cause of its downfall.