Sriranga III

| religion = [[Hinduism]]

| religion = [[Hinduism]]

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{{Vijayanagara empire}}

{{Vijayanagara empire}}'''Sriranga III''' (died 1678/1681) was the last ruler of the [[Vijayanagara Empire]], who came to power in 1642 following the death of his uncle [[Venkata III]]. He was also a great grandson of [[Aliya Rama Raya]].

'''Sriranga III''' (died 1678/1681) was the last ruler of the [[Vijayanagara Empire]], who came to power in 1642 following the death of his uncle [[Venkata III]]. He was also a great grandson of [[Aliya Rama Raya]].

==Early rebellions==

== Early rebellions ==

Before his accession to the throne, Sriranga III was in rebellion against his uncle Venkata III{{Citation needed|date=August 2010}}. He sought help from the [[Bijapur Sultanate|Bijapur Sultan]] and attacked Venkata III in [[Chandragiri]] – [[Vellore]] in 1638{{Citation needed|date=August 2010}}. Another invasion of these two in 1642 was defeated by Venkata III’s army, who were also facing [[Qutb Shahi dynasty|Golkonda]] armies near [[Madras]].{{Citation needed|date=August 2010}} Under these troublesome circumstances Venkata III died, and Sriranga III who was with the Bijapur army deserted them and returned to Vellore and made himself the King of Vijayanagara.{{Citation needed|date=August 2010}} Sriranga III brought the English East India Company into South India.{{cite book |title=C. Rajagopalachari, Gandhi's southern commander |first=Antony R. H. |last=Copley |publisher=Indo-British Historical Society |year=1986 |page=4 |quote=It was a Pretender of Vijayanagara, Sri Ranga Raya III (also known as the Raja of Chandragiri and Nayaka of Vellore) who had brought the English Company into South India and had given it title to its first petty principality. It was the Baniyas (Balijas, Chettiars, Komartis, &c) and Brahmans of Tirupati who had provided the Company with the coins from the mints of Sri Venkateswara at Tirupati.}}

Before his accession to the throne, Sriranga III was in rebellion against his uncle Venkata III{{Citation needed|date=August 2010}}. He sought help from the [[Bijapur Sultanate|Bijapur Sultan]] and attacked Venkata III in [[Chandragiri]] – [[Vellore]] in 1638{{Citation needed|date=August 2010}}. Another invasion of these two in 1642 was defeated by Venkata III’s army, who were also facing [[Qutb Shahi dynasty|Golkonda]] armies near [[Madras]].{{Citation needed|date=August 2010}} Under these troublesome circumstances Venkata III died, and Sriranga III who was with the Bijapur army deserted them and returned to Vellore and made himself the King of Vijayanagara.{{Citation needed|date=August 2010}} Sriranga III brought the English East India Company into South India.{{cite book |title=C. Rajagopalachari, Gandhi's southern commander |first=Antony R. H. |last=Copley |publisher=Indo-British Historical Society |year=1986 |page=4 |quote=It was a Pretender of Vijayanagara, Sri Ranga Raya III (also known as the Raja of Chandragiri and Nayaka of Vellore) who had brought the English Company into South India and had given it title to its first petty principality. It was the Baniyas (Balijas, Chettiars, Komartis, &c) and Brahmans of Tirupati who had provided the Company with the coins from the mints of Sri Venkateswara at Tirupati.}}

==Downfall==

== Downfall ==

Many of his nobles like the Nayaka of [[Gingee]] and [[Damarla Venkatadri Nayaka]], the chieftain of Madras, had a dislike for him for his mischief in rebelling against the former King.{{Citation needed|date=August 2010}} He granted site of Fort St. George (Madras) to British agents of East India Company in 1640s at Raja Mahal of [[Chandragiri]] fort, present day [[Tirupati revenue division|Tirupathi]].{{cite web |last1=asi |title=Raja & Rani Mahal, Chandragiri Fort |url=http://asi.nic.in/raja-rani-mahal-chandragiri-fort/ |website=Archeological Survey of India |publisher=Archeological Survey of India |accessdate=5 December 2019}} Squabbles among the Sultans of [[Bijapur Sultan|Bijapur]] and Golkonda helped Sriranga III for a while.{{Citation needed|date=August 2010}} Sriranga III required the consent of his nayakas to be crowned, but struggled to obtain it. In 1645, after attempting to kill Sriranga III with witchcraft, the nayaka of [[Madurai]], Tirumala, together with the nayakas of [[Tanjavur]] and [[Gingee]] formed a league against Sriranga III.{{Cite book |last=Eaton |first=Richard |chapter=The Deccan and the South, 1400-1650 |title=India in the Persianate Age, 1000-1765 |publisher=Penguin Books |year=2019 |page=182}} In response, Sriranga III sent his army against Ginjee. Tirumala urged Golkonda to invade while Sriranga III was focused on Ginjee. When the nayaka of Tanjavur allied himself with Golkonda, Tirumala, worried that the alliance would turn against him, asked [[Bijapur]] to send help, but the strategy backfired. Bijapur and Golkonda came to an agreement to divide the conquests between them, and by 1648, Bijapur had conquered Ginjee, Tanjavur, and Madurai.{{Cite book |last=Eaton |first=Richard |chapter=The Deccan and the South, 1400-1650 |title=India in the Persianate Age, 1000-1765 |publisher=Penguin Books |year=2019 |page=183}} Sriranga III was left without a kingdom. He lived as a guest of Tirumala in Madurai until 1647, when he moved to Tanjavur. In 1648, after the nayaka of Tanjavur gradually decreased the king's allowance, he moved to [[Kannadigas|Kannaiga]] territory.

Many of his nobles like the Nayaka of [[Gingee]] and [[Damarla Venkatadri Nayaka]], the chieftain of Madras, had a dislike for him for his mischief in rebelling against the former King.{{Citation needed|date=August 2010}} He granted site of Fort St. George (Madras) to British agents of East India Company in 1640s at Raja Mahal of [[Chandragiri]] fort, present day [[Tirupati revenue division|Tirupathi]].{{cite web |last1=asi |title=Raja & Rani Mahal, Chandragiri Fort |url=http://asi.nic.in/raja-rani-mahal-chandragiri-fort/ |website=Archeological Survey of India |publisher=Archeological Survey of India |accessdate=5 December 2019}} Squabbles among the Sultans of [[Bijapur Sultan|Bijapur]] and Golkonda helped Sriranga III for a while.{{Citation needed|date=August 2010}} Sriranga III required the consent of his nayakas to be crowned, but struggled to obtain it. In 1645, after attempting to kill Sriranga III with witchcraft, the nayaka of [[Madurai]], [[Tirumala Nayaka|Tirumala]], together with the nayakas of [[Tanjavur]] and [[Gingee]] formed a league against Sriranga III.{{Cite book |last=Eaton |first=Richard |chapter=The Deccan and the South, 1400-1650 |title=India in the Persianate Age, 1000-1765 |publisher=Penguin Books |year=2019 |page=182}} In response, Sriranga III sent his army against Ginjee. Tirumala urged Golkonda to invade while Sriranga III was focused on Ginjee. When the nayaka of Tanjavur allied himself with Golkonda, Tirumala, worried that the alliance would turn against him, asked [[Bijapur]] to send help, but the strategy backfired. Bijapur and Golkonda came to an agreement to divide the conquests between them, and by 1648, Bijapur had conquered Ginjee, Tanjavur, and Madurai.{{Cite book |last=Eaton |first=Richard |chapter=The Deccan and the South, 1400-1650 |title=India in the Persianate Age, 1000-1765 |publisher=Penguin Books |year=2019 |page=183}} Sriranga III was left without a kingdom. He lived as a guest of Tirumala in Madurai until 1647, when he moved to Tanjavur. In 1648, after the nayaka of Tanjavur gradually decreased the king's allowance, he moved to [[Kannadigas|Kannaiga]] territory.

==Battle of Virinchipuram==

==Battle of Virinchipuram==