Siege of Penugonda

Siege of Penugonda
Part of Vijayanagara–Qutb Shahi conflicts
Date 1605–1606 Location Penugonda,Andhra Pradesh, India Result Vijayanagara victory
Belligerents
Vijayanagara Empire	Golconda Sultanate
Commanders and leaders
Venkata Jagadeva Row Raghunatha Nayak	Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah Mīyūja Khan Nūrī Khan Citta Khan (POW) Saujata Khan †
Strength
Unknown	Unknown
Casualties and losses
Unknown	Heavy; several commanders killed or captured

The Siege of Penugonda was a major military engagement between the Vijayanagara Empire under Emperor Venkata II and the Qutb Shahi Sultanate of Golkonda, fought around 1605–1606. The conflict ended in a decisive Vijayanagara victory, forcing Sultan Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah to abandon the siege and retreat, with heavy losses to his forces.^[1]

In the late 16th and early 17th centuries, the Vijayanagara Empire and the Qutb Shahi Sultanate were engaged in a series of conflicts over control of strategic forts and territories in present-day Andhra Pradesh. Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah sought to expand his influence southwards and captured several key positions. In response, Venkata II mobilised his forces to resist the Golkonda advance.

The Qutb Shahi forces under Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah laid siege to the fortified city of Penugonda. Vijayanagara's defence was led by Jagadeva Row, supported by reinforcements from the Tanjore Nayaks under the young prince Raghunatha. According to inscriptions and literary sources such as the Raghunathabhyudayam, the combined Vijayanagara and Tanjore forces inflicted a decisive defeat on the besiegers.

Jagadeva Row launched a sortie from the fort, defeating the troops of Mīyūja Khan and Nūrī Khan, capturing Citta Khan, and killing Saujāta Khan in battle. The Qutb Shahi army was scattered, and their siege operations collapsed.^[2]

Following the defeat, Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah retreated towards his frontier, leaving garrisons in recently conquered territories such as Gandikota, Nandyala, and Musalimadugu. However, subsequent Vijayanagara operations against these positions led to further losses for Golkonda. The failure at Penugonda significantly damaged the Sultan’s prestige and marked a turning point in the war.

• Sastri, K. A. Nilakanta (1946). Further Sources of Vijayanagara History. University of Madras. p. 332. Archived version

• Heras, Rev. Henry (1927). The Aravidu Dynasty of Vijayanagara. B. G. Paul & Co., Madras. pp. 327–328. Archived version