Medieval Goa

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Medieval Goa witnessed intense conflicts for the supremacy over this prosperous and strategically important land by different rulers at different times, belonging to the Kadamba-Chalukyas, Delhi Sultanate, Vijaynagar, Bahamani and Bijapur. Goa continuously kept on changing hands from one ruler to another until the Portuguese takeover in 1510 AD.

The Kadamba Chalukyas
When the Yadava King of Devgiri, Ramchandra (1271-1310 AD) was humbled by the Khilji Sultan, Alla-ud-din in 1294 AD, the fight for Konkan flared up between the Hoysala Vir Ballal III and the Kadamba Kavadeva. Kavadeva defeated Vir Ballal in February 1301 AD with the help of Vetuji and Someshwara Chalukya at Sangameshvara. Between 1303 and 1305 AD the Yadavas and the Hoysalas resumed their hostility, but the former had to back off because of advances of Alla-ud-din. Malik Kafur, the general of Alla-ud-din defeated Ballal III (1290-1310) and plundered his capital Dvarsamudra. During all these years, Kavadeva enjoyed authority over Goa region.

The Delhi Sultanate
In his 4th invasion of the Deccan in 1312, Malik Kafur might have destroyed the Kadamba capital Gopakapattana. In 1318, the capital was shifted to the fortified, interior city of Chandrapura. However, it too perished at the hands of the Delhi Sultan Muhammad bin Tughlak (1325-1351 AD). He appointed Harihara I as his governor for southern territories including Goa. It is possible that the Goa Kadambas might have regained their lost Kingdom during 1327-1336 AD. According to a copperplate grant, King Bhimabhupal, possibly a chieftain under the Kadambas, was ruling over Konkan from Govapuri in 1351 AD.

The Vijaynagar Kingdom
After the departure of Muhammad bin Tughlak from the Deccan, Harihara declared independence. He and his brother Bukka I under the guidance of famous Hindu saint and the head of Sringeri Math, Vidyaranyasvami, who is also identified with the distinguished jurist Madhav Mantri, established the mighty Hindu Kingdom of Vijaynagar (the City of Victory) in 1336 AD. Vijaynagar illuminated the landscape of Deccan History for 229 years (1336-1565 AD). By 1347 AD, Malerajya and Palasige of the Goa Kadambas were incorporated into the Vijaynagar Empire. Goa formed a strategically and commercially important province on the western border of the Vijaynagar Empire.

The Bahamani Kingdom
Meanwhile, to effectively control the Deccan territories, Muhammad bin Tughlak thrice tried to shift his capital from Delhi to Devgiri or Daulatabad, which was at the centre of his vast empire, but failed. He faced revolt from his own Deccan representatives. In 1347 AD, Alla-ud-din Hasan Gangu declared independence and established his capital at Gulburga. He founded the Bahamani Kingdom, which ruled the Deccan from 1347-1489 AD.

In 1357 AD, Alla-ud-din Bahamani divided his Kingdom among his four governors. The Belgaum part including Palasige of Goa was placed under the charge of Malik Seif-ud-din Ghuri.

The Vijaynagar and Bahamani Kings engaged themselves in constant rivalry and fought numerous battles throughout their history. In 1365 AD, Muhammad Shah Bahamani invaded the Vijaynagar Kingdom and persecuted the Hindus. To prevent defilement of the family deity of the Kadambas, the image of Saptakoteshwar was removed from Naroa village of Divar in the Tiswadi taluka and was burried in a rice field until its restoration by Madhav Mantri.

From 1367-1377 AD, however, peace prevailed between these two Kingdoms. But after the death of Sultan Mujahid in 1378 AD, chaos broke out and Madhav took this opportunity to consolidate the Vijaynagar influence in Konkan. By April 1380 AD, he annexed the Konkan capital Goa, and the Kadamba capital Chandor by subduing the Kadamba King Kamadeva. Konkan was under the Bahamani influence since 1356 AD.

Madhav made Govapuri the capital of Aragagutti region. For about half-a-century, he brilliantly dominated Vijaynagar and South Konkan. He was succeeded by Narahari in April 1391 AD as the Viceroy of Goa. Baichanna Vodeyar succeeded him in 1395 AD He captured the Bahamani fortress of Rangini and further consolidated and expanded the Vijaynagar influence in Konkan. The Kingdom stretched upto Sangmeshvar in the Konkan till the fall of Sangmeshvar at the hands of Mahmud Gawan in 1472 AD Baichanna continued in the Vice-royalty of Goa till 1406 AD.

The later Viceroys included Savanna, Nanjana Gosawmi, Triyambakadev (c. 1415 AD), Virupadandanayaka (c.1417 AD), Hampeya Raya (1431-1442 AD), Irugappa Vodeyar (1442-1445 AD), Mallarasa (1445-1448 AD) and Baichanna Vodeyar, son of Triyambaka. Baichanna was probably the last Viceroy of Goa-Konkan, ruling before 1454 AD.

According to the Portuguese records, Goa had already freed itself from the Vijaynagar influence before 1450 AD, while the Muslim historians claimed it to be a part of the Vijaynagar empire till 1472 AD.

Since 1445 AD, local chiefs or Naiks (Nayaks) ruled Goa, a border district of Vijaynagar empire. The Chalukyas ruled Sangmeshvar, Sardesais Kharepatan and two Maratha brothers, Kanoji and Appaji, the thanadari lands of Bankapur. Probably Goa was under the rule of Bankapur till 1472 AD when the Bahamanis captured Goa.

Mahmud Gawan made Khush Kaddam the Governor of Goa, who was followed by Najm-ud-din Gilani and his son Bahadur Gilani. The attempt of Vijaynagar to retake Goa, however, failed with the capture of the fort of Belgaum by Gawan in 1472 AD. Another attempt by the Vijaynagar King Narasingh also failed in 1481 AD.

The Bijapur Kingdom
However, cracks appeared in the mighty Bahamani Kingdom. Malik Ahmed, the governor of Daulatabad and Junnar revolted and established the Nizam Shahi dynasty of Ahmednagar. In 1489 AD, Yusuf Adil Khan founded the Adil Shahi dynasty of Bijapur and in 1490 AD, Bahadur Gilani of Konkan established his capital at Sankeshvar. The latter however was defeated and killed in 1493 AD.

After the partition of the Bahmani Kingdom, Goa went into the hands of the Adil Shahi rulers of Bijapur The local chief Sabaji, the uncle of Kanoji and Appaji of Bankapur, ruled Goa during the last quarter of the 15th century AD, as representative of the Bahmanis and Bijapur. While his brother Timoja served as the naval chief of the Vijaynagar Empire.