Veera Ballala III

Veera Ballala III (r. 1292–1342) was the last great king of the Hoysala Empire. During his rule, the northern and southern branches of the Hoysala empire (which included much of modern Karnataka and northern Tamil Nadu) were consolidated and administered from Halebidu (also known as Dwarasamudra). During his rule, he fought numerous wars with the Yadavas of Devagiri, the Pandyan Dynasty of Madurai and other minor dynasties of South India.

Quotes

• In 1311 ce, Malik Kafur again set out for the south, this time against the Hoysala ruler, Vira Ballala III (1291-1342 ck) of Dwarasamudra, and the Pandya kingdom in the far south. .... Vira Ballala rushed back, but the vicious nature of the invasion forced him to propose a settlement. Malik Kafur was reported to have responded,
  ... he was sent with the object of converting him to Muhammadanism, or of making him zimmi (one who could enjoy the same political privileges as the Muhammadans on payment of jiziya) and subject to pay tax, or of slaying him, if neither of these terms were assented to.
  • (Aiyangar 1971: 98), quoted in Jain, M. (2019). Flight of deities and rebirth of temples: Episodes from Indian history.245

• Around that time, the Hoysala ruler Vira Ballala Il, then about eighty years-old, defeated the Muslims near Kobban and forced them to retreat to Madurai. Eventually, Ghiyasud- din Damaghani made a surprise attack on Vira Ballala, took him prisoner and put him to a cruel death in 1342 ce. Ibn Battuta wrote, His skin was then filled with straw and hung up on the wall of Madura where I saw it suspended .
  • (Ibn Battuta 1953: 229) quoted in Jain, M. (2019). Flight of deities and rebirth of temples: Episodes from Indian history.245 ff

• [Nasir-ud-din] then took him a prisoner to his uncle who treated him with apparent consideration and promised to release him. But when he had extorted from him his wealth, elephants and horses and all his property, he had him killed and flayed; his skin was stuffed with straw and hung up on the wall of Moutrah [Madurai] where I saw it suspended.
  • Ibn Batuta in: P 239, SOUTH INDIA & HER MUHAMMADAN INVADERS, S. KRISHNASWAMY AIYANGAR, quoted from The Madurai Sultanate_ A Concise History - Sandeep Balakrishna

• At Kannanur, Vira Ballala’s massive force quickly subdued Dhamaghani’s army. Dhamaghani’s generals quickly realized that they faced certain defeat and sued for peace. In return, Vira Ballala III demanded the city of Madurai. In the heady knowledge of certain victory, he extended a courtesy—he gave the enemy a fortnight’s time to return to Madurai, report his demand to the Dhamaghani, and obtain his permission to surrender Madurai. Back in Madurai, Vira Ballala’s demands to secure Dhamaghani’s surrender was read out in public in the mosque at prayer time. Dhamaghani realized that surrendering Madurai meant his own destruction. He resolved to fight to the finish despite knowing that he was heavily outnumbered. However, he communicated nothing to Vira Ballala and kept him waiting. Even as Vira Ballala III was lulled by this silence, Dhamaghani went with his troops in stealth, and fell upon Vira Ballala’s camp at the “siesta hour,” according to Ibn Batuta. The Hoysala king, awaiting word from Dhamaghani had let his guard down.
  • The Madurai Sultanate_ A Concise History - Sandeep Balakrishna

• This brings us to yet another failing: the self-destructive nature of the statecraft these Hindu rulers practiced. Vira Ballala III for instance, offered a fortnight for the checkmated army of Ghiyath-ud-din, which only resulted in his own terrible death at the hands of an enemy he had already overwhelmed. Two possibilities occur: a foolish overconfidence in what he thought was his certain victory, or a misplaced sense of generosity to a badly-cornered enemy.
  • The Madurai Sultanate_ A Concise History - Sandeep Balakrishna