War of the Five Kings (Principia Moderni IV Map Game)

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War of the Five Kings (پانچ کنگز کی جنگ) (ఫైవ్ కింగ్స్ యుద్ధం) The Dravidian navy blockading Kollam's harbour by Qasim Riaz Date: September 8, 1796 - November 19, 1804 Location: South India Result: Decisive House Agran (Hyderabad) Victory Extinction of House Bhanj Extinction of House Shinde Extinction of the Tanjore and Gulburga branches of House Agran House Bhonsle stripped of titles and lands Houses Gaikwad and Jadhav elevated as the Great Houses of Maharashtra Maharajya of Tamilakam briefly revived by Chhatrapati Ranoji Rao and his successors, later defeated Maharajya of Maharashtra briefly revived by Chhatrapati Sambhaji Rao and his successor, later defeated Shiraz Shah lays claim to the Dravidian Throne, later executed Idris Shah lays claim to the Dravidian Throne, later executed Ilyas Khushal lays claim to the Dravidian Throne, later defeated and exiled Ziyad Shah assassinated at the victory parade and succeeded by Dhuran Shah Belligerents Royalists House Agran of Hyderabad Kali Shakta United Kingdom of Great Britain Magadh Mahajanpada Rebels House Agran of Tanjore Maratha Confederacy (Shinde) House Agran of Gulburga Jagdalpur Maharajya Tamilakam Maharajya Maratha Confederacy (Rao)  Nagpur Rajya House Bhonsle of Kolhapur Commanders Emperor Ziyad Shah Agran † Emperor Dhuran Shah Agran Grand Vizier Sadullah Khan † Grand Vizier Gangadhar Rao (1800 - 1801) Grand Vizier Prithviraj Shinde † Grand Vizier Farrukhsiyar † Rais Abdullah Khan † Admiral Idris Shah Agran (1796 - 1799) Sir Robert Clive Sir Warren Hastings Thag Behram Kaliya Emperor Shiraz Shah Agran † Rais Gangadhar Rao † (1796 - 1800)(1801 - 1802) Raja Mahadaji Shinde † Emperor Idris Shah Agran † (1799 - 1802) Emperor Ilyas Khushal Agran (POW) Raja Chandra Bhanj Deo † Chhatrapati Ranoji Rao Maharaj † Chhatrapati Shivaji Rao II † Chhatrapati Shahaji Rao † Chhatrapati Sambhaji Rao II † Chhatrapati Baji Rao † File:Indian National Congress svg.png Peshwa Jagdish Kumar (POW)  Deshmukh Rambaji Bhonsle (POW) Sardar Raghoji Bhonsle † Strength ??? ??? Casualties and Losses Total Dead: ??? Total Dead: ???

The War of the Five Kings was a major civil war in the Dravidian Empire that erupted in the wake of the death of Emperor Haider. In essence, the war was a three-way battle for the Dravidian Throne fought alongside two independence movements. The five kings in question were Haider's sons, Ziyad and Shiraz Shah, Haider's younger brother, Idris Shah, the "Chhatrapati of Tamilakam" Ranoji Rao Maharaj, and the "Chhatrapati of Maharashtra" Sambhaji Rao II. There was a sixth contender, Rambaji Bhonsle who however largely remained neutral and simply fought for control over Maharashtra within the confines of the Dravidian Empire.

Upon Haider Shah's death, his heir apparent, Prince Ziyad Shah ascended the Dravidian Throne. However, the revelation that Haider's last will and testament were forgeries by the Grand Vizier, Sadullah Khan led to Haider's elder son, Shiraz and later the late King's younger brother, Idris claiming the throne for themselves. Shiraz saw himself as the rightful heir by right of primogeniture, believing he was Haider's heir, having been his eldest son. Idris claimed the throne on the basis that he would be a better king, despite being second to Shiraz and third to Ziyad in the lawful line of succession.

Meanwhile, Ranoji Rao, the patriarch of the formerly ruling Rao family, was declared the Chhatrapati of the Tamilakam Maharajya by his supporters in the wake of the civil war. Ranoji had been in command of a host marching north towards Tanjore to free his then-besieged liege Shiraz and to relieve Ziyad's attack upon Tamil Nadu. As the Chhatrapati of the Tamilakam, Ranoji declared that the territories that once constituted the ancient Kingdoms of Chola, Chera and Pandya Nadu were a sovereign Maharajya, no longer subject to the rule of the Dravidian Throne.

With the attention of the Dravidian Throne diverted, Sambhaji Rao, a distant relative of Ranoji Rao, seized the opportunity to declare Maharashtra independent, establishing an sovereign Maratha Maharajya. He then styled himself the Chhatrapati of Maharashtra and launched raids into the Deccan while most of Ziyad's armies were distracted down south, fighting the Agran's of Tanjore and the Tamilakam secessionists.

Unbeknownst to everyone, the whole conflict was instigated by Sir Robert Clive, the British Ambassador, with the help of Sadullah Khan, who forged the testament of Haider Shah and anonymously sent a letter to Shiraz Shah, informing him of the ordeal. Later, it was also Robert who promised the Rao's of British support, sparking independence movements in Tamilakam and Maharashtra. Robert, serving the interests of the British crown, ignited the war in order to acquire more power for the British in Dravidia.

By 1804 AD, all of the original five kings had either been assassinated, executed or killed in battle, bringing a total and complete end to the War of the Five Kings.