The Vijayanagara Empire received its death blow at the battle of:

The Vijayanagara Empire suffered a catastrophic and final defeat at the Battle of Talikota in 1565 [3]. Also known as the Battle of Rakshasi-Tangadi, it involved a coalition of Deccan Sultanates—including Bijapur, Ahmadnagar, and Golconda—uniting against the Vijayanagara forces led by Aliya Rama Raya [2]. The empire's army was routed, Rama Raya was captured and executed, and the capital city was subsequently sacked and left in ruins over several months [1]. While the empire's remnants shifted eastward under the Aravidu dynasty, the battle is historically recognized as the 'death blow' that ended its period of dominance and led to its eventual fragmentation into smaller regions ruled by Nayakas [2]. Other options like Panipat (1661) or Raichur (1510) are chronologically or contextually incorrect regarding the empire's final collapse [4].

Sources

1. [1] Exploring Society:India and Beyond ,Social Science, Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 2: Reshaping India’s Political Map > LET'S EXPLORE > p. 36
2. [3] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 12: Bahmani and Vijayanagar Kingdoms > The battle of Talikota (1565) > p. 182
3. [2] THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART II, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 7: An Imperial Capital: Vijayanagara > 2.2 The apogee and decline of the empire > p. 173
4. [4] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 12: Bahmani and Vijayanagar Kingdoms > TT > p. 187