What was the primary geopolitical reason that drove the rival Deccan Sultanates to form an unprecedented alliance to destroy the Vijayanagara Empire at the Battle of Talikota (1565)?

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Aliya Rama Raya, the de facto ruler of Vijayanagara, heavily interfered in the internal squabbles of the Deccan Sultanates (often shifting alliances between Bijapur, Ahmadnagar, and Golconda). This divide-and-rule policy backfired, as the Sultans realized that Vijayanagara was the ultimate beneficiary of their disunity, prompting them to form a grand alliance.

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