Harihara-I and his brother Bukka Raya I of the Sangama Dynasty founded the Vijayanagara Empire, also known as the Karnata Empire or the Kingdom of Bisnegar, in 1336. Its ruins can be found in modern-day Hampi, Karnataka. From 1336 to 1672, Vijayanagar was ruled by four dynasties: Sangama, Saluva, Tuluva, and Aravidu. It peaked at the end of the 14th century. In this article, we will discuss Harihara and Bukka (1336-1377) of Sangama Dynasty which will be helpful for UPSC exam preparation.

Harihara I (1336 - 1356 CE)

• Harihara I, also known as Hakka and Vira Harihara I, founded the Vijayanagara Empire and ruled it from 1336 to 1356 CE.
• He and his successors established the Sangama dynasty, the first of four that ruled the empire.
• He was the eldest son of Bhavana Sangama, the chieftain of a Yadava cowherd pastoralist community.
• His initial military exploits established his control over the Tungabhadra River valley, and he gradually expanded his control to certain regions of the Konkan and Malabar Coast.
• By that time, the Hoysala ruler Veera Ballala III had died fighting the Sultan of Madurai, allowing Harihara to emerge as a sovereign power with control over all Hoysala territories.
• An inscription dated 1346 regarding a grant to the Sringeri matha describes Harihara I as the ruler of the "whole country between the eastern and western seas" and Vidya Nagara (the city of learning) as his capital.
• Harihara I was succeeded by his brother Bukka I, who rose to prominence as the most distinguished of the Sangama dynasty's five rulers (Panchasangamas).

Harihara’s Administration

• Harihara was an excellent administrator. Vijayanagar was the first state in southern India to encompass three major linguistic and cultural regions while maintaining a high level of political unity among them.
• The administration of the kingdom sporadically achieved a relatively high degree of centralization, despite the appearance of centrifugal tendencies.
• New rajyas (provinces) were added to the original five held by the Sangama brothers as territories were acquired.
• A complex mosaic of great chiefly houses wielded power to varying degrees within and among these regions, though not with the virtual autonomy that some historians have suggested.
• The central administration had both a revenue and a military side, but raising taxes and troops was primarily the responsibility of provincial governors and their subordinates.
• The central government kept a small army, but it assigned a value to the lands held by the provincial governors and determined the number of troops to be supplied from each province's revenues.

Bukka (1356 - 1377 CE)

• Bukka Raya I (reigned 1356–1377 CE) was a Sangama Dynasty emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire.
• He was the son of Bhavana Sangama, the chieftain of a cowherd pastoralist community that claimed Yadava ancestry.

Bukka - Background

• During Bukka Raya's 21-year reign (37, according to Nuniz), the kingdom prospered and expanded as Bukka Raya conquered most of the kingdoms of southern India, steadily expanding the empire's territory.
• By 1360, he had defeated the Shambuvaraya Kingdom of Arcot and the Reddis of Kondavidu, and the region around Penukonda had been annexed.
• Bukka defeated the Sultanate of Madurai in 1371 and expanded his territory all the way to Rameswaram in the south.
• His son, Kumara Kampana, campaigned alongside him, and their efforts were documented in his wife Gangambika's Sanskrit work Madura Vijayam (also known as Veerakamparaya Charitram).
• By 1374, he had gained the upper hand over the Bahmanis for control of the Tungabhadra-Krishna doab and also took control of Goa, a small portion of the kingdom of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty of Odisha (Orya), and Bukka forced the Jaffna kingdom of Ceylon and the Zamorins of Malabar to pay tribute to him.

Bukka - Wars During His Reign

• Bukka also clashed with the Bahmani Sultans during his reign. The first occurred during the reign of Mohammed Shah I, while the second occurred during the reign of Mujahid Shah Bahmani.
• During his reign, Bukka is said to have dispatched a mission to China. Bukka died around 1380 and was succeeded by Harihara II.
• It is also worth noting that during Bukka Raya's reign, the Vijayanagara Empire established its capital at Vijayanagara, on the south bank of the river, which was more secure and defensive than their previous capital at Anegondi.

Bukka - Cultural and Welfare Activities

• Despite the wars and internal conflicts, Bukka was able to contribute to the city's internal improvements.
• During his reign, important works of literature were also written. Nachana Soma, a well-known Telugu poet, was appointed as his court poet. Vidyaranya and Sayana supervised the lives of dozens of scholars.
• A group of scholars led by Sayana produced commentaries on the Samhitas of the four Vedas, as well as several Brahmanas and Aranyakas, under the patronage of Bukka and other early Vijayanagar kings.

Conclusion

Harihar was the newly established kingdom's first king. His brother took over after his death. Bukka was a capable ruler who maintained diplomatic ties with neighbouring kingdoms. As part of his diplomatic strategy, he dispatched an emissary to China. However, their rising power was the cause of their frequent wars with the Bahmani kingdom. Harihara II, Bukka's nephew and Harihar's son, ascended the throne after his death.