The Vijayanagara Empire, also known as the Karnata Kingdom, was based in South India's Deccan Plateau region. It was founded in 1336 by the brothers Harihara I and Bukka Raya I of the Sangama dynasty, who were members of a pastoralist cowherd community with Yadava ancestors. By the end of the 13th century, the empire had risen to prominence as a result of southern powers' attempts to repel Islamic invasions. In this article, we will discuss the Vijayanagara Empire (1336-1672 CE) which will be helpful for UPSC exam preparation.

Vijayanagara Kingdom - Background

• It was founded in 1336 by Harihara and Bukka of the Sangama dynasty, who had previously served under the Kakatiya rulers of Warangal, with the blessings of Guru Vidyaranya.
• They later declared their independence and established a new city called "Vijayanagar" on the south bank of the Tungabhadra River (City of Victory).
• Saivism was followed by early Vijayanagar rulers. Their family God was Virupaksha. They were later influenced by Vaishnavism. However, Siva was still worshipped.
• The Vijayanagar Empire and the Bahamani kingdom were constantly at odds over Raichur doab (the fertile region between Krishna and Tungabhadra), Tungabhadra doab (the fertile areas of the Krishna-Godavari delta), and Marathwada.
• The Sultans of Madurai were its main rivals in the south.
• During Rama Raya's reign, the combined forces of Bijapur, Ahmednagar, Golkonda, and Bidar defeated him at the Battle of Talaikotta in 1565, bringing the Vijayanagar Empire to an end.
• Sri Ranga III was the last ruler of Vijayanagar.

Sangama Dynasty

• The Sangama dynasty was a Vijayanagara Empire dynasty founded in the 14th century by two brothers, Harihara I (also known as Vira Harihara or Hakka Raya) and Bukka Raya I.
• They were the sons of Bhavana Sangama, the chieftain of a cowherd pastoralist community who claimed descent from the Yadava race.
• This dynasty was the first to rule over the Vijayanagara Empire.
• During the reigns of Harihara and Bukka I, the Vijaynagar kingdom absorbed many principalities and divisions, including most of the Hoysala territory.
• The chronicle of Nuniz provides a detailed account of how the sovereigns of Vijayanagar first began to acquire the power that would later become so extensive.

*For detailed notes on this topic, check this link Sangama Dynasty

Rulers of the Sangama Dynasty

Harihara and Bukka (1336 - 1377 CE)

Harihara​

• Harihara I founded the Vijayanagara empire and was also known as 'Hakka' or 'Vira Harihara.' He was Bhavana Sangama's eldest son and a Kuruba clan descendant.
• He was also the founder of the Sangama Dynasty. Following his ascension to power, he built a fort at Barkuru on the western coast of what is now Karnataka.
• He ruled the northern parts of the Hoysala Empire before assuming control of the kingdom in 1343, following the death of Hoysala Veera Ballala III.
• Harihara I was known as 'Karnataka Vidya Vilas,' 'Arirayavibhada,' or 'fire to enemy kings,' and 'Bhashegetappuvarayaraganda,' or punisher of feudal lords who failed to keep their promises according to the inscriptions of his time.

Bukka

• Bukka Raya I was a Sangama Dynasty ruler who ruled over the Vijayanagara Empire. This ancient ruler supported Telugu poet Nachana Soma.
• The accounts of Bukka's and Raya's early lives are shrouded in mystery, and many legends surround these people.
• According to popular belief, Hakka and Bukka were born in the Kuruba clan and served as commanders in the King of Warangal's royal army.
• Following Muhammad Bin Tughlaq's defeat of Warangal's ruler, Hakka and Bukka were captured, imprisoned, and transferred to Delhi. They were compelled to convert to Islam.

Harihara II (1377 - 1406 CE)

• Harihara II was the Vijayanagar Empire's ruler during the Sangama Dynasty. From 1377 to 1404 CE, he was in power.
• This ruler supported the famous Kannada poet Madhura.
• During the reign of this emperor, who was bestowed with the titles 'Vedamarga Pravartak' and 'Vaidikamarga Sthapanachary,' and significant work on the Vedas was completed.
• Harihara II primarily ruled the Vijayanagara region, known as Hampi. The ruins of Harihara II's palace can be found among the ruins of Hampi.

Deva Raya I (1406 - 1422 CE)

• Deva Raya I (reigned 1406–1422) was a Vijayanagara Empire king (of the Sangama Dynasty).
• After Harihara II died, his sons fought over the throne, with Deva Raya I eventually emerging victorious.
• He was a capable ruler known for his military prowess and support for irrigation projects in his kingdom.
• Deva Raya I, on the other hand, secured the throne for himself in 1406. In his wars with the Bahamani Sultan, he suffered some setbacks and died in 1422.
• Deva Raya I was succeeded by his son Vira-Vijaya, whom Nuniz refers to as "Visaya," and who reigned for six years, according to Nuniz.

Deva Raya II (1425 - 1446 CE)

• Deva Raya II ruled the Vijayanagara Empire from 1425 to 1446 CE. He was the most powerful ruler of the Sangama dynasty, and he was a skilled administrator, warrior, and scholar.
• He wrote well-known Kannada works (Sobagina Sone and Amaruka) as well as Sanskrit works (Mahanataka Sudhanidhi).
• Despite the fact that Deva Raya II's wars with the Bahmanis ended in defeat and loss, his reign was marked by administrative reorganisation. Muslims were admitted into the army by him to compete with the Bahamanis.
• In order to control and regulate trade, he appointed his right-hand man, Lakkanna or Laksmana, to the lordship of the southern sea, which is in charge of overseas commerce.
• Nicolo Conti and Abdur Razzaq, a Persia envoy, visited Vijayanagar in 1420 and 1443, respectively, and left glowing descriptions of the city and the Vijaynagar Empire.

Tuluva Dynasty

• The Tuluva Dynasty was the third dynasty to rule the Vijayanagar Empire. They were chiefs from coastal Karnataka.
• The Tuluva Dynasty was one of the decision-making lines of the Vijayanagara Empire of Southern India.
• During this time, the Vijayanagar empire reached its pinnacle of splendour, with Krishna Deva Raya as its most celebrated king.
• From 1491 to 1570, they had five emperors. They ruled over much of South India, with Vijaynagar as their capital.
• The kingdom's original home was the western Tulu-speaking region. A Sanskrit epigraph on the eastern wall of Tirumala temple describes Krishnadevaraya's ancestors.

*For detailed notes on this topic, check this link Tuluva Dynasty

Rulers of Tuluva Dynasty

Vira Narasimha Raya (1505 - 1509 CE)

• The Saluva dynasty was also short-lived, and Vira Narasimha established a new dynasty known as the Tuluva dynasty. From 1505 to 1509, he ruled. He was a religious king who bestowed gifts at sacred sites.
• Legend has it that, while dying in 1509, Vira Narasimha Raya asked his minister Saluva Thimma (Thimmarasa) to blind his younger brother Krishna Deva Raya so that his own eight-year-old son could become king of Vijayanagar.
• Thimmarasa, on the other hand, brought the king a pair of goat eyes and informed him that he had killed Krishna Deva Raya.
• However, there is no evidence to support anything other than a friendly relationship between the two half-brothers and a smooth coronation of Krishna Deva Raya.

Krishna Deva Raya (1509 - 1529 CE)​

• Krishnadevaraya (1509-1529 CE) was the most powerful emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire.
• At the apex of the empire, he presided over it. He is regarded as a hero by people of Kannada and Telugu descent in South India and is regarded as one of India's most illustrious kings.
• Emperor Krishnadevaraya was also given the titles Andhra Bhoja and Kannada Rajya Rama Ramana. He was assisted in administration by the capable Prime Minister Timmarusu.
• Timmarusu was responsible for Krishnadevaraya's coronation. Krishnadevaraya looked up to Timmarusu as a father figure.
• He was the son of Nagala Devi and Tuluva Narasa Nayaka, an army commander under Saluva Narasimha Deva Raya, who soon took over the empire's sovereignty to keep it from disintegrating.

Achyuta Deva Raya (1529 - 1542 CE)​

• Achyuta Deva Raya was the ruler of the South India Vijayanagara Empire. He was Krishna Deva Raya's younger brother, whom he succeeded in 1529.
• Fernao Nuniz was a Portuguese traveller, chronicler, and horse trader who spent three years in Vijayanagara during the reign of Achyutaraya.
• Achyuta Deva Raya became king during a difficult period. The days of peace and prosperity under Krishnadevaraya were drawing to a close.
• Feudators and enemies were waiting for a chance to bring the empire down. In addition, Achyuta Deva Raya had to compete for the throne with the powerful Aliya Rama Raya.
• While Nuniz's works portray Achyuta Deva Raya as a king given to vices and cruelty, there is sufficient evidence to show that the king was notable in his own right and fought hard to keep the kingdom's prosperity alive.
• Krishna Deva Raya had personally chosen him as his successor.

Sada Siva Raya (1542 - 1570 CE)​

• Sadasiva Raya (1542–1570) ruled the Vijayanagara Empire in 16th century India, a powerful Southern Indian empire based in the Deccan region.
• He ascended to power following the death of his uncle Achyuta Deva Raya in 1543.
• Aliya Rama Raya, Krishnadevaraya's son-in-law, helped make his coronation possible.
• Sadasiva escaped the clutches of the ambitious regent Salakam Timmu Raju and was later elevated to the throne by the minister Rama Raya, who initially acted as regent but gradually became the de facto ruler of the kingdom.

Army and Military Organization of Vijayanagara Kingdom

• It was necessary to maintain a large army in order to wage continuous warfare. Artillery was important, and well-bred horses were kept in good condition.
• The Vijayanagar rulers imported high-quality horses from Arabia and other Gulf countries across the Arabian Sea.
• The port of Malabar was the epicentre of this and other luxury commodity trade. The Vijayanagar rulers were always trying to gain control of the Malabar port.
• The Vijayanagar state, like the Bahamanis, was familiar with the use of firearms and hired Turkish and Portuguese experts to train the soldiers in the latest weaponry of warfare.
• Deva Raya II, one of the rayas, enlisted Muslims in his armed forces, assigned them jagirs, and built a mosque for their use in the city.
• To counter firearms, fort walls were thickened, and special types of doors with fortified walls in front were built.
• Special types of large holes were made in the fort walls to rest the guns. Special types of parapets were built on the forts to house the canons.
• There were various firearms used. Some firearms were small, such as rifles and pistols.
• Some items, such as canons, were too heavy to be carried into battle on a bullock cart or an elephant.

*For detailed notes on this topic, check this link Army and Military Organization of Vijayanagara Kingdom

Administration of Vijayanagara Kingdom

• In executive, judicial, and legislative matters, the king had absolute authority. The throne was hereditary.
• Mandalams, Nadus, Sthalas, and finally Gramas were the administrative divisions.
• Mandaleshwar or Nayaka was the governor of Mandalam. He had considerable power. He could mint small denomination coins and impose new taxes or repeal old ones.
• Land revenue, tributes and gifts from vassals and feudal chiefs, customs at ports, and taxes on various professions were all sources of income.
• The army was made up of cavalry, infantry, artillery, and elephants.
• Under the Nayankar System, the army's highest-ranking officers were known as Nayaks/Poligars.
• They were given land in exchange for their services, which they named Amaram.
• Manyams were tax-free lands.
• A body of 12 functionaries known as Ayangars ran village affairs.

Social Life of Vijayanagara Kingdom

• The rulers of Vijayanagar were Vishnu devotees, but they practised religious tolerance for all.
• A review of the relevant material reveals that women held prominent positions in society. They were involved in the country's political, social, and literary life.
• In his Manucharitam, Allasani Peddanna mentions four castes in Vijayanagar society: Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas, and Sudras.
• Dresses were mostly made of silk or cotton. The wealthy had beautiful homes and large number of household servants. Slavery is mentioned by Nicolo Conti.
• Sangama rulers were mostly Saivaites, and their family deity was Virupaksha. However, all kings were tolerant of other religions.
• Muslims were employed in the administration and were free to construct mosques and worship.
• Women's status had not improved. Some of them, however, were learned. Gangadevi, Kumarakampana's wife, wrote the famous work Maduravijayam. Hannamma and Thirumalamma were well-known poets of the time.
• According to Nuniz, a large number of women were employed as dancers, domestic servants, and palanquin bearers in royal palaces.

*For detailed notes on this topic, check this link Social Life of Vijayanagara Kingdom

Economy of Vijayanagara Kingdom

• The Vijayanagar Empire was one of the richest states in the world at the time. Several foreign visitors to the empire in the 15th and 16th centuries wrote glowing accounts of its splendour and wealth.
• Agriculture was in a prosperous state. The rulers' policy was to encourage agriculture in various parts of the empire and to increase agricultural production through a wise irrigation policy.
• Nuniz, the Portuguese traveller, mentions dam construction and canal excavation.
• Numerous industries supplemented agricultural wealth, the most important of which were textiles, mining, and metallurgy. Perfumery was another important industry. Guilds governed industries and crafts.
• It was common practise for people of the same trade to live in the same neighbourhood.
• The Persian diplomat and traveller Abdur Razzak observes, "The tradesmen of each separate guild or craft have their shops close to one another."
• Trade there was thriving inland, coastal, and international trade, which was a major source of general prosperity. According to Abdur Razzak, the kingdom had 300 seaports.
• Malabar, with its important port of Cannanore, was the most important commercial area on the West coast.
• It maintained commercial ties with the Indian Ocean islands, Burma, the Malay Archipelago, and China to the east, and Arabia, Persia, South Africa, Abyssinia, and Portugal to the west.
• Cloth, spices, rice, iron, saltpetre, sugar, and other commodities were among the most important exports. Horses, elephants, pearls, copper, coral, mercury, China silks and velvets were among the most important imports.
• Ships were used for both coastal and international trade. The art of shipbuilding was known in Vijayanagar, but we don't know if ocean-going ships were built.
• Another Portuguese traveller, Barbosa, claims that South India's ships were built in the Maldives.

*For detailed notes on this topic, check this link Economy of Vijayanagara Kingdom

Cultural Contributions of Vijayanagara Kingdom

• The main features of Vijayanagara architecture were the tall Raya Gopurams or gateways and the Kalyanamandapam with carved pillars in the temple premises.
• The sculptures on the pillars were carved with distinct features.
• The horse was the most common animal found in these pillars.
• The most important temples built were Vittalaswamy and Hazara Ramaswamy temples, as well as the Stone Chariot at Hampi.
• Kanchipuram's Varadharaja and Ekamparanatha temples are also examples of Vijayanagar architecture.
• The Virupaksha Temple is located in Hampi, Karnataka, in the Ballari district. It is part of the Hampi Group of Monuments, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The temple is dedicated to Lord Virupaksha, a Shiva variant.
• Lakkan Dandesha, a nayaka (chieftain) under the Vijayanagara Empire's ruler Deva Raya II, also known as Prauda Deva Raya, built the temple.
• Languages such as Sanskrit, Telugu, Kannada, and Tamil flourished in the regions.

*For detailed notes on this topic, check this link Cultural Contributions of Vijayanagara Kingdom

Decline of Vijayanagara Empire

• The sultans of Golconda and Ahmadnagar, who had suffered greatly at the hands of Rama Raya, were most likely the driving force behind the formation of an alliance that effectively ended Vijayanagar's power.
• By 1564, at least four of the five sultans (Berar is debatable) had begun their march on Vijayanagar, which resulted in the disastrous defeat of Vijayanagar forces in the Battle of Talikota and the subsequent sack and destruction of much of the city.
• Rama Raya was captured and killed, but his brother Tirumala escaped with the king and much of the royal treasure to the south.

Conclusion

Vijayanagara became the greatest empire of southern India over time. It aided the reconstruction of Hindu life and administration following the disturbances and disunities of the 12th and 13th centuries by acting as a barrier against invasion by the Muslim sultanates of the north.

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