The Vijayanagara Kingdom (1336-1565)

The Vijayanagara Kingdom (1336-1565)

1. The Vijayanagara Kingdom was founded by two brothers: Harihara and Bukka Raya in CE 1336.

2. This kingdom was founded when Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq was the ruler of Delhi.

3. The Vijayanagara Kingdom included the present territories of Chennai and Mysore.

4. The capital of the Vijayanagara Kingdom was Hampi.

5. Administration:

   1. The kings focused on public welfare.

   2. Well organised administration.

   3. The king was the head of the administration and was assisted by a council of ministers.

   4. The Divine Theory of King was popular, and the king was worshiped by people as the representative of God.

   5. The empire was divided into provinces, districts and villages.

   6. The provinces were 200 in number and were called Kottams. 

   7. Each Kottam was under a governor known as Prantpati. He either belonged to the royal family or to a noble.

   8. Kottams were divided into Nadus.

   9. Each Nadu comprised several villages. The villages had well regulated local governments consisting of councils, like present day panchayats, with an Aiyangar (chairman) at the top. These councils settled the disputes, collected revenue and helped maintain law and order.

6. Three dynasties ruled over the Vijayanagara Empire over a span of 230 years from 1336 to 1565. they are

   1. Sangam Dynasty

   2. Saluva Dynasty

   3. Tuluva Dynasty

7. Krishnadev Raya (1509-1530):

   1. Krishnadev Raya was the son of Tuluva Narasa Nayaka, an army commander under Saluva Narasimha Deva Raya, who later took control of the empire to prevent its disintegration and became the founder of the Tuluva Dynasty.

   2. Krishnadev was the greatest ruler of the Vijayanagara Empire, during his rule the empire was at its golden state. He was the third ruler of the Tuluva Dynasty and in power from CE 1509 to 1530.

   3. He promoted education and himself was a scholar of Sanskrit and Telugu.

   4. He earned the titles kannada Rajya Rama Ramana meaning Lord of the Kananda empire, Andhra Bhoja and Mooru Rayara Ganda (meaning King of three kings).

   5. Military success and organization of the army were seen during his rule. His prime enemies were Bahamani Sultans who were divided into five small empires causing threat to him. The Gajapatis of Odisha and the Portuguese controlled much of the sea trade. Defeating the Sultans of Bijapur, Golconda, the Bahmani Sultanate and the Raja of Odisha, he became the dominant ruler of the peninsula. The yearly raid and plunder of the Vijayanagar towns and villages by the Deccan sultans came to an end during the Raya’s rule. 

   6. In 1509 Krishnadev Raya’s armies clashed with the Sultan of Bijapur at Diwan and Sultan Mahmud was severely injured and defeated.Yusuf Adil Khan was killed and the Raichur Doab was annexed.

   7. Taking advantage of the victory and the chaos in Bahamani Sultans, Raya invaded Bidar, Gulbarga and Bijapur, thus he earned the title “establisher of the Yavana Kingdom” by releasing Sultan Mahmud and making him the de facto ruler.

   8. The highest of his conquests occured on 19 may 1520 when he secured the fortress of Raichur from Ismail Adil Shah of Bijapur, during this siege 16,000 Vijayanagar soldiers were killed. 

   9. In his last battle he destroyed the fortress of Gulabaraga, the early capital of the Bahmani sultanate and his empire stretched to the entire South India.

   10. Portuguese

       1. During this time a friendly relationship was established with the Portuguese. During his time the Portuguese set up the Dominion of India in Goa in 1510. They brought the ruler guns and Arabian horses. Portuguese helped the water supply system in the Vijayanagara City. Portuguese travellers Domingo Paes and Fernao Nuniz visited Vijayanagara empire during his rule. They were allowed to settle along the western coast and build a fortress.

   11. He built public dams for irrigation, a number of temples including the Vittalaswami temple and Hazar Rama temple.

   12. He nominated his brother Achyuta Deva Raya as his successor in 1529.

   13. The Raichur doab, a very fertile area, that lay between the river Krishna and Tungabhadra became the bone of contention between the Bahamani and Vijayanagara empires. This doab was constantly changing hands between the two kingdoms. In 1565 again a fierce battle was fought between the two empires, known as Battle of Talikota, in this battle the Vijayanagara empire was destroyed and ruined.

   14. Economy:

       1. A huge state economy was spent to keep a standing army of the King.

       2. These caused the need for more revenue which was collected from two chief sources: land and trade. 

       3. Other taxes were grazing tax, import and export duties, and professional taxes. 

       4. trades were both internal and external, the most important item of import was horses. horses came from Arabia and Ivory from Alexandria, silk and velvet from China and elephants from Sri Lanka. Trade was significant with Southeast Asia.

       5. Fertile land and irrigation caused good agriculture, one third of the revenue was produced from agriculture.

       6. Industries like textile, metallurgy (The scientific study of metals and their uses) and mining flourished.

       7. Two economic classes were there, haves and have nots.

   15. Society:

       1. Rulers themselves followed the Vaishnava sect but were tolerant of other religions.

       2. Ancient Vedic customs were followed.

       3. The society was conservative and religious laws governed it.

       4. The caste system was followed, Brahmans were respected.

       5. Women were under certain restrictions. Only upper class women sometimes participated in social customs.

       6. Sati, polygamy and child marriage were practiced.

       7. Religious tolerance was among people.

   16. Administration:

       1. He had a strict control over his ministers who were punished for unethical deeds.

       2. He abolished some of the obnoxious taxes such as the marriage fee.

       3. He took control of more land by deforestation and gave them for agriculture.

       4. He took rapid steps to obtain water for irrigation around Vijayanagara.

       5. His rule was religion tolerant and respectful to Islam, Christianity. He believed in what we call now the concept of Indian Secularism. Yhough a follower of Vaishnavism he showed respect to all sects, and petty religious prejudices never influenced him, either in granting gifts or in his choice of companies and officers.

       6. He founded a new town called Nagalapur.

       7. The empire was divided into a number of provinces often under members of the royal family and into further subdivisions.

       8. The administrative languages of the empire were Kannada and Telugu. Telugu was also a popular literary medium at that time, and reached its peak under the rule of the Krishnadev Raya.

       9. The administration of the empire was carried on along the lines indicated in his Amuktamalyada.

       10. He believed in the concept of Dharma, welfare of people. 

       11. He toured his state for inspection and identified grievances of the people and punished them.

   17. Foreign Travellers:

       1. Many foreign travellers visited the Vijaya anagara kingdom.

       2. They are: Nicoli Conti, Abdul Razzak, Domingo Paes, fernao Nunis and Barbosa.

       3. Chronicler Domingo peas, a portuguese traveller summarized and praised the king’s attitude to matters of law and order by the sentence. “The King maintains the law by killing.” Offence against property and for murder ranged from cutting of a foot and hand for theft and beheading for murder. he also said “the most feared and perfect King … a great ruler and a man of much justice.” 

   18. Literature:

       1. The rule of Krishnadeva Raya was an age of prolific literature in many language, it is known as the golden age of Telugu literature.

       2. Many Telugu, Sanskrit, Kannada and Tamil poets enjoyed the patronage of the emperor. 

          1. Kannada poet  Mallanarya who wrote  Veera-saivamrutu, Bhava-chinta-ratna and Satyendra Chola-Kathe. 

          2. Chatu Vittal-anatha who wrote Bhagavata.

          3. Timmanna Kavi who wrote a eulogy (a piece of writing praising someone) of his king Krishna Raya Bharata.  

          4. Vyasatirtha, the great saint from Mysore belonging to the Madhwa order of Udupi was his Rajguru.

          5. Eight poets known as Astadiggajalu (eight elephants in the eight cardinal points such as North, South, etc.) were part of his court known as Bhuvana-vijayamu. These poets were the eight pillars of his literary assembly. They were:

             1. Allasani Peddana

             2. Nandi Thimmana

             3. Madayyagari mallana

             4. Dhurjati

             5. Ayyalaraju Rama-bhadrudu

             6. Pingali Surana

             7. Ramaraja Bhushanudu

             8. Tenali Rama krishna.

   19. Art and Architecture:

       1. Regional art and architecture were revived during this time. The rulers were patrons of art and architecture and learning.

       2. Temples were a unique feature of the Vijayanagara empire. Beautiful temples were made. Old and dilapidated temples were renewed.

          1. The Hazara Rama, Vithalaswami temple, built by Krishnadev Raya at Hampi. 

          2. Hazara temple is said to be the private chapel of the Vijayanagar Kings. Its mandapa is supported by a group of richly carved and highly polished stone pillars. The brackets, beams, the underside of the ceilings are all elaborately ornamented. The sanctum, at the back of the mandapa, is topped by a pyramidal tower all decorated with beautiful sculpture from the top to bottom. The sculptures from myth and Ramayana were objects of the outside decoration.

          3. The Vithalaswami Temple was dedicated to Lord Vishnu as Vithal is much larger in size. It is situated within a rectangular court. Its mandapa, three gopurams(a large pyramidal tower over the entrance gate to a temple precinct.), tower over the sanctum, though incomplete, are characterised by bold and elegant design and exuberant richness. In the words of Fergusson, “The Vithalaswami Temple shows the extreme limit in florid magnificence to which the style advanced.”

          4.  The Elephant’s Stable at Vijayanagara, Hampi is another remarkable building.

          5. The Virupaksha temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, is a fine specimen of temple architecture. It has 50 metres of gopuram. The very choice of the site of Vijayanagara was inspired by the existence of the Shrine of Virupaksha and Pampadevi. Vijayanagara kings claimed to rule on behalf of the God Virupaksha. All royal orders were signed “Shri Virupaksha.”

          6. The hills surrounding cities sheltered the monkey kingdom of Vali and Sugriva. Pampadevi, the local goddess did penance in hills to marry Virupaksha, the guardian deity of the kingdom.