THE VIJAYANAGARA
EMPIRE
ORIGINS AND FOUNDATION:
The Vijaynagara Empire was founded by two brothers Harihara I
and Bukka Raya I. They are popularly called as Hakka Bukka.
Established in 1336, the brothers laid the foundations of the new
city on the banks of river Tungabhadra which came to be known as
“Vijaynagara” or the city of learning.
With the defeat of the Hoysala ruler at the hands of the Sultan of
Madurai, the brothers began expanding their principality.
The two brothers were aided by their three other brothers who
took up the administration of the areas they conquered. The
empire was a cooperative commonwealth of sorts in its initial days .
Bukka Raya succeeded his brother in 1356.
The rising power of the nascent kingdom brought it into immediate
conflict with other regional powers, namely the Sultanate of Madurai.
In a bitter struggle that continued for four decades, the Madurai
Sultans were defeated in 1377 and the whole of South India including
Tamil Nadu and Kerela was brought under the control of the
Vijaynagara Empire.
The increasing power of Vijaynagara brought it into a direct conflict
with another rising regional power, the Bahamani Kingdom.
The Bahamani Sultanate was founded by Alauddin Hasan Bahman Shah in
1347.
The Dynasties
that ruled
Vijayanagara
The Sangama The Saluva The Tuluva The Aravidu
dynasty dynasty dynasty dynasty
(1336-1485 (1485-1505 (1491- 1570 (1542-1646
CE) CE) CE) CE)
THE VIJAYANAGARA BAHAMANI
CONFLICT:
The conflict started in 1367 with the defeat of the Madurai
Sultan during the reign of Bukka Raya I.
While shift of regional power play had been important, the two
kingdoms clashed not because of their ideology but due to their
clash of interest in the following areas;
First, the fertile Raichur Doab, the land between the Krishna and
Tungabhadra Rivers.
Second, the Krishna- Godavari delta, while was both fertile and gave
access to the multiple ports and would give control of foreign trade in this
region .
Third, the Marathwada Region, for it would give easy access to the
Konkan Coast.
With continued eastward expansion, the Vijaynagara Kingdom was unable
to conquer the Raichur Doab and suppress the Bahamani offensive after
their alliance with Warangal for nearly 50 years.
Under Harihara II, Vijaynagar annexed Goa and Belgaum fom the
Bahamanids.
The rivalry renewed vigorously under the Deva Rayas.
RENEWED CONFLICT UNDER THE
DEVARAYAS:
Devaraya I was defeated by the Bahamani ruler Firoz Shah in
1406. in the peace treaty concluding the war,Vijaynagara lost
many terrtiyories and a daughter of Devaraya I was given in
marriage to the Sultan.
The question of the Krishna- Godavari Delta renewed the
conflict. Devaraya’s alliance with Warangal brought him into
direct conflict with the Bahamanids.
During the siege of Pangal by Firoz Shah, Devaraya inflicted a
crushing defeat on the Sultan. By 1422, he controlled the
Raichur doab, and in the concluding peace treaty, the
Bahamanids gave up the southern and eastern districts of their
kingdom.
Devaraya II was the greatest ruler of the Sangama Dynasty. During
his time as the crown prince, the Vijaynagara armies were
continuously defeated by the Bahamanids. In 1436, the conflict
reached a stalemate with no clear victory.
In 1443, war broke out and the Vijayanagara armies were
successful in the capture of Raichur, Bankapura and reached up to
Bijapur.
THE SALUVA DYNASTY:
After the death of Devaraya II, there was a succession crisis. The
series of civil wars weakened the empire with many incompetent
rulers and multiple contenders to the throne.
In 1485, in the military coup that followed, Saluva Narsimha
overthrew Prauda Raya and founded the Saluva Dynasty.
The writings of Nuniz give a graphic account of the coup led by
Tuluva Narasa Nayaka.
With Saluva Narsimha’s death in 1491, his young succesors were
vplaced under the guardianship of Tuluva Narasa Nayaka.
THE TULUVA DYNASTY:
Tuluva Narasa’s son, Narsimha Nayaka arranged the assasination
of Narsimha Raya II , ending the Saluva Dynasty.
Tuluva Narsimha Nayaka laid the foundations of the Tuluva
Dynasty.
After his death, his son ascended the throne as Vira Narsimha Raya
III (1505-09).
Vira Narsimha’s half brother, Krishnadeva Raya ascended the
throne in 1509.
Krishnadeva Raya is considered to be one of the greatest rulers in
Indian History. During his reign, the empire reached the height of
its glory and established itself as the strongest military power in
South India.
GENEALOGY OF THE TULUVA DYNASTY
The Tuluva Dynasty
Tuluva Narasa
Nayaka (1491-1505
CE)
Veer Narsimha
Raya III (1505-09
CE)
Krishnadeva Raya
(1509-30 CE)
KRISHNADEVA RAYA’S
ACHIEVEMENTS:
Krishnadeva raya was an excellent military general. He won a series
of outstanding victories against the Bahamanids and extended the
boundaries of the empire and annexed the Raichur Doab.
He encouraged foreign trade with the Portuguese who had
established trade centres on the Malabar coast. He earned rich
revenue by imposing custom duties .
He undertook active steps to promote agriculture. He developed
irrigation facilities by constructing dams and canals.
Krishnadeva Raya was a great patron of art and literature. A
prolific writer himself, he wrote six works in all. He was a fine
Telugu poet and a Sanskrit scholar himself.
He maintained a magnificent court and encouraged scholars
and learned men.
He was also a great builder. Many beautiful temples and
impressive mansions were built during his reign. The most
outstanding of these are the Vithalaswami Temple and the
Hazar Rama Temple.
DECLINE OF THE VIJAYANGARA
EMPIRE:
After the death of Krishnadeva Raya, there was a struggle for succession
among his relations. Sadashiva Raya ascended the throne in 1543.
The real power lay in the hands of a triumvirate, led by Rama Raya, a son-
in-law of Krishnadeva Raya.
Rama Raya played off the various dynasties that had seceded from the
Bahamani Sultanate. He had no purpose other than to maintain the
balance of power in favour of Vijayanagara.
While this strategy was successful for a short period, it proved
detrimental in the long run.
After being defeated by the Vijayanagara Empire led by Rama Raya on the
Sultanates of Golconda, Bijapur and Ahmadnagar , they combined to inflict a
crushing defeat on Vijayanagara at Bannihatti, near Talikota in 1565.
The battle of Talikota marked a desicive shift in the balance of power in South
India. Rama Raya was executed and the city of Vijayanagara was looted and razed
to the ground by the invading armies.
This was the end of the great era of Vijayanagara. Though the kingdom continued
to linger on under the Aravidu Dynasty for another 100 years, the Raya had his
territories decreased drastically and was no longer involved in the political affairs
of South India.
POLITY AND ADMINISTRATION:
Central Provincial Local
Administratio Administratio Administratio
n n n
CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION:
The king was the head of administration. The monarchy was
absolute and the king’s word was law.
There was a council of ministers, headed by the prime minister, to
assist and advise the king in administrative matters. The advise of
the council was not binding on the king.
Central administration was divided into several departments, each
supervised by a royal officer.
The Vijayanagara Empire has a centralized structure. The empire
was divided into six provinces.
PROVINCIAL & LOCAL
ADMINISTRATION:
Provinces
(mandalams)
Districts
(nadus)
Sub-districts
(sthalas)
Villages
(mandalams)
Each province was administered by a provincial governor known as a
‘Nayak’ or ‘Mandaleswara.’
The empire was subdivided into districts known as ‘nadus’ and
governed by ‘nadaprabhu.’ They were further divided into villages.
The lowest unit of administration was a village (grama). They were
headed by a village headman (gauda).
The Vijayanagara rulers did not interfere in local administration. The
local bodies had complete autonomy in their affairs.
The old feudal system was revived and administrative posts like that
of the village headman, accountant viz. were hereditary.
The “Mahanayakacharya” was an officer who served as the link
between the central government and the villages.
REVENUE ADMINISTRATION:
CHIEF SOURCES OF REVENUE:
Land revenue from the crown lands was the most important source
of revenue.
Tributes from vassals and feudal chiefs; customs collected at the
ports; tolls levied on inland commerce; taxes on various professions,
houses, markets and licence etc. were other important sources of
revenue.
COLLECTION OF LAND REVENUE:
Land revenue was collected on the basis of assesment and fixed
after a careful survey.
We have very little idea about the share of produce the peasants
were required to pay. According to an inscription, the rates of taxes
were as follows:
• One-third of the produce of kuruvai (a type of rice) during winter.
• One-fourth of sesame, ragi, horsegram etc.
• One-sixth of millet and other crops cultivated on dry land.
The rates varied according to the type of crops, soil type and the
methods of irrigation used in cultivation.
JUDICIAL
ADMINISTRATION:
The king administered justice impartially. He presided over the sabha,
the highest court of appeal.
Regular courts for administering justice were also very common. They
were headed by a hierarchy of officials.
There were also village courts, caste panchayats, and guild
organizations to dispose off petty offences like violation of caste rules
and rules of trade.
The Dharmashastras formed the basis of caste hierarchy. Harsh
punishments were inflicted.
MILITARY ADMINISTRATION:
The Vijayanagara Kings maintained a large standing army. It consisted of
infantry, cavalry, artillery and war elephants.
They also had a strong navy, especially prominent on the western coast.
