Vijayanagar Kingdom

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Vijayanagar Empire

Illustration: Vijayanagar Empire
  • Bukka, Harihar and the three other Sangama brothers in­cluding Kampana, Mudappa and Marappa joined the ser­vices of Hoysala king Vira Ballala III.
  • Ballala estab­lished the fortified city on the Tungabhadra River across Anegondi that was to be­come Vijainagar.
  • The city was then called Virupaksha-pattana.
  • Harihar and Bukka were appointed to govern this city.
  • Later the Tughluq forces made five Sangama brothers:
    • Bukka, Harihar,
    • Kampana, Mudappa and
    • Marappa imprisoners.
  • They were later converted to Islam and were employed by the Sultan to govern the newly conquered Kampili territo­ries.
  • Later under the guid­ance of Madhavacharya or Vidyaranya, they founded the Vijayanagar Empire.

Sangama Dynasty (1336 - 1485)

(L) Hariharal (1336 - 1356)

  • Following die Kakatiya model, he organised the country into Sthalas, Nadus and Simas.
  • He laid the foundation of a new capital, which he called Vijaya or Vidyanagara.
  • He strengthened the forts of Badami, and the fort of Udayagiri and entrusted their administration to his younger brother Kampana.
  • In 1347, he annexed Kadamba territories.
  • Anantarasa Chikka Udaiya was his minister.

(2) Bukka Rai (1356 - 1377)

  • He sent an expedition against Rajanarayana Samb-huvaraya.
  • He was involved in a war against the Bahamani King Muhammed Shah I.
  • He sent embassies to China.
  • He was the guardian of re­ligious rights and privileges of all religions.
  • He assumed the title of Vedamarga-Pratishthapak or the establisher of Ten Path of the Vedas, and gathered to­gether all the scholars.
  • Sayanacharya was his minister who has written a commentary on Vedas.
  • Nachana Soma, a great telugu poet lived under him.

(3) Harihara U (1377 - 1404)

  • Adopted the title: Maharajadhiraj and Prame-shvara.
  • Responsible for the south­ern expedition.
  • Made positive efforts to uplift the quality of life and academics.
  • According to Ferishta the Bahmani king Mjahid Shah invaded his empire.
  • Between 1404 and 1406 AD war of succession took place between his three sons: Virupakshai, Bukka II and Devaraya I.

(4) Devaraya I (1406 - 1422)

  • Faced war with Bahmani Sultans, the Velamas of Rachakonda and Reddis of Kondavidu.
  • According to Ferishta Firoz Shah Bahmani de­feated him but later on he took his revenge and de­feated Bahmanis.
  • Realised the value of Cav­alry.
  • He was an ardent Saivite.
  • Srinath, the author of Harivilasam lived during his reign.
  • According to Vidyaranya-Kalajana, Ramchandra and
  • Vijaya I succeeded him.

(5) Devraya B (1423 - 1445)

  • Earned the title “Gajabetekara” (the El­ephant hunter)
  • Bahmani Sultan Ahmed shifted his capital from Gulbarga to Bidar in 1424 and this gave an edge to Vijayanagar over Bahmanis.
  • Annexed Kondavidu (Andhra) , attacked Gajapati kingdom (Orissa) and brought all Kerala states ex­cept Zamorin of Calicut un­der his suzerainty.
  • Lakkana Dannaik, the Diwan and C-in-C attacked Ceylon.
  • He wrote ‘Mahanataka Suddhanidi’ in Sanskrit.

(6) Mallikarjun (1446 - 1485)

  • Gajapati and the Bahmani Sultan made a joint attack on him.
  • He was assassinated by his cousin Virupaksha II

(7) Virupaksha II (1465 - 1485)

  • Captured Goa.
  • The Arabian horse trade was dislocated during his reign.

Saluva Dynasty (1485 - 1505)

(8) Narasimha Saluva (1485 - 1490)

  • Son of Saluva Gunda, the chief of Udayagiri in Chittoor.
  • Mallikarjuna՚s younger son, Rajashekhar, sought ref­uge in his court.
  • Conquered the Andhra kingdom.
  • Bahmani Empire was on the brink of collapse.

(9) Narsa Nayak (1490 - 1503)

  • He was called the Rakshakarta (protector) and Swami.
  • He installed Timma and became defacto.
  • Tuvalus (1505 - 1570)

(10) Vira Narasimha (1505 - 1509)

  • fought against Yusuf Adil Shah.
  • Took keen interest in the welfare of the Rayats.
  • Abolished Marriage tax.

(11) Krishna Deva Raya (1509 - 1529)

  • Earned the title ‘Yavan-araja Sthapanacharya’ or re­storer of Yavana Kingdom.
  • Also known as Abhinav Bhoja and honoured as Andhra Pitamabhas.
  • His political ideas are con­tained in his telugu work Amuktamalyada.
  • Vyasaraja was his Rajguru and royal teacher.
  • His court literatteur used to be known as Ashtadi-ggajas.
  • Invaded Krishna-Tunga-bhadra Doab and captured Raichur.
  • Gangaraja of Ummattur was compelled to transfer his capital to Sivasamudram.
  • He wrested Udayagiri, Kondavidu, Kondapalli and then Bezwada and humili­ated Gajpati Prataparudra of Orissa.
  • He defeated Quli Qutub Shah of Golconda and Bijapur when the latter at­tacked Saluva Timma. He also conquered Raichur Doab and defeated Ismail Adil Shah of Bijapur.
  • Krishna Dev Rai had ami­cable relations with Portu­guese and became the first king to conclude a treaty. The treaty included common en­mity with Bijapur and sup­ply of imported horses by the Portuguese.

(12) Achyutadevaraya (1530 - 1542)

  • Ramaraya, the son in law of Krishna Dev Raya, pro­claimed the infant son of the latter as emperor and began to rule in his name.

(13) Sadashiva and Ramaraya (1543 - 1564)

  • Sent China Timma to sub­jugate several chiefs of South,
  • Concluded treaty with Portuguese J. D. Castro.
  • Invaded Bidar and made Barid Shah his vassal.
  • Battle of Rakshi-Tangadi or Talikota took place be­tween a confederacy of Bijapur, Ahmadnagar and Golcunda.
  • (14) Sadashiva andTirumala (1566 - 1570) Aravidus (1570 - 1649) Founded by Ramaraya՚s brother Tirumala.

(15) Sriranga (1572 - 1585)

(16) VenkataB (1586 - 1614)

  • Not only reconquered most of the territories but also controlled a number of Palayagirs.
  • Allowed Portuguese to build Churches at Vellore.
  • Switched over to Vaishnavism, Lord Venka-taesvara of Tirupati and re­placed Virupaksha (the Saivism) .
  • Shifted his capital to Chandragiri.
  • In 1605 the Dutch opened factories at Nizampatnam and Masulipatnam.
  • He was followed by Ramad-evraya, Venkata III and Sriranga in. Later the forces of Mir Jumla, Mustafa Khan ruined the Vijaynagar Empire. Administration:
  • It was the nearest ap­proach to a war-state ever made by a Hindu kingdom.

Central Administration

  • Basically it was a monarchic system with the only exception that the law of heredity was not strictly adhered to.
  • The civil administration as well as the army organisation was based on Hindu feudal system.
  • Feudal vassals were called Amarnayakas.
  • King was called Karyakarta.
  • Important ministers: Dandanatha and Sayan dur­ing Harihar and Bukka. Dannayaka during Devaraya Iandn.
  • Secretariat was called Diwankhana.
  • Sarvanayaka was the Chief Secretary of the em­pire.
  • Karanikam was the ac­countant.

Provincial Administration

  • Provinces were called Rajayas, Mandalam (Tamil) , Chavadi and Pithikas (Karnataka) and important provinces were Udayagiri, Penukonda, Raichur.
  • Provinces had fair amount of freedom and autonomy: they had their own courts, appointed own officials, and maintained their own army. They issued their own coins, though of smaller denomina­tion.
  • Nayankara System: Vijayanagar is also called Nayaka kingdom. Important Nayaks were Madurai (under Tirumala Nayaka) , Tanjavur, Gingee, Ikkeri (under Venkatappa Nayak) and Mysore. This system was a significant modification of the segmentary state of the Cholas.

Military Administration

  • The military department was called Kandachara, which was headed by Dandanayaka.
  • King granted amaram or territory with a fixed revenue to military chiefs; the chiefs were called Palaiyagar or the Nayak.
  • Chariots were not the component of the army.
  • Forts were of four kinds:
    1. Sthala Durga,
    2. Giri Durga,
    3. Jala Durga and
    4. Vana Durga.

Local Administration

  • Provinces were divided into Districts called Kottam or Kurram, and the Districts were divided into Nadus (taluks) , and Nadus were di­vided into Aimbadin Melagram (a unit of 50 vil­lages) and agrama or grama were the lowest units.
  • Brahmadeya villages were known as Chaturvedi-mangalam; administered by sabhas or assemblies. Ayagar System:
  • It was introduced by Krishna Dev Raya. It was a system inherited from Cholas for the maintenance of services of value to an entire village from the ser­vices of which the entire vil­lage benefited.
  • Every village was a sepa­rate unit and a body of 12 functionaries who were col­lectively known as Ayagar system conducted its affair.
  • The transfer of land and grant could not take place without the cognizance of these functionaries.

Local Officers

  1. Parupatayagar: represen­tative of the king or a Gov­ernor; he was also the chief tax collector; he was also the incharge of the general administartion of the forts.
  2. Adhikari: attesting parti­tion deeds arid confirming land grants.
  3. Antrimars: controlled the working of village assem­blies and other local organisations.
  4. Nattunayakars: he was su­perintending of Nadus.
  5. Sthalgaudikas: Rendered yeoman service; like con­structing towers of forts.
  6. Senabovas: accountants.
  7. Madhyastha: mediator in connection with real estate transfer.
  8. Kavalkars: performed un­der Nayaks paid by villagers and performed police duty.
  9. Padikaval: sometimes the villages sold the right of po­licing.
  10. Arasu-svatantram: the taxes collected from the vil­lagers to pay the police.
  11. Periyanathuvelan: Attes­tation of documents. Other features:
  • The Nadu was the assem­bly of a large territorial divi­sion and enjoyed power similar to that of village as­sembly.
  • The members of the Nadu were called Nattavars.
  • During Vijaynagar rule, temples enjoyed quasi-politi­cal powers.
  • Temple grants were called Sarvamanya.
  • Sthanikas were the incharge of management of temples.
  • Asthavana was the land revenue department.
  • Scavengers were ex­empted from taxation.
  • Taxation varied from 1⟋6 to 1⟋2 of the produce.
  • Tax collected in cash is called Siddhaya.
  • House tax was called Vasal Panam.
  • Nadalavukal, Rajavtha-dankol, Gandaryaagandakol were various types of mea­suring rods.
  • The society was divided into two broad groups: Valangai (the right; agricul­turists) and Idangai (the left; non agriculturists, mainly traders) .
  • Slavery was present and was called Besvagga.
  • Kuttagai was the lease sys­tem of cultivation.
  • Varam was the system of sharing of agricultural in­come between landlord and tenant.