Vijayanagar Kingdom
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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:
- Sthala Durga,
- Giri Durga,
- Jala Durga and
- 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
- 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.
- Adhikari: attesting partition deeds arid confirming land grants.
- Antrimars: controlled the working of village assemblies and other local organisations.
- Nattunayakars: he was superintending of Nadus.
- Sthalgaudikas: Rendered yeoman service; like constructing towers of forts.
- Senabovas: accountants.
- Madhyastha: mediator in connection with real estate transfer.
- Kavalkars: performed under Nayaks paid by villagers and performed police duty.
- Padikaval: sometimes the villages sold the right of policing.
- Arasu-svatantram: the taxes collected from the villagers to pay the police.
- 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.