Vijayanagara Empire

2020-04-27 12:26:03

The Vijayanagar Empire

Harihara and Bukka were erstwhile in service of the Kakatiyas founded the Vijayanagra empire in 1336 with Harihara as the king.
H B both were captured by MBT sent to Delhi and converted to Islam, were sent to crush Kampili rebellion but joined them and renounced their faith in Islam. Some other historians say that they were one of 76 nayakas of Karnatka
They used Tamil, Telugu, Kannada tradition to build their empire.
Early phase 1336-1509. They struggled with the Bahmani, Telugu-Chodas early allies, Reddis of Kondavido, Velamas of Rajakonda and Gajapatis of Orissa.
! H B captured Hoysala kingdom after Ballal III died in 1342 similarly Sultanat of madurai was wiped out by 1377.
Harihara II succeeded Bukka and captured Belgauna and Goa from the Bahamanids and sent expedition to Sri Lanka.
Deva Raya Succeeded him in 1404. Renewed figh for TB doab, defeated by Bhaman ruler Firuz Shah who was married to DR’s daughter.
He later defeated Firuz after allying w/ Warangal annexing cis Krishna area. Constructed a dam over TB which improved irrigation and production inc.
DR II succeeded him. Enlisted Muslims as archers and inc import of horses and invaded Bahmanids to capture Mudkal, Bankapur etc but was indecisive.

Foreign Travellers in V

Nuniz said that Pegu, Burma, SL, Quilon, Pulicat paid tribute to him -> not true only contact was there.
Nicolo Conti visited in 1420 who described the extent of city etc. said that V had more power, wealth and extent than Bahamnids.
@ Abdur Razzaq was ambassador at DR II’s court. Says that his country had 300 ports, country is well cultivated, fertile and troops number 11 lakh.
- 7 citadels and 7 wall enclose each other, 7th fortress was 10 times bigger than Herat. Muslims lived in separate quarters and outside the palace were bazaars.
- says that Hoarding of wealth was an ancient tradition -> out of circulation and led to foreign attacks.

Nature of V State

Maintained large standing army paid in cash, Muslim mounted archers, imported horses.
@ Debate on whether it was loose association of semi autonomous military or territrial leaders aka Nayaks or was centralised like Delhi Sultanat.
- @ Amaran sys cannot be compared to Turkish iqta since former were not slaves. N were hereditary lords who promised service and loyalty to the ruler.
- These local rulers still ruled in the outlying areas so V ruler directly administered a smaller area.
Council of Ministers was headed by the Pradhani, who employed a large no of scribes or kayasthas.
@ V state has been called a citadel of orthodoxy and conservatism. Rulers spent lot of time, attention, money in repairing and making temples.
Gave favors to Brahmans including military assignments.
Were Shaivites but did not discriminate among other Hindu sects. Patroned Jainism, Christian missionaries, Muslim soldiers could offer Namaz.

Krishnadev Raya

! after death of DR II the Saluva dynaty took over which was soon followed by Tuluva dynasty.
Krishnadeva Raya 1509-29 was its greatest ruler.
He captured Kovilkonda and Raichur from the Adil Shahis and Gulbarga and Bidar from Bhamanis. Udaygiri, Kondavidu, Telingana and Warangal from Gajapatis.
He had friendly relations with the Portuguese to maintain trade of horses from ports.
Achyut Raya → Rama Raya followed.
In the south Zamorin, Quilon, local Chola and Chera rulers were subdued. Telugu soldiers who settle here later led to rise of Nayakas as intermediaries and Reddis as farmers.
Paes says that KDR was a great ruler, man of justice but subject to sudden fit of rage.
$ Domingo Paes, Barbosa and Nuniz give account of his administration. #important
- Who say that his greatest achievement was the broad toleration that prevailed. Barbosa says Christians, Jew, Moor or heathen may come and go without annoyance

Disintegration

Sadashiv Raya ascended the throne in 1543 after death of KDR but real power lay in hands of triumvirate led by Rama Raja.
Rama Raja along with Portugues stopped horse supply to Bijapur -> led to war where he defeated Bijapur, Golconda and Ahmednagar.
! Who combined their forces and defeated V at Bannihatti near Talikota.
- ! Battle of Talikota 1565 marked the end of the empire.

Religion and Kingship

Strict adherence to dharma was main feature of the state.
Muslim archers and commanders were also used.
They adopted titles like digvijayan and celebrated Mahanavami festivals.
Brahmanas enjoyed political and secular powers along with religious ones.
Sectarian leaders were connecting links b/w kings and temples. But task of solving temple disputes was with the king.
@ Krishnadeva raya constructed the Krishnaswami temple.
@ KDR in his book on polity advises that king should attend to protecting the good and punishing the wicked, king should levy taxes moderately/

Polity

! Kingdom divided into Rajyas or Mandalams/provinces below which were nadu/districts, sthala/sub districts and grama/village.
Chola tradition of village govt was considerably weakened under V rule.

Local Administration

@ Nayankara system : Military chiefs took titles like nayaka and amaranayaks.
Accounts of Fernao Nuniz and Dominigo Paes studied the Nayaka system in detail.
$ Mackenizie manuscripts and Vijanagara inscriptions called them territorial magnatees.
They established their own kingdoms later.
@ Ayagar system : They were villages servants viz headmen, accountant and watchmen who were given a plot in village which was mostly tax free.

Economy

Economic life of people remained more or less the same living in thatched huts, sometimes wore turban, ornaments in ear, arms, necks etc.
@ Land revenue was main source of states income it varied from 1/6 to 1/4. For Brahmanas and temples it was 1/20 to 1/30 payable in both cash and kind.
~ 3 categories of land revenue was
- bhandaravada → smallest category of town village.
- Manya → tax free used to maintain Brahmans, temples etc.
- amara → villages given to amaranayakas.
Various taxes on professions, property, house and grazing was taken.
~ A/C to an inscription 1/3rd of produce of rice was taken during winter; 1/4th of seasame,ragi, horsegram; 1/6th of millet and other crops cultivated on dry land.
Rate varied on type of crop, soil, metod of irrigation.
$ Nikitin says land was overstocked w/ people but those in country are very miserable and nobles extremely affluent.
Temples emerged as landholders. They were given devadana villages. Cash endowments were also made.
Temples became imp centers of economic activity since markets around them grew due to the need of prasad etc. They took up irrigation works as well as banking .
Local and long distance trade increased.
& Regular fairs took place outside of temples under the leadership of pattanaswami.
Separate markets for agricultural and non agri products.

Irrigation

Temples took irrigational works.
Village rule declined and local magnates became powerful they took steps to improve agri culture viz irrigation
they charged an irrigation tax for it.

Society

Brahmans enjoyed secular authority due to grant of devadana villages.
social groups in tamil country was divided on the basis of natural sub-region and occupational patterns.
There was a dual division of lower castes. Right hand castes were involved in agriculture and Left hand in production and trade of non agri goods.
Other sections of society depended on the peasants, they were called as sat-sudras by the poets.

![[7.4 Arts in Vijayanagara Empire#Arts in Vijayanagara Empire]]

PYQs

The Vijayanagra Empire

Give an account of the polity and society of Vijayanagara empire under Krishnadevaraya. [1979, 60m]

The Vijayanagara empire was one of the most significant South Indian empires that flourished from the 14th to the 17th century. Krishnadevaraya, who ruled from 1509 to 1529, was one of the greatest rulers of the empire. His reign witnessed significant developments in the polity and society of the empire.

Polity Under Krishnadevaraya, the Vijayanagara empire was a strong centralized state with an efficient administrative system. The king was assisted by a council of ministers and a group of officials who were responsible for the smooth functioning of the government. The empire was divided into provinces or Nadu, each headed by a governor or a Nayaka, who was responsible for collecting revenue, maintaining law and order, and implementing the king’s policies.

Krishnadevaraya was a patron of art and literature, and his court was a center of cultural and intellectual activity. He was also an able military commander and expanded the empire’s boundaries by conquering several neighboring kingdoms. He maintained cordial relations with the Portuguese, who were then in India, and encouraged trade and commerce.

Society The society under Krishnadevaraya was hierarchical, with the king at the top and a vast majority of people at the bottom. The society was divided into four castes: Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras, with the Brahmins enjoying the highest status. The king and the nobles were mostly Kshatriyas, while the merchants were Vaishyas, and the common people were Shudras.

The society was also marked by the presence of several religious communities, including Hindus, Jains, and Muslims. The Vijayanagara empire was a Hindu empire, and the majority of the population was Hindu. However, Krishnadevaraya was known for his religious tolerance and patronage of other religions. He invited scholars and artists from different parts of India, and his court was a melting pot of different cultures.

Discuss the origin of the Vijayanagara Kingdom. Do you agree with the view that Krishnadevaraya was an ideal ruler of this dynasty? [1980, 60m]

The origin of the Vijayanagara Kingdom can be traced back to the Sangama dynasty, which was founded by Harihara I and Bukka Raya I. They were brothers who were originally in the service of the Kakatiya dynasty of Warangal, until it was defeated by the Delhi Sultanate in 1323. After the defeat, the brothers were taken to Delhi as prisoners, where they converted to Islam. However, they were released in 1336 and returned to their homeland, where they reconverted to Hinduism and established the Vijayanagara Kingdom.

The Vijayanagara Empire was founded on the principles of Hinduism and aimed to protect and promote the religion. The empire saw a period of great prosperity and growth under the rule of Krishnadevaraya in the 16th century. The empire’s capital city, Vijayanagara, was a center of art, culture, and trade, attracting merchants and scholars from across the world.

There are differing views on the Vijayanagara Kingdom’s impact on Indian history. Some argue that it was a significant force that protected Hinduism and Indian culture from foreign invaders. However, others see the empire as oppressive, particularly towards lower castes and non-Hindus, and an example of the exclusionary nature of Hindu nationalism.

Do you think that the reign of Krishnadevaraya inaugurated a new epoch in the history of Vijayanagar? [1983, 20m]

Krishnadevaraya’s reign (1509-1529) is considered one of the most glorious periods in the history of the Vijayanagar Empire. He was a patron of arts, literature, and architecture, and his court was a center of learning and culture. During his reign, the empire reached its zenith of power and prosperity, with a vast empire that extended from the Deccan Plateau to the southern tip of India.

Krishnadevaraya’s military campaigns were successful, and he expanded the empire’s territory by defeating neighboring kingdoms. He also maintained diplomatic relations with foreign powers, including the Portuguese and the Chinese.

Krishnadevaraya’s reign marked a new epoch in the history of Vijayanagar, characterized by cultural and economic growth, military expansion, and political stability. However, his successors were unable to maintain the empire’s power, and it declined in the following decades.

What light do inscriptions and accounts of European travelers throw on the antecedents and legacy of the administrative structure of the Vijayanagar Empire? [1994, 60m]

Discuss the social dynamics in the Vijayanagara Empire. [2010, 20m]

On the basis of contemporary sources evaluate the system of agriculture and irrigation of the Vijayanagar kingdom. [2013, 15m]

To what extent is ‘Segmentary State’ model relevant for defining the Vijayanagar State? Critically examine. [2014, 20m]

Mention the salient features of the polity of Vijayanagara Empire under Krishnadevaraya. [2015, 10m]

Evaluate the accounts of foreign travellers about the Vijayanagar Empire. [2017, 10 Marks]

Do you agree that convergence of political vacuum and impact of Islamicate culture and polity in peninsular India has much to do with the growth of Vijayanagara kingdom? [2018, 15 Marks]