Vijayanagara Empire: Encyclopedia - Vijayanagara Empire

Vijayanagara Empire

The Vijayanagara empire was based in the Deccan, in peninsular and southern India, from 1336 onwards. It was founded by Harihara, also known as Hakka, and his brother Bukka Raya. It is named after its capital city Vijayanagara, whose impressive ruins surround Hampi in modern Karnataka, India. It lasted from about 1336 to perhaps about 1660, though throughout its last century it was in a slow decline due to a massive and catastrophic defeat at the hands of an alliance of the sultanates, and the capital was taken and brutally razed and looted. Its foundation, and even great part of its history, is obscure; but its power and wealth are attested by more than one European traveller, such as the Portuguese travelers Domingo Paes and Nuniz, and the Venetian Niccolò Da Conti.

Vijayanagara Empire - Founding

The founding of the original kingdom was based on the principality of Anegondi, based on a fortified town on the Tungabhadra river in the Deccan. In the century preceding the founding of the empire, the old kingdoms of the Deccan had been overrun by Muslim invaders from the north. From 1309, Malik Kafur reached and captured Warangal, later on reaching the Malabar kingdoms. Mubarak of Delhi reached Warangal again in 1323. Between 1334 and 1336, Muhammad Tughlaq of Delhi again overran the region, capturing Anegondi.

There are several theories regarding the origin of this empire. Scholars like Prof. K. A. Nilakanta Sastry, Dr. N. Venkataramanayya and B. Surya Narayana Rao have supported the Telugu or Warrangal origin theory. Hakka and Bukka were brothers of the Kuruba clan and were commanders in the army of the King of Warangal. Muhammad bin Tughlaq after defeating the king of Warangal took Hakka and Bukka as prisoners of war to Delhi, where they were converted to Islam by force. However, the brothers escaped from Delhi vowed to preserve the Hindu culture and heritage. Under the guidance of Brahmin sage Vidyaranya founded the Vijayanagara Kingdom. The Emblem of the Kingdom was Varaha {pig} the incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The Kuruba descendents of the Kingdom still live in Hampi.

But scholars like Fr. Heras, B. A. Saletore and Dr. P. B. Desai have ably rejected this theory. They hold the view that the Sangama brothers were closely connected with the Hoysalas. Dr. Desai is of the opinion that the founders of Vijayanagara never belonged to the Telugu region and the story of their captivity and conversion by the Sultan of Delhi is false. The testimony of epigraphs establishes the fact that the ancestral territory of the Sangama brothers was Karnataka and that the area round about Hampi constituted their homeland.

That Harihara and his brothers hailed from the Kannada region and were legitimate successors to Hoysala sovereignty by natural process is supported by evidence. For example, they became over lords of the entire communions formerly ruled by the Hoysalas without any clash for the transfer of power. In keeping with the old tradition, they implicitly followed the Hoysala framework in all political and administrative matters. Lord Virupaksha of Hampi and Chennakeshava of Belur were worshipped. As pointed out by G. S. Gai almost half of the inscriptions of Vijayanagara are in Kannada. Many of their titles like “Bhashegetappuva - rayara - ganda” and “Rayamoovara - ganda” were in Kannada and were used in the same form even in Sanskrit. According to Dr. P. B. Desai, “the adoption of the pontiffs of Shringeri as their revered teachers and spiritual guides and the pasupata Kriyasaktis as their family priests by the Sangama is yet another testimony of their unquestionable identity with the Hoysala country and Karnataka” (Ref. Arthikage, Mangalore, India - History of Karnataka, http://www.ourkarnataka.com/history.htm)

A popular account (supported by Department Of Tourism, Govt. Of India, copyright 2003 Eicher Goodearth Ltd. New Delhi) says that the Hampi region was part of a tiny kingdom of Kampili in the 14th Century AD when large parts of north India was under muslim rule. In 1326 AD Mohammed Bin Tughluq defeated and killed the king of Kampili. Among those taken prisoner were sons of Sangama, Hukka and Bukka, both treasury officers of Kampili, who were forced to convert to Islam. Some years later the sultan sent the two brothers back to govern the province. In 1336 AD, they laid foundation of an independent kingdom, with the help of sage Vidyaranya, denying any allegiance to the Tughluqs and became Hindu again. They laid foundation to the Sangama dynsaty with its citadel in Vijayanagara. History has it that the governors of Hoysala, Singeya Nayaka-III (1280 - 1300) declared independance and formed the kingdom of Kampili around 1280 AD. The kingdom faced constant threat for the powerful kingdom from Hoysalas and Yadavas. But in 1327 AD, the Muslim expedition took toll of Yadavas and their kingdom as well as Kampiladeva's kingdom and opened up routes for the Muslim rulers.

Many other stories add intrigue and mystery to the founding of the Empire but lack epigraphal support.

Another story avers that the hermit Vidyarnya himself founded the city after the discovery of a hidden treasure, ruled over it himself, and left it after his death to a Kuruba family who established the first regular dynasty. + Many other stories add intrigue and mystery to the founding of the Empire but with lack of epigraphal support.

A fourth account states that while Vidyaranya was living his ascetic life amongst the mountains he was supported by meals brought to him by a shepherd of Kuruba caste called Bukka, "and one day the Brahmin said to him, 'You shall be king and emperor of all Bharata.' The other shepherds learned this, and began to treat this shepherd with veneration and made him their head; and he acquired the name of 'king,' and began to conquer his neighbours. Bukka established a city "and called it Vijaya Nagar – the city of victory . As Muhammud Tughlaq's rule ended amidst revolts against him by his Muslim subjects in the Deccan, the area ruled by Harihara expanded greatly and quickly. The city of Vijayanagara was established by about 1340 on the bank of the Tungabhadra opposite Anegondi.

Harihara was succeeded, probably around 1343, by his brother, Bukka Raya, who ruled till about 1379. By the end of Bukka's reign, most of southern India to the south of the Tungabhadra had accepted his suzerainity.

Vijayanagara Empire - The empire at its peak

In the following two centuries, the Vijayanagar empire dominated all of southern India, and was probably stronger than any other power in the Indian subcontinent. The empire during that period served as a bulwark against invasion from the Turkic Sultanates of the Indo-Gangetic Plain; and remained in constant competition and conflict with the five Deccan Sultanates that established themselves in the Deccan to the north of it. It remained a land power.

In about 1510, Goa, which had been under the rule of the Sultan of Bijapur, was captured by the Portuguese, possibly with the approval or connivance of Vijayanagara. Commerce between the Portuguese and Vijayanagara became very important to both sides.

The empire is generally considered to have reached its peak during the rule of Krishna Deva Raya. Krishna conquered or subjugated territories on the east of the Deccan that belonged previously to Orissa. Many of the great monuments of the empire date from his time. Among these are the Hazara Rama temple, the Krishna temple and the Ugra Narasimha idol, all at Vijayanagara.

He was followed by Achyuta Raya in 1530. In 1542, Achyuta was succeeded by Sada Siva Raya. But the real power lay with Rama (of the third dynasty), who seems to have made a point of unnecessarily provoking the Deccan sultanates, so that eventually they allied against him. In 1565, at the Battle of Talikota, the army of Vijayanagara was routed by an alliance of the Deccan sultanates. Rama Raya was killed in the Battle of Tallikot and his head (the real head) annually covered with oil and red pigment has been exhibited to the pious Mahomedans of Ahmudnuggur till 1829. With this, the last significant Hindu kingdom in the Deccan came to an end. Tirumala Raya the sole survivor left Vijayanagar with treasure on back of 550 elephants to Penukonda. Please refer to Robert Sewell's excellent reasearch on Vijayanagar [1]

Vijayanagara is considered by many today, especially in the states of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, to have been a golden age of culture and learning.

The Haridasa Movement and the Empire: The Haridasa Movement presented, like the Virashaiva Movement, another strong current of Bhakthi, pervading the lives of millions. Thus the Haridasas presented two groups – Vyasakuta and Dasakuta. The former were required to be proficient in the Vedas, Upanishads and other Darshanas, while the Dasakuta merely conveyed the message of Madhwa through Kannada language to the people. The gospel of Madhwacharya was preserved and perpetuated by his eminent disciples like Narahari Thirtha, Padmanabha Thirtha, Akshobhya Thirtha, Jaya Thirtha and others. In the fifteenth century, the Haridasa movement took shape under Sripadaraja of Mulbagal; but this disciple Vyasaraja (1447 – 1539 A. D.) provided it a strong organizational base. He was intimately associated with the Vijayanagar Empire, where he became a great moral and spiritual force. His eminent disciples were Sri Vadirajaswami and Purandaradasa. Kannada literature took a strong Hindu bend with the orthodox Vijayanagara kings. Some eminent names were BhimaKavi, Padmanaka, Mallanarya, Singiraja and Chamarasa.

Vijayanagara Empire - The decline

While the empire still continued to have some power, and commanded respect, it went into a considerable decline. The rulers of this period are difficult to place clearly. It is known however that they continued to trade with the Portuguese, and that they gave the British the land grant that enabled the establishment of Madras.

Vijayanagara Empire - Dynasties and rulers

This list is based on the book by Robert Sewell (A Forgotten Empire).

Sangama Dynasty

• Harihara I (Deva Raya) 1336-1343
• Bukka I 1343-1379
• Harihara II 1379-1399
• Bukka II 1399-1406
• Deva Raya I 1406-1412
• Vira Vijaya 1412-1419
• Deva Raya II 1419-1444
• (unknown) 1444-1449
• Mallikarjuna 1452-1465 (Dates uncertain)
• Rajasekhara 1468-1469 (Dates uncertain)
• Virupaksha I 1470-1471 (Dates uncertain)
• Praudha Deva Raya 1476-? (Dates uncertain)
• Rajasekhara 1479-1480 (Dates uncertain)
• Virupaksha II 1483-1484 (Dates uncertain)
• Rajasekhara 1486-1487 (Dates uncertain)

Saluva Dynasty

• Narasimha 1490-?
• Narasa (Vira Narasimha) ?-1509
• Krishna Deva 1509-1530
• Achyuta 1530-1542
• Sadasiva (in name only) 1542-1567

Tuluva dynasty

• Rama (ruled in practice) 1542-1565
• Tirumala (ruled in practice) 1565-1567
• Tirumala (crowned ruler) 1567-1575
• Ranga II 1575-1586
• Venkata I 1586-1614

Aravidu (dates uncertain, this information is based only on inscriptions), includes rulers by the names below. There is certainly more than one ruler under each name. The period extends from 1614 onward, till the last known reference in 1739.

• Ranga
• Venkata
• Rama

The last known inscription referring to a monarch of his line is from 1793.

Vijayanagara Empire - Related Links

• Cited and adapted from public domain source, [2]
• A Forgotten Empire: Vijayanagar: A Contribution to the History of India
• http://freeindia.org/biographies/greatlkings/hakkabukka/index.htm (Biography of Hakka and Bukka.)
• http://www.kamat.com/kalranga/andhra/vnagar.htm (Several links to information about Vijayanagara.)
• Hampi - History and Tourism
• Read a more detailed essay in Telugu wiki

Categories: Vijayanagara Empire | Historical Indian empires | Historical Hindu empires | Empires

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Vijayanagara Empire", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki