The Vijayanagara Empire was an empire established by Harihara I and his brother Bukka Raya I in the year 1336 in the Deccan region of South India. The Empire lasted until 1646 but their power started to decline after their defeat against the combined forces of Deccan Sultanates in the year 1565.
The empire is named after its capital city, Vijayanagara, and even today it has impressive ruins surrounding Hampi, which is declared as a world heritage site by UNESCO.
History:
Before the early 14th century, the Hindu states of the Deccan – the Yadava Empire of Devagiri, the Kakatiya dynasty of Warangal, and the Pandyan Empire of Madurai were repeatedly attacked by the Muslim rulers of the north.
By 1336 they have been completely defeated by Sultan Alauddin Khilji and Muhammad bin Tughlaq of the Delhi Sultanate. Different theories have been proposed about the origins of the Vijayanagara Empire.
One states that the brothers, Harihara and Bukkaraya were Kannadigas and were commanders in the army of the Hoysala Empire to ward of the Muslim invasion from the North.
The other theory states that the brothers were Telugu people and were associated with the Kakatiya kingdom. Despite their differences, the historians agree that the founders were supported and inspired by Vidyaranya, a saint at Sringeri monastery, to fight the Muslim invasion of South India.
The empire was divided into four dynasties, the Sangama Dynasty, the Saluva Dynasty, the Tuluva Dynasty, and the Aravidu Dynasty.
During the first dynasty that is the Sangama dynasty, the founder, Harihara I, and his successors were involved in many conquests and tried to make the empire a prosperous one.
Deva Raya II was the most capable of the Sangama Dynasty rulers. He invaded the island of Lanka and became the overlord of surrounding areas.
The empire was struggling during the next decades. The Saliva and Tuluva dynasty rulers were defeated in wars and the prestige of the empire was reduced. Some kings just wasted their time on wine and women which made them lose a huge part of their empire to the enemies.
In the year 1509, the empire came under the rule of Krishna Deva Raya. Initially, he faced lots of obstacles as a king.
The obstacles include dissatisfied nobles, the growing threat of the AdilShahi sultanate of Bijapur under the leadership of Yusuf Adil Khan, and the Portuguese interest in controlling the west coast. But he fought one battle at a time and emerged victoriously.
The empire during the time of Krishna Deva Raya was said to be at its peak. The Vijayanagara Armies were consistently winning their battles and they also gained territories formerly under the rule of Deccan Sultanates.
The empire also prospered in the field of Architecture during this time. Many of the important monuments and temples Construction was completed or Commissioned under the rule of King Krishna Deva Raya.
The Successors of Krishna Deva Raya suffered great losses in battles and so Tirumala Deva Raya started the Aravidu Dynasty and also had a new capital, Penukonda to replace the destroyed Hampi.
Later the Aravidu Dynasty Successors ruled the remaining region but the empire collapsed in 1614, and the final remains ended in 1646 due to the continuous wars against the Bijapur sultanate and others.
Religion:
As the writings of the foreign visitor's show, the Vijayanagara kings were tolerant of all religions. The Founder of the empire, the Sangama brothers were said to be from the Yadava lineage and worshipped Lord Shiva.
The later Suluva and Tuluva kings were Vaishnava by faith but used to worship Lord Shiva at Hampi as well as Lord Vishnu at Tirupati.
After the defeat of the Western Ganga Dynasty in the 11th century, there was an increase in the followers of Vaishnava Hinduism which directly reflected in the decrease of interest in Jainism.
As a result of trade between South India and Arab lands, Islam was introduced here as early as the 7th century. But due to the constant interaction between the Vijayanagara Empire and the Bahmani sultanates in the north increased the presence of Muslims in the south.
The arrival of the Portuguese and their connection with the empire for trade in the 15th century fostered the growth of Christianity in South India.
Economy:
The economy of the Empire was dependent on agriculture. The capital city of the empire, Vijayanagara was a thriving trade station and a business center. Major profit for the Empire was from the exports it made.
Large vessels from china made frequent visits and both the exports and imports intensified. The empire's exports to china included cotton, spices, semi-precious jewels, amber, and aromatic products such as perfumes.
Ships sailed to the Red sea and Vijayanagara goods were sold as far as in Venice. The empire's major exports were pepper, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, pearls, musk, aloe, porcelain. And their major imports were from Palestine which consisted of copper, quicksilver, saffron, coral, rosewater, knives, gold, and silver.
Architecture:
The legacy of the sculptures and paintings influenced the development of art long after the end of the empire. The Vijayanagara empire architecture is a combination of Chalukya, Hoysala, Pandya, and Chola style.
Artisans and sculptors used locally available hard granite to create monuments as they were aware of the constant threat of invasion. The empire’s monuments are spread all over south India but the most monuments are at its capital Vijayanagara, in modern times Hampi, which is a world heritage site.
In the 14th century, they used to build Deccan-style monuments but later incorporated the Dravidian style to meet their ritualistic needs. We can also see the presence of many secular structures in the empire.
Many structures are bearing Islamic features. There are many arches, domes, and vaults that show this.
The Vijayanagara Empire was one of the largest South Indian Empire which fought against the Muslim invasion from the north. The empire is still recognized from the ruins of Hampi and architecture found all over south India.
The most famous ruler of the empire was Krishna Deva Raya and also he was the most successful one as he ruled the largest empire in India after the decline of the Delhi sultanate.
Written by: Bhavish Doshi
Edited by: Gourav Chowdhury
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