Vijayanagara Empire

Vijayanagar Empire was established by Harihara I and Bukka Raya I in 1336 A.D. against the
Tughluq rule in the Deccan on the southern banks of Tungabhadra.

The Vijayanagara Empire administered the disunities and disorders of the 12th and 13th
centuries and forested the reconstruction of Hindu life. The empire lasted till 1646. However, the
empire's power declined after it faced a major military defeat in 1565.

Important Dynasties of Vijayanagara Empire

Vijayanagar experienced four important dynasties, and these are Sanguama, Saliva, Tuluva,
and Aravidu.
• Sanguama Dynasty- It was ruled by Harihara I. He marked the beginning of the
Vijayanagara empire in 1336 A.D. by capturing Mysore and Madurai. He was succeeded
by his brother Bukka-I in 1356 A.D.
• Saluva Dynasty- It was started by Saluva Narasimha in 1486 and ended in 1505. The
Saluva Dynasty was ruled by three rulers, i.e., Saluva Narasimha Deva Raya, Thimma
Bhupala, and Narasimha Raya II.
• Tuluva Dynasty- It was started by Tuluva Narasa Nayaka in 1491. One of the most
famous rulers of the Tuluva Dynasty was Krishnadeva Raya. He was considered the
perfect and most feared ruler of the Vijayanagar Empire, according to Domingo Paes.
Another important ruler from the Tuluva Dynasty was Krishnadeva Raya.
• Aravidu Dynasty- The fourth and last dynasty of the Vijayanagar Empire was the
Aravidu Dynasty, founded by Aliya Rama Raya in 1542 and ended in 1646.

The Glories of the Vijayanagara Empire

The glories of the Vijayanagar Empire in terms of administration, army, the position of women,
social life, Economic development, architecture, literature, judicial, and revenue administration.
These are explained below-

Administration of Vijayanagara Empire:

Vijayanagara empire experienced a well-organized system of administration where the state
was headed by the king. He was assisted by a council of Ministers who work for the
administration.
The whole empire was separated into six different provinces, and each of them was
administered by a Governor called Naik. The provinces were further separated into districts and
further into villages. These villages were administered by officers, weight men, watchmen,
accountants, etc.

Judicial Administration
In the Vijayanagara Empire, the king was considered the supreme judge. He was in charge of
giving punishments to the guilty.
Revenue Administration And Army of Vijayanagar
During Vijayanagara Empire, the main source of income was the revenue coming from the land.
The taxes were collected according to the soil fertility after a careful survey. Along with this,
building dams on canals and agriculture were given more importance.
The army comprises elephantry, cavalry, and infantry, with the commander-in-chief as the
incharge.

Condition of Women
Women were given a higher position. They actively participated in the literary, social, and
political life of the empire. They were educated and trained in fine arts, music, defence, offence,
and wrestling.

Economic Conditions of Vijayanagar Empire

The major industries like metallurgy, perfumery, mining, textiles, etc., existed during the period.
The rulers of the Vijayanagara Empire had commercial relations with the Malay Archipelago,
South Africa, Portugal, Persia, China, Burma, Arabia, Abyssinia, and islands in the Indian
Ocean.

Social life
The Vijayanagar Empire had a systemized society. Evil practices like sati, polygamy, and child
marriage didn't become prevalent in the empire. Also, the freedom of religion was allowed by
the kings.

Architecture and Literature of Vijayanagar Kingdom

During the Vijayanagara Empire, the Vittalaswamy temple and Hazara Ramasami temple were
built. One of the masterpieces of the period was the bronze image of Krishnadeva Raya. The
intellectuals developed literature in Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, and Sanskrit, the major literature
being Jambavathi Kalyanam, Usha Parinayam, and Amuktamalyada.

Decline of Vijayanagar Empire

The Vijayanagar Empire ended in 1646 with the decline of the Aravidu dynasty. The rulers of the
fourth and the last dynasty were incompetent and weak. During that period, the governors of the
provinces became independent. However, the decline of the Vijayanagara Empire was caused
by the seizing of areas of Vijayanagar by the rulers of Golconda and Bijapur.